Stressful morning - a guided meditation on self compassion for parents

Special thanks to the work of Drs. Lisa Coyne and Amy Murrell; this exercise is minimally adapted from the Stressful Morning exercise in their book “The Joy of Parenting: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Guide to Effective Parenting in the Early Years.”

In this exercise, a participant is guided through a visualization of a friend describing a stressful morning ending with them spilling coffee all over their front. This exercise is useful for helping participants notice the ease of having an open, compassionate response to a friend and contrasting that with the way they show up for themselves. This exercise begins a discussion of how we can practice openness, acceptance, and self compassion. Reflections from this exercise can also provide values clarification on how participants would like to show up for self and others.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  • What did you notice?

  • What could you offer to your friend?

  • How was this the same or different from what you offered yourself?

  • If you made a bold move in the direction of your dreams, how would you show up for yourself?

TAKE HOME

This exercise can be a jumping off point for caregivers to reflect on how they are showing up for themselves in hard times and what they would like to change. From here you can talk with participants about regular parts of the day that are stressful such as the morning, hour before dinner, or bedtime routine. How would they like these times to go? What small changes could they make to be compassionate and warm with themselves during these times?

Kerry Makin-Byrd, PhD