Teenage girls are undoubtedly some of the most passionate people on earth.
Fierce emotions allow your daughter to love deeply and react profoundly.
What happens when she feels like she’s been humiliated, exposed, intentionally left out or lied to by someone in her tribe – someone she trusts and cares deeply about?
When tribal unrest hits home, it’s no surprise that your daughter feels like she’s inhaled a large bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos because her:
- Face feels like it’s on fire
- There’s a loud buzzing noise in her head
- Smoke is billowing out her ears
When emotional overload strikes, your daughter needs to have a plan of action because her rational mind temporarily stops working.
She needs a go-to response that will help her contain her uncomfortable feelings until she has time to process them with a loving, supportive person – like you.
I invite you to share these 3 Body Hacks with your teenage daughter, so she’s able to respond sensibly when she feels like she’s been hit by a proverbial sucker punch.
Start Counting –
Try counting your breaths for 90 seconds because that’s the amount of time it takes for your limbic system to create the emotion – then allow the chemical reaction to dissipate.
Ideally, you’ll want your exhales to last longer than your inhales, so your heart rate can synchronize with your breath.
If it feels like too much to count for 90 seconds, breathe in to the count of one and breathe out to the count of three. This will distract your mind, but still allow the flow of blood and oxygen.
Choose a Mantra –
Close your eyes and repeat the word release over and over (quietly, to herself).
Brendon Burchard, author of High Performance Habits, suggests this approach will teach you to command your body to release the tension in your shoulders, neck, face and jaw.
Before you open your eyes, set an intention. Choose how you want to feel and how much energy you’re willing to give the situation – it’s always your choice.
Chill out –
Find some cold water to run over your wrists for a few minutes. Running cold water over the arteries, that are situated right under the skin, will decrease the heat building in your body.
If you have access to ice, you can also squeeze a handful until it hurts.
Squeezing ice until your hand hurts will create “a strong sensation that activates pain offset relief. This is the phenomenon that occurs when a painful sensation stops. When you finally let go of the ice, rather than returning to your pre-ice emotional state, your body will experience a short burst of intense relief, even euphoria.” ~ Dr. Ellen Hendrickson, Ph.D., Savvy Psychologist
Why is it so important to make your daughter’s mental and emotional health a priority?
Because it influences every aspect of her life.
How she perceives, processes and responds to information and stimuli in her environment will have a profound impact on her happiness – and her ability to adapt and develop resiliency.
Author of BRAVE, Margie Warrell, reminds us that “daily ‘resilience building’ habits sow the seeds for lasting results.”
In addition, daily resilience building habits build muscle memory, making it easier for your daughter to recall her strategies on-demand.
Let’s build a supportive community together!
What are your daughter’s daily resilience building habits?
