Psychic Parenting: Spiritual Hygiene Tips For Overstimulated Parents
We've all had those days (months?) when it feels like we are pouring from an empty cup as parents. "Overstimulated" has become a lifestyle for many of my fellow moms, and I have been here many times myself. So, I thought it might be worth discussing ways to address this on an energetic level. No, it doesn't take psychic abilities to feel completely exhausted as a parent, but you may be surprised to know that they do frequently contribute. The reality is that parenting is an energetic exchange that requires proper balance and boundaries. For energetically sensitive parents, this exchange can take an even greater toll. The conscious practice of tending to our own energy system is known as "spiritual hygiene," and it's very important for our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. As Caroline Myss famously put it, "Your biography becomes your biology." Thus, here are a few practical tips for maintaining spiritual hygiene as parents:
1. Find Mindful Moments: If full meditations are just not your current reality as a parent, try to find mindful moments instead. Breathing into the present, even in the midst of chaos, can calm the nervous system and give us space to reset. As parents, it’s easy to get caught up planning for the next activity or ruminating on the past, and our children can tell when we are not present. Make time to find your breath, even if it's over dishes, and be still in the current moment. It's where you belong.
2. Audit Your Thoughts & Downloads: You don't have to believe everything your mind is telling you. If you are stressed out, sleep deprived, and heavily caffeinated, it is easy to move from love-based thinking to fear-based thinking without even realizing it. A lot can be gained from pausing and observing the endless dialogue in your head. Are these thoughts serving you, or is your fight or flight just activated? As psychic parents, it is also important to audit our downloads. Lowering our vibration, whether from physical exhaustion, stress, etc., leaves us vulnerable to interference from low vibration energies. This can result in intrusive thoughts/fears/worries that can perpetuate our problems. Remember that real downloads from our higher self, guides, etc. always come from a place of love.
3. Go Outside: It sounds trivial, but it’s not. If it isn’t possible to take time by yourself, bring the kids and stand barefoot in the yard for a few minutes. By recharging in the sun and anchoring deep into the earth, we clear and ground the energy system. This practice can have profound physical benefits as well. Why not practice self-care at the playground? Roll through the leaves, hug a tree. The earth tends to our body as the Divine tends to our soul. Let her tend to you while you tend to your own babies.
4. Bubble & Release: For highly empathic parents, it is crucial to maintain boundaries. I learned this the hard way after months of catching every single cold that my children brought home from school. Weak boundaries also leave us more vulnerable to the emotional states of others when we really want to be balanced and calm for them. If you begin to feel anxious during the next toddler tantrum, imagine a bubble forming around you. This alters your energy field in a way that prevents you from being as affected, while still allowing you to accomplish what you need to do. Releasing your children’s energy from your body consistently can promote balance as well. It may sound harsh, but we are actually most powerful and balanced when we are centered in our own body. The same is true for our children. Releasing can be done by saying or thinking “I release (child’s) energy from my body with love” or “I send (child’s) energy back to his/her body with love.” This restores our natural connection to a more balanced state.
7. Gratitude Not Guilt: It can be easy to second-guess our decisions as parents and feel guilty when we fall short. When you find yourself reflecting on everything that went wrong, try to cultivate gratitude instead. Start with a list of things you are grateful for and let yourself feel it. A state of gratitude is very healing, and it opens us to experiencing the love and support of our guides because it raises our vibration. From this state, we can give ourselves more grace to accept our humanness and manifest a better tomorrow.
8. Scan, Don’t Scroll: At the end of a long day, it can be tempting to disassociate and disappear into Instagram instead of checking on ourselves. However, a body scan at the end of your toughest days can help you identify energetic leaks and/or emotions that need to be released. By closing your eyes and bringing your awareness to the top of your head, then behind your eyes, and slowly downward throughout your entire body, you can calm your nervous system and identify areas that need your attention. Maybe your lower back is hurting today. Maybe you found it difficult to move through your throat area. Are you overdue for a cry? Be open to all messages your body relays during this time, and then do something to address it. This could be as simple as taking a shower. It could also mean tending to your own inner child, praying, sleeping, or even just changing your clothes.
9. Stop The Leak: If you feel as though you have identified an energetic leak or a stagnant chakra where things don’t seem to be flowing well, placing your hand on your body and breathing love and light into the affected area can help restore balance. You can also envision placing a bandage over the areas that are bothering you. It is the intention that matters most. And of course, do your best to meet the body basics like water, sleep, food, movement, etc.. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. If you had coffee for breakfast, maybe just hydrate a little more throughout the day.
10. Ask For Help: If you are continuing to feel drained, overstimulated, sad, or if the thought of tending to your own energy system overwhelms you at first, it is more than okay to ask for help. Sometimes real improvement only comes with lifestyle changes or deeper healing. For deep wounds, such as the loss of a loved one, small leaks can become all-encompassing. Just remember that you deserve love and attention too and that you are your greatest advocate.
Finally, remember that these are tools, not a checklist. Just do your best and make sure that you are on your list of priorities. Spiritual hygiene is important for maintaining personal wellness, but our children also benefit from our efforts to rebalance. They follow our example! I hope you find these tips useful for filling your cup and embracing the joys of parenting as spiritual beings.
About the Author:
Sam is a certified Reiki practitioner and intuitive life coach with a passion for helping people reclaim their power and optimize wellness. As a spiritual channel, veteran, business professional, and mom, she seeks to destigmatize psychic abilities and remind others of their true essence as spiritual beings.