Distraction: An Impactful Parenting Tool
Parents are faced with a variety of different challenging situations from day to day. From managing the kids’ online activities to breaking up arguments to preparing meals that everyone will enjoy, the stress can add up. In these situations, it might feel difficult to deal with intense or painful emotions as they arise. Ineffective ways of managing a crisis may help in the short term, but they can end up making things worse. Use crisis management skills when you feel yourself reaching your threshold to Emotion Mind or if you feel your emotional temperature rising.
Wise Mind ACCEPTS are distraction skills that can help you de-escalate stressful situations. Practice one of these skills while interacting with your family to distract yourself from intense emotions.
Activities: Keep your mind and body busy. Take a walk, clean the house, or listen to music as a means of distracting your mind from the issue in front of you. Shifting your focus can allow you to decompress and recenter.
Contribution: Consider giving away things you no longer need or calling a friend to check in. By doing good for others, you will generate positive emotions within yourself.
Comparison: Comparing your situation to another’s. Do this without guilt. Your reality is your own. Gain perspective from this experience.
Opposite Emotions: Do something to create a new feeling to distract you from the old emotion. If you’re angry, take a relaxing bath. If you’re sad, read an uplifting book. Engaging in an activity to elicit an emotion opposite to how you’re feeling can help distract you from the original emotion.
Push Away: It is possible you might need to file the emotions away temporarily while you calm down. Consider leaving the situation for a time physically in order to return later on in a more Wise Minded way.
Thoughts: Change your thoughts, or add thoughts that have nothing to do with the crisis. For example, do a word search or a Sudoku in order to stimulate your mind.
Sensations: Awaken one or more of your sensations using your 5 senses Pet your dog or diffusing your favorite essential oil. Put lotion on your body or listen to loud music.
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed lately, don’t panic! Practice the Wise Mind ACCEPTS skills to decrease distress and stay in Wise Mind. Help bring down the intensity of your emotions and distract yourself from overwhelming feelings that might lead you to react to your children in a negative way.