Guided meditation for stressed parents

Parenting is stressful. Watch or listen to this six-minute guided meditation, where psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn helps you calm your mind and body so you can respond to your child more effectively.

This is the last episode of “What Now? A Parent’s Guide to Tantrums and Meltdowns.” Explore the rest of Season 1 for more strategies to help you confidently handle to your child’s big emotions.

• Self-care for kids: 6 ways to self-regulate

• Wunder by Understood, a free app with exercises that can help you stay calm, manage your child’s outbursts, and get personalized tips along the way.

This guided meditation is a special episode of "What Now? A Parent's Guide to Tantrums and Meltdowns."

I want you to set the intention for today's meditation that you can help your child by calming your mind and being present so you can think more clearly.

Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit. Or if you're more comfortable, lie down. You may choose to gently close your eyes.

Start by taking a few slow and deep breaths. Feel the slow and steady rise of your chest and the gentle fall as you exhale.  

On your next breath, inhale deeply through your nose, slowly counting to three, and then exhale through your mouth.

[Narrator inhales.]

1, 2, 3.

[Narrator exhales.]

As you slow your breath, take a second to loosen the muscles of your face, mouth, and jaw.

[Narrator inhales.]

1, 2, 3.

[Narrator exhales.]

With each breath, feel the opening of your mind and the calming of your body as you sink deeper and deeper into a state of relaxation.

As you continue to breathe and relax your body, you may notice your mind has also started to drift. Thoughts of your day, your life, or just random ideas may be floating through your mind. Allow these thoughts to move quietly through your mind, like puffy white clouds moving through the sky.

As you find your mind beginning to wander, merely notice your thoughts and gently bring yourself back to the breath. The mind is designed to wander and by bringing yourself back without judgment, you practice allowing yourself to be human and imperfect.

Each time you return to the breath, your practice deepens as your sense of calm returns to your muscles and body. 

You may notice the sounds of the world around you, the bark of a dog, or the sound of a passing car. Notice these sounds without judgment, and then return to the breath.

By relaxing your body, you can merely allow thoughts and sensations to exist without having to address or fix them.

As we move to the end of this practice, allow your senses to relax and to feel the warmth and weight as you breathe calmness into your body and mind.

With your next breath, you may open your eyes and slowly take in the sights and sounds around you. As you return to awareness, take a moment to slowly wiggle your fingers and toes and bring your body back into the present moment. 

As you complete this meditation, remember that your ability to find a calm space is a skill you can practice. It can help you manage your triggers, and think more clearly, and be more effective as a parent.

Thank you for your practice.

This is the last episode of this season of "What Now? A Parent's Guide to Tantrums and Meltdowns." For more resources, go to understood.org. 

What Now? A Parent’s Guide to Tantrums and Meltdowns is produced by Julie Rawe and Cody Nelson, who also edited the show. Briana Berry is our production director. Our theme music was written by Justin D. Wright, who also mixes the show.

For the Understood Podcast Network, Laura Key is our editorial director, Scott Cocchiere is our creative director, and Seth Melnick is our executive producer.