Hello Stepparents! Welcome back. In an earlier episode, How to Stay Sane as a Stepparent, I discussed developing a daily routine to sustain you through difficult times. (You can find the show notes for that episode at [synergisticstepparenting.com/7]).
Today, I’m diving deeper into the specific aspects you should consider and include when creating your own stepparenting sanity routine to combat blended family overwhelm.
When you are developing practices and habits that help you find calm (and stay there!), here are 7 key components to consider:
1. Create Space for Your Emotions
Give your emotions a chance to be heard. Allow them to come without judgment and without trying to push them away. All emotions are valid, and it’s important to create space for them—even the ones that feel unpleasant. Otherwise, it’s like building pressure in a pressure cooker: if there’s no release, sooner or later it’s going to burst.
2. Move Your Body Out of Negativity
Often, in addition to having an emotional response to stepparenting stress, you experience a physical response to frustrating situations and events. There is an actual chemical reaction taking place in your body at these times.
Allow yourself to physically move through and out of it. This will help to change your inner pH levels to neutralize your system overall. Get up and run, exercise, do yoga, swim, dance, punch some pillows, or scream! Doing something physical that requires high energy will allow that physical build-up to release.
3. Step Into a New Scene
Stepping into a new environment will quickly make you feel differently and help you gain a fresh perspective. At the very least, it will allow you to hit pause on negative, spiraling feelings and help you find a more productive way of handling things.
- Go into a different room: Maybe you like a specific space because of the way the sunlight spills into it, or because it has your favorite chair.
- Go outside: Fresh air is wonderful for calming the central nervous system. The scenery, scents, and sounds will take your mind to a new place and offer a reprieve from heightened emotions.
- Leave the house: Going to a local coffee shop or another favorite spot is another great option.
4. Do Something You Love That Makes You Feel Good
What’s your thing? Maybe it’s dancing, singing, drawing, reading, going for a walk, or going for a swim. It doesn’t matter what it is. What matters is that you feel good doing it. Doing something you love will be naturally soothing and will quickly shift your energy, completely changing how you feel.
5. Have Fun
Throw caution to the wind! Doing something silly or entertaining is a great way to get out of a funk. Rather than sulking, go out to a trampoline park, go bowling, or play laser tag or mini golf. Doing fun activities will quickly get you out of a bad mood. Plus, these are great opportunities to create some bonding with the kids and your partner. Meaningful connection is an instant mood-lifter.
6. Soothe Your Senses
Take a bubble bath, take a hot shower, get a massage, do some scent therapy with essential oils, listen to soothing sounds, drink a cold beverage, or sip a hot tea. Soothing your nervous system by changing up the physical sensations you are experiencing is highly effective. It gives your mind something else to focus on, allowing it a chance to calm down and reset.
7. Process the Experience a Different Way
Journaling is a great way to process what happened because the act of writing forces you to slow down and pay attention to your thoughts as they come. Writing about your experience involves other parts of your brain in emotional regulation, which moves you through the frustration faster. It also helps to create more harmony between your logical and primitive mind.
Give these seven steps a try and let me know how it goes for you. I’d love to hear from you!
Need Help Getting Unstuck?
If you put a routine into place and you find that you still have strong emotions that hijack your mind and play on repeat, book a Rapid Resolution Therapy® Session with me.
It’s a fantastic way to get out of emotional stuck-ness and move into clarity and peace by shutting down unhelpful thought-tapes that drain your energy. Until next time, be well!
Related Episodes:
- How To Stay Sane In Stepparenting
- What Is Rapid Resolution Therapy?
- #1 Cause Of Disconnect In Your Stepparenting
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