It is amazing what you can learn from a little one- every day they are learning and growing and it is fantastic to be able to follow their lead. I have made the following points the basis of my stress management coaching.
1. Playdoh
When you are kneading and creating and rolling playdoh, there is no way that you are able to feel stressed. It is such a relaxing yet physical activity- that any stress chemicals that are floating around in the body, instantly go.
2. Afternoon naps
The ability to go 'I'm tired, I'm going to sleep now' and to make that a priority in your day, has to be commended and copied! A child's ability to tune in and recognise what it is they need, now, is a skill we have perhaps learned not to do.
3. Being knee height
How amazing must the world be to see everything at knee height. And also a little scary? But if toddlers can combat that perspective everyday with humour and resilience, surely we too can learn a bit of that?
4. Spiders and stones
Toddlers have an incredible knack of stopping in the middle of something to inspect the most nondescript piece of fluff on the carpet. Or at the spider cowering in the corner of the stairs or at the stones on the pathway. They are completely in the moment and in tune with their immediate environment.
5. Imaginary play
For toddlers, it serves to help make sense of the world- making connections between what they are seeing and how they are developing as little individuals. In adults, daydreaming over different possibilities or scenarios has shown to create new pathways and connections in the brain, that weren't there before.
6. Tiaras and Tantrums
Whether an angel or the devil incarnate, a toddler is showing exactly how they are feeling at exactly that moment. There are no such things as repressed emotions in a healthy 2 year old! They giggle at something funny, cry when they are upset, show anger when things are not going their way. You know exactly where they stand and it'll all be over and something different in 2 minutes.
What we can learn...
1. Have a physical stress release activity that you can turn to when you need it
2. Listen to what your body is telling you and act on it.
3. If you are feeling overwhelmed by a situation, try looking at it from a different perspective. Viewing the world differently to what we are used to might make our troubles look different too.
4. Take notice of the immediate world around you. Appreciate what is in front of you, soak it in, experience the moment instead of worrying about what's happening next.
5. Let your mind wander and new solutions to old problems may just appear without too much effort.
6. It may not be appropriate to have a full-blown temper tantrum in the supermarket when it doesn't stock your favourite cereal. However, by acknowledging our emotions and how we are feeling, we open up pathways for understanding their origins and can then begin processing them in a healthy manner.
With love and thanks to K.
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