Nurturing Mental Wellbeing

May Mental Health Awareness Week reminds us of prioritising our mental wellbeing and fostering supportive environments for ourselves and our loved ones. In a world where the pressures of daily life can sometimes feel overwhelming, let's take this opportunity to shine a light on the mental health journey for parents, guardians, and children alike.?

For many of us, mental health isn't just an individual journey—it's a shared experience that touches every aspect of our lives. From the challenges of parenting to the complexities of family dynamics navigating the landscape of mental wellbeing requires compassion, understanding, and resilience.

The power of self-compassion manifests in our bodies. When we soothe our pain, we tap into the mammalian caregiving system and one important way the caregiving system works is by triggering the release of oxytocin. Research indicates that increased levels of oxytocin strongly increase feelings of trust, calm, safety, generosity, and connectedness which facilitates the ability to feel warmth and compassion for ourselves.?

Oxytocin is released in various social situations including, when a mother breastfeeds her child, when parents interact with their young children or when someone gives or receives a soft tender caress. Because thoughts and emotions have the same effect on our bodies whether they’re directed to ourselves or to others, self-compassion can be a powerful trigger for the release of oxytocin.?

When we soothe our painful feelings with the healing balm of self-compassion, not only are we changing our mental and emotional experience, we are also changing our body chemistry.

Wellness Dimension: Mental / Integral

Neurolens: Empathy / Kindness

Value: Positive Social Support / Compassion

Check out our courses:

The Neuroscience of Growth Mindset - In this course you’ll learn: how the brain works; how neuronal plasticity enables behaviour change according to neuroscience; how to identify and alter fixed mindset areas and habits in their own lives.

The Brian Behind the Behaviour - In this course you’ll learn: the science behind challenging behaviours; how to change behaviour in ways which change the activity in a child’s brain; how to practically help young people learn internal self-control.

Setting boundaries is a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. If setting boundaries is something of a formidable task for you, here are three tips to get you started.

We are always looking for ways to improve at Neuro, and your opinion matters to us. If you have any questions or feedback on how to improve our work – feel free to send us a message.