Nurturing

When thinking about this topic, it quickly became obvious it is a complex and multi-faceted subject. Mostly because it is about;

🌱 How we nurture ourselves

🌱 How we nurture others

🌱 Where nurturing comes from, what we eat, what we watch, what we touch etc.

🌱 How we make time for nurturing

🌱 Why we need nurturing

🌱 How we nurture our relationships

🌱 How we nurture our mind and body

When making time to nurture ourselves and others we can recognise true gifts of kindness and compassion.

"It is the reciprocal relationship of giving and receiving."

For example some of the ways we can nurture is:

✨ Encouraging your children to embrace and develop independence

✨ Helping your teen discover their way of managing stress

✨ Communicating your needs to your partner

✨ Spending time to comfort and soothe social connections

✨ Spending time with people who make you happy

✨ Long relaxing baths reading a great book

✨ Slow, long lunches with family and friends

✨ Quiet walks on the beach

✨ Afternoon naps

✨ Family game nights

✨ Hugging….everyone, if socially appropriate! 😊

✨ Laughing…often

✨ Eating good nourishing, comforting food

Nurturing Children

Nurturing your child's physical needs like providing nourishing food and warm/safe shelter are some of the basic ways to nurture, however, nurturing your child's emotional needs can be far more complex. Below are some general guidelines for nurturing a child's emotional health and laying the groundwork for an emotionally healthy adulthood.

🌱 Be aware of stages in child development so you don't expect too much or too little from your child.

🌱 Encourage your child to express his or her feelings; respect those feelings. Let your child know that everyone experiences pain, fear, anger, and anxiety.

🌱 Promote mutual respect and trust. Keep communication channels open.

🌱 Help your child build healthy relationships - Role model healthy relationships and behaviours and guide them on ways to resolve conflicts.

🌱 Listen to your child. Use words and examples your child can understand. Provide comfort and assurance. Be honest. Focus on the positives.

🌱 Encourage your child's talents and accept limitations. Set goals based on the child's abilities and interests — not someone else's expectations. Celebrate accomplishments.

🌱 Foster your child's independence and self-worth. Help your child deal with life's ups and downs. Show confidence in your child's ability to handle problems and tackle new experiences.

🌱 Love unconditionally. Teach the value of apologies, cooperation, patience, forgiveness, and consideration for others.

🌱 Look at your own problem-solving and coping skills. Are you setting a good example?

For more information on how Brave Heart Wellbeing can support the mental health of your children through our one-on-one counselling and small group or online early intervention programs, contact us today!

Note to self : Do not expect to be perfect; parenting is a difficult job... you’ve got this!

Nurturing Adolescents

The adolescent years are tough, and the more we are able to nurture our teens by supporting their development, the better their foundation will be for adulthood.

Nurturing their resilience by supporting their emotional regulation and helping them form healthy relationships, are just some of the ways we can guide our teens.

There are many skills for emotional regulation that we can begin to master in adolescence, such as;

🌱 Identifying specific emotions (in yourself and others).

🌱 Pursuing goals even when you feel anxious.

🌱 The ability to have intimate conversations rather than stonewalling or avoiding.

🌱  Not crumbling when someone is pressuring you.

🌱  The ability to soothe your own and others emotions.

🌱  The ability to delay gratification.

So what can we do as parents to nurture this journey for our teens:

✨ Create a strong sense of belonging. Family routines can help here.

✨ Create an emotionally expressive environment at home where teens feel free to say how they feel.

✨ Develop your empathy response with your children. Kids need to feel heard.

✨ Model your own emotional regulation.

✨ Teach strategies for self-regulation such as; positive self-talk, mindfulness and exercise.

✨ Talk about strategies when they are calm, not in the middle of a meltdown.

✨ Remind them that crying is a valid form of emotional regulation. Remember that it’s not necessary to stop someone crying. Just be with it.

For more information on how Brave Heart Wellbeing can support the mental health of your adolescent contact us today!

Nurturing Adults

Self-nurturing is taking care of yourself.

"Many people put themselves at the bottom of their own list of priorities. The result is burnout, exhaustion and resentment. We are unable to be at our best if we don’t take time out for ourselves to rest, relax and renew.

Nurturing doesn't have to be difficult or overly time-consuming.

"Anything that helps us feel more positive and joyful is nurturing."

Below is a list of ideas, but don’t limit yourself. Think about simple pleasures that speak to you personally and incorporate them into your life each and every day. The result? A happier, healthier you!

🌱 Learn proper self-care - Get enough sleep, detoxify, eat a healthy, balanced diet and drink plenty of water . . . learn to listen to your body

🌱 Practice relaxation techniques like breathing exercises or meditation

🌱 Surround yourself with positive people - Choose people who help you grow and thrive 🌱 Practice kindness and compassion towards yourself and others

🌱 Listen to music you enjoy and if you can, dance!

🌱 Exercise - Choose something you really enjoy, why not try a type of mind/body/spirit exercise like yoga or tai chi?

🌱 Volunteer and donate - Promote a cycle of goodwill

🌱 Follow your bliss - Use your creativity, gifts and talents . . .begin a hobby or career you are passionate about

🌱 Read a good book or watch a great movie

🌱 Laugh - Laughter truly is the best medicine

🌱 Use positive affirmations - Make a conscious choice to be happy

🌱 Get out in nature - Try a walking meditation in the warm sunshine, spending time near the water, cloud-watching or enjoying a beautiful sunset

🌱 Get a Massage - Touch can be so healing to the body and soul

🌱 Open up and talk to someone you trust, be it a friend or counsellor

Remember, at Brave Heart Wellbeing we're here to help! If you or a loved one is in need of some additional support, we're just a phone call away.