Raising Emotionally Adaptive Humans 😅
Studying the nervous system and applying it to real life are two very different things. This morning I had the chance to get activated by my 16yo daughter (it surprisingly doesn’t happen often anymore) but today she was frustrated and slammed a door. Something she has NEVER done before. I immediately went into dorsal. This is where application meets real life. I took a breath, thought through what had her sooo upset. Realized she had a domino effect happen this morning and then felt unheard by me. I was brushing my teeth with an electric toothbrush, so I couldn’t hear her asking for my help with a bandaid. So after taking a few breaths and working through how we both can find peace, I went to her room and spelled things out. 1. What happened in her body and what thoughts arose to cause that reaction? In our home, no one is doing anything to intentionally hurt the other, so how can we work on trusting this more? 2. Boundaries. Slamming doors is unexceptionable, usually she will go into her room and scream when she’s frustrated - this is fully supported by me, express your emotions, get it out. But we don’t disrespect others or their space. 3. I let her know that once she calmed down I would need an apology. I said it all calmly, and left it at that and walked away to give her side to process. 5 minutes later she apologized and we got to talk through where she felt unheard and activated. We walked through being safe with each other and trusting in the good. Knowing I never ignore her on purpose and to try and not automatically assume the worst especially because she has a lifetime of evidence telling her otherwise. I love the community we are building here and I want to keep it real, raw and honest with real life examples and applications. What you recently that you had the opportunity to practice regulating yourself and choosing a peaceful or more aligned path?