Growing up, and even to this day, when I get really upset I struggle to catch my breath, start to gag, and break out in a hideous rash over my chest and face. Sounds lovely, eh?
When Riley started to get over that baby cry, I noticed that she essentially does the same thing as I do. And let me tell you, it breaks my heart! After trying a few things, I discovered something that just worked. It wasn’t something I found or read, but a combination of learning that I had gone through.
As someone who struggles with anxiety, I am learning, not even close to mastering, how to handle that day to day. Sporadically I do Yoga at home and Meditate. I have gained a lot from these aspects, but obviously struggle a bit to make it a habit! Through those and just constantly reading about parenting, we started this calming technique using with great success.
My favorite Yogi is Yoga With Adrienne and really enjoy 10% Happier Meditation app. No affiliation. Just a great recommendation if you are looking.
This calming down technique doesn’t work perfectly every time, but almost always works.
Once I notice she is struggling to catch her breath or gag, I immediate jump in and say, “OK, let’s take some deep breaths.” Breathing in through the nose and long hiss/sigh out through the mouth. I added the hands movements because I felt they helped her understand the breathing of her chest moving up as she inhaled and moving down as she exhaled. Normally I am holding her or crouched down to her level and embracing her in a hug. My goal is to make her feel safe with her feelings and teach her some techniques now that will allow her to utilize as long as she needs to.
Once that is over, we talk about our feelings, name them, and discuss what happened to cause those feelings. Also, it really helps me as a parent to do the technique with her. I am in a much better proactive state than a reactive state. Please do not read this and feel I have it all together. I still knee gut reactions at times that should be handled differently. In life, make mistakes, learn from them, and try to be better!
This has been our experience. It may take some time and practice. Keep trying until you find what fits. I hope you find it helpful, but more importantly, I hope you find what works for you and your family!
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or expect. Just sharing my journey and hoping to help others along the way.
Filming a video with a toddler is HARD! LOL. But it was good fun. Big thanks to the hubs for editing it after many takes.
Ms. Marcum's Mission 