3 Easy Breathing Exercises for Parents
As a parent, maintaining a sense of calm and wellbeing is essential for both personal health and being there for your child. But sometimes this idea can feel easier said that done, right? Whether you find yourself in the middle of a major toddler tantrum or you’re up for the 6th wake up of the night, it can often be challenging to come back to your body and release those anxieties so that you can continue to be that gentle, responsive caregiver that you are. One simple practice that requires minimal time commitment and can realistically fit into your busy life as a parent? You guessed it: breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises might feel a little “woo-woo” at first, but they can offer incredible benefits for not only your physical and mental health, but they can also help your child co-regulate and work through those big feelings in a healthy, loving, sustainable way.
In this post:
How do Breathing Exercises Help?
There are many reason why you might consider incorporating breath work in your daily routine, including personal health and wellbeing, but also in showing up and being an unwavering support person for your child. A few specific ways that breathing exercise can be beneficial in your parenting journey include:
Stress Management: As you may be well aware of by now, there are many moments in parenting and caregiving that can induce higher levels of stress and anxiety. Practicing breathing exercises can help manage stress by promoting relaxation and reducing the body's response to stress hormones like cortisol.
Role Modeling: As a parent, you serve as perhaps the most powerful role model for your child. By incorporating breathing exercises into your daily rhythm, you have the opportunity to demonstrate the importance of self-care and stress management to your little one. This sets a valuable example for your child, teaching them healthy coping mechanisms and emotional regulation skills that they can carry throughout their lives.
Enhanced Patience, Presence and Connection: Conscious breathing encourages mindfulness and presence in the moment. For parents, this means being more attuned to your child's needs, emotions, and behaviors. By practicing intentional, focussed breathing, we can develop a greater capacity for patience, understanding, and empathy, fostering even stronger connections with our kids.
Sleep Quality: As you are likely well aware of by now, I am a big sleep fan. Sleep is crucial for not only your health and wellbeing as a human, but also for continuing to be a supportive, responsive caregiver for your child. Regular breathing exercises can contribute to better sleep quality by promoting relaxation and reducing insomnia symptoms (sleep state breathing is particularly helpful for this). When we are well-rested, we are better able to be supportive, empathetic, and patient caregivers for our children.
Emotional Regulation: As your child continues to grow, parenting requires navigating a lot of “big feelings.”. Engaging in breathing exercises can help regulate your own emotions, in turn, allowing you to respond to your child's emotional needs in a gentle, calm and supportive manner.
3 Simple Breathing Exercises
There are many breathing techniques out there each with their own set of intended purposes. Here, I will outline my 3 favorite breathing exercises for parents and caregivers to help reduce anxiety and stress, calm and connect, and of course, sleep well.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
When to try it:
This can be particularly helpful in reducing anxiety and calming our body in times of stress or anxiety. If there are certain transitions that are particularly challenging for your baby or toddler, I recommend practicing this for a few minutes before you anticipate that transition, so that you can feel more calm and capable of holding space for those big feelings (for example, just before bedtime or responding to a night waking etc.). I find this one particularly helpful as you can do it virtually anywhere in any circumstance, whether you are nap trapped with a sleeping babe on your chest or you are at the park preparing to give that 5 minute reminder that it will be time to leave soon.
How to do it:
Close your right nostril using your right thumb, inhale through left nostril.
Before exhaling, remove your thumb and place your index finger to close the left nostril and exhale through right nostril.
Inhale through the right nostril, and before exhaling, remove your index finger and place your thumb back to close the right nostril and exhale through the left.
Continue alternating between closing the right and left nostril after every inhale.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
When to try it:
Also referred to as “belly breathing,” this practice encourages full oxygen exchange and helps slow your heart rate, lower blood pressure and cortisol levels, and induce an overall sense of relaxation. This one is a great time to focus on you. Ideally, you would be laying down and dedicate 3-5 minutes when practicing this. It can also be a great way to introduce some mindfulness practices with your toddler or preschooler!
How to do it:
Lay down with your knees bent (this can also be done while sitting, but laying down is preferred)
Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly
Breathe through the nose filling the lower belly fully (your hand on your belly should clearly rise, while the hand on your chest should be relatively still)
Exhale through pursed lips (like you are whistling)
Repeat
Teach your child by inviting them to join you as you practice. Tell them to place their hand over their bellybutton, take a deep breath in through their nose, and blow out slowly through their mouth like they are blowing bubbles.
Sleep State Breathing
When to try it:
I use this technique when finding it difficult to fall asleep. Whether it has been an off day, you are sleeping in a new space or sleep is a challenge for you in this season, this one can offer some relief. I recommend trying sleep state breathing for parents with newborns or parents whose children experience frequent night waking if the parent is finding it challenging to get back to sleep after responding to their baby. It can also become a great sleep association for us grown ups and something you could consider practicing before falling asleep every night!
How to do it:
Breathing deep through your nose, inhale and count the seconds (usually 3-4 seconds for a full inhale)
On the exhale you will breathe out for twice as many seconds as you inhaled (for example, I usually breathe in for 3 and out for 6)
Repeat
Conclusion
Including breathing exercises as a part of your daily routine is one simple way to realistically practice self care as a busy parent. Whether you set aside time to practice breath work regularly or keep them in your back pocket as a way to calm your mind and body when you really need it, taking a few minutes to regulate your emotions can help you to continue to offer a gentle, responsive, supportive environment for yourself and your kiddo.
Sweet dreams,
♡Rhaine
💌 P.S. Looking to include your toddler or preschooler in some breathing and/or mindfulness exercises? Check out one of my favorite children’s books for your next library date or check out this video on belly breathing!
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