Hit the Refresh Button

 Dear Parents,

When your computer goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode you have to scrap whatever you are doing and hit the refresh key. I pretend I have one of those in real life, when my kids and I are about to go into the same Triple-F cycle—fight, flight, or freeze.

Here are some things you can do, too.

• Go fix a cup of fruity tea and dissolve some honey in it. That takes nearly 6 minutes from start to finish and the Zen mindfulness of making it causes your cortisol to retreat so you can think clearly again.
• Walk outside into the garden and do a little pinching, nipping, cutting, pulling, snipping, spading, harvesting. When you go back inside you will be re-acquainted with the harmony of the Earth. Really.
• Go take a shower and wash it all away.  Get the emotional grime off of you.  Nice soothing body wash is delightful when your nose if flared and full of bitter Triple-F hormones.
• Go to your bedroom and spritz or slap on a little of your favorite, maybe forgotten cologne, body spray, or perfume. You always did like that scent, right?  Home can be just like a special occasion where you want to smell yummy, if you curate it that way.

You get the picture.  Refresh before the Triple-F cycle messes up your day with your child.

 Love matters,

Ce 

Theme of the day:  mindfulness smells better than the Three-Fs.

P.S. Check out The Love Matters Parenting Society membership for more support.