As an adult, we hopefully rarely experience moments in which our lower brains completely take over.
For this reason, it’s easy to lose patience or have unrealistic expectations when you are parenting the lower brain. That’s why I’ve created this visualization exercise to help you empathize with your little when they “flip their lids.”
Let’s begin 🙂
VISUALISATION EXERCISE:
Since the lower brain is triggered by fear, we need to imagine a moment of inescapable fear. A moment where we are in fear for our or our babies’ lives.
To stay away from any of the all too real fears we might carry as moms, let’s imagine something that is possible BUT will never ever happen.
Imagine we are all in the group room when all four walls spontaneously catch on fire… Picture this moment in detail… the way you physically feel, your desire to escape it, and how the thought of escaping would consume you.
This is a lower brain take over.
Now imagine, in this firey moment, being told to… calm down, think, learn, or hold a conversation. In this example, it’s clearly not possible, but it’s often something that we often ask of children.
When your little’s lower brain takes over it’s experiencing a sensation that is scary and all-consuming. This is why the quickest way to restore control to the upper brain is to calm the lower brain. Think of it as having to figuratively put out the emotional fire (Find Soothing Tools HERE).
Identifying A Flipped Lid
Although flipping your lid means engaging in the fight, flight, or freeze response. In babies and young children, this often looks like big emotions and/or big reaction.
With some observation and investigative work on your end, you’ll soon be able to identify different signals, cries, and triggers that may predict the buildup or occurrence of a lower brain episode.
This is how you become the expert on your child + what they need from you. Judging eyes be damned.