From the Parent Camp Newsletter 6-12-24
We all struggle from time to time with something.
My 23-year-old son called me Monday in the middle of the worst panic attack he’s had in years. It took a couple of hours for him to calm down.
His anxiety has been largely under control since he was around 19, with maybe a handful of “anxiety attacks”, when flying or something like that. But this was so severe I considered calling the police to bring the mental health folks.
I tell you all this just to say that if I can do this, so can you! It still blows my mind that I’m able to handle situations like this that several years ago would have literally taken me down. I was able to remain completely calm while simultaneously listening to him scream into the phone that he felt like he was “going to die”.
You want to know what I attribute this ability to? Knowledge and mindfulness.
Knowledge, in that I knew he was not dying, I knew how to emotion coach, I knew to remain calm, I knew what he needed to hear, I knew he needed me to hear him, etc.
I’m SO thankful for my mindfulness practice because it’s what allowed me to be fully present for him without going into panic mode myself. A few years ago, my heart would have been racing, I would not have known what to do or say and my mind would have been going to the worst possible places and I would have been little help to him.
I’m telling you, if you do nothing else for yourself and your kids, please start your mindfulness practice today.
Currently, see Section 2.4 and the associated downloads. There’s also a Challenge to join in the Fireside Community.
If you need guided meditations, download the UCLA Mindful app for free – they are wonderful. And if you need more help with this just let me know.
After all the panic on Monday, my son and I had a beautiful 3-hour conversation yesterday about everything under the sun.
Keep learning, keep practicing, and hold on while their brain matures…it all comes together eventually!