Self-Compassion For Seeing A Parent Yell At A Child
Watching A Parent Yell At A Child
We need serious self-compassion for watching a parent yell at a child. Unbeknownst to some of you, you have a tiny voice in your heart that speaks the loudest when a child is suffering. This feature is innate and unavoidable, and it tugs ever so gently on your heart strings making you feel compelled to act. Of course, there is little you can do when you see someone else parenting their child. You do not know what caused this interaction, how they behave at home, and you are pretty sure that the parent will respond very badly to your intervention. Still, your heart hurts.
Our Attempt To Avoid More Yelling
So, you go to another grocery store just to see the same thing, and there go those strings again. A profound sadness follows that seems to live in a two-room apartment with stress in a little knot in your stomach. So, what do you do? Do you spend the rest of the day wallowing in grief? Do you become irritable, and snap at coworkers and friends? Do you become pessimistic about the nature of people, their interactions, and the future of families?
Self-Compassion Steps To Process, And Feel Better After Seeing A Parent Yell At A Child.
In truth, you probably have all these feelings, which makes it a really opportune time to invite self-compassion in. Acknowledge this feeling, it is a special mixture of sadness and powerlessness, a cocktail that is not easily digested. Give yourself permission to hold your desires to react accordingly with a gentle kindness, and understanding. Bring compassion to this experience by noticing how you come by this feeling naturally.
Then, take a moment to breathe in the sadness and powerlessness, your hurt for this child (and perhaps this parent), and breathe out slowly your wish to be free from this sadness, and to feel empowered. Include a wish that this parent and child also be free of their suffering. Then, do something really kind for yourself that gives that hardworking heart of yours a rest. If you want it to work for a lifetime, then it will need a break once in a while.
365 Days Of Self-Compassion. Day 240. In The Books.