Mindset Archives - Page 39 of 52

why being kind to your child is important — Photo by Andrea Tummons on Unsplash

Why Kindness Works

How does it feel when your kind to someone or if someone shows kindness towards you? For me, it feels exceptionally rewarding whether you simply leave a door open for someone and they say thank you. Or It can even go as far as donating a spare kidney so someone can survive the next part of their life.

When we act with kindness it can have a trickle on effect that can change future outcomes for the better. Just like a row of dominos falling down, when kindness is shown it can’t helped be recipicated or passed on in some way.

Just look at Comic Relief where millions are raised in hope of helping people through kindness. With more kindness in the world, only good things can happen whereas when the opposite to kindness happens the same happens but in the opposite direction. This only creates more problems in our lives.

This is why it’s so crucial to a child’s upbringing that kindness is taught. Especially when expressed through parenting throughout their childhood. If they can better themselves and others through this action. The world they live in will become a much better place.

How It Helps Children

We can express kindness through affection, kind words, praise on their positive actions and also as parents showing how kindness works. With mental illness being highlighted even more so within our society. This is one part that is crucial to giving children an amazing tool they can use for the rest of their life. This will lead to their own happiness and others too.

The best praise we as parents have received was from a school report. It was of our son showing kindness to his fellow classmates. It was reported from the mother of a fellow classmate who has learning difficulties. Our son took it upon himself to help her, and comfort her when she is unhappy. These acts of kindness not only had a positive effect on the young girl but the mother was so happy that her child was part of a great environment to learn and grow. Imagine if more people were taught this skill especially in higher powers how better our world would be.

This skill can have wondrous effects on how children make friends, how others help them and overall positive environment they can create around themselves.

Remember They’re Always Watching

As a parent, you soon come to realise that your children are always watching you. When you finally know this to be the case. Happens when they pick up one of the bad habits and makes you feel what have I done. Of course, no one can be the perfect human being but you sure can be conscious of your actions around your children. By working on yourself this can add great value for your children to copy the best parts of you.

As parents, we have made a conscious effort to show as much kindness towards our children. Whether that be showing our love to them or making sure we handle ourselves in difficult situations when they are watching. If you have ever seen The Crown on Netflix. You can see the difference between the Queen’s approach to parenting compared to Princess Diana and the effects it can have on children.

The World Needs More Kind People

I believe humans are generally kind and it comes more natural than we think it does. Unfortunately, we live in a world where humans are hooked on all the bad things that happen. Which inadvertently affects our own life if we live within that world. The media will make us believe that the human race is terrible on all counts but the news is just a small percentage of what’s really happening in the world. Whereas all the good and kindness that’s shown is perceived as boring or not newsworthy.

This is the change I believe that needs to happen within our world towards all the good and away from all the bad stuff. Imagine if all the leaders in the world showed more kindness towards their people and peers. How much of a difference that would make. This is why when we are bringing up any child. Teaching them kindness is one step to creating a better world that we all can feel happy and safe to live in.

To Conclude

Overall if we can show more kindness within our lives and be conscious of this around our children this can go a long way to creating amazingly kind-hearted adults. We all love kindness and the more we spread this the better our world will be.

How are you going to spread kindness today? How do you develop this with you children?

I would love to hear your comments back to these questions and I look forward to seeing you in the next post.

By Adam Smith

The 5 breathing techniques you have to do — Photo by Ale Romo Photography on Unsplash

Why Breathing Is A Powerful Tool

The typical adult can take between 14,000 to 20,000 breaths a day. How many do we notice? I can say with confidence probably not an awful lot. The system works perfectly so we don’t even have to take much notice of it. I would even say we take it for granted that it works so well, especially as it’s the process that’s keeping us alive. Depending on our mood or physical state our breath can be smooth when we are calm and very intense when we are fearful. That’s why it’s important to take control of our breath when our body is in demanding situations.

A Great Form Of Meditation

Breath-work for me has become a great way of meditating by taking control of my breath I can therefore take control of my thoughts and emotions. Doing any of these 5 exercises below has helped me feel at peace with my self. Where now I feel more calm, focussed and happy within my life. I hope 1 of these techniques below can help you feel the same.

The 5 Breathing Techniques

4 7 8 Breathing

This technique is great when you’re on the move. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of 4. Hold your breath for a count of 7. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of 8. This is helpful when you’re surrounded by people in a stressful situation or you feel anxiety while walking or in daily life. This has helped me tremendously is taking control of my stress and anxiety and reverting it to my normal state.

Wim Hof

This is probably the most famous breathing technique around with millions of views on YouTube currently. Wim has been pushing his bodies boundaries for over a decade breaking world records along the way. Now he teaches his methods and the breathing technique he uses. It’s intense breathing through the nose and out the mouth for 1 minute then taking 1 last deep breath in and on the exhale hold for either 1min or 2min then breathe in then hold again for 15 secs before repeating the exercise 3 more times. Wim claims that people do a lot of slim breathing and deep intense breathing can have positive impacts on endurance and strength conditioning.

Box Breathing

The reason its call box breathing is because it focuses on all 4 corners of the breath. The inhale, breath-hold, the exhale, and breath-hold. The preferred use of this is by following the pattern of inhaling for 4 seconds, followed by a four-second hold, then exhaling for 4 seconds and then followed by a 4-second hold. This should all be done breathing through your nose for a minimum of 5 rounds. This is preferred to be done early in the morning or of course when your feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed.

Nadi Shodhana

I first came across this with Breathe and Flow. They tend to do this after a Yoga session. This is alternate nostril breathing so first with your right hand get your thumb and wedding ring finger and place it on your nostrils. Then with your pointer and middle finger place those between your eyebrows. Followed by closing your left nostril with your thumb and breath in then out and back in one more time and then close the right nostril to breath out through the left nostril the breath in through the same nostril. Then repeat for 5 to 10 cycles allowing your mind to follow the cycles like a wave in the sea. I feel amazing after doing this and my mind and nostrils defiantly feel clear.

Kapalabhati

This is an intense breath-work which consists of alternating short, explosive exhales and slightly longer, passive inhales. Exhales are generated by powerful contractions of the lower belly which push air out of the lungs. Again this is used after my Yoga practice.

Final Thoughts

These are the 5 techniques that I have practised. My personal favourite is the Nadi Shodhana but all have their positives. I tend to go through them all each month to keep me on my toes and not to get too comfortable doing just 1 technique. I recommend if you haven’t already just to give it a go for 1 month and evaluate your experience and whether you have gained anything from it. For me and a lot of people, I’ve read or come across it has helped them a lot. So let’s get back to basics and get in touch with breathing. It’s what’s keeping us alive.

I hope enjoyed this post on breathing techniques, I hope to see you in the next post!