Parents are stressed. Kids are anxious. Dr. Chris Willard shares why mindfulness is “psychological first aid” for all of us.

Here we are entering the stressful back-to-school season, just in time for the US Surgeon General’s advisory about parents and mental health, on top of the knowledge that kids have been struggling for a while too. So what can we do about it all?

This week on Spawned, we’re getting terrific guidance from Dr. Christopher Willard. clinical psychologist, author, and Harvard Medical School faculty member, He’s also  one of the leading experts on mindfulness as “psychological first aid” for parents and kids. He explains what it is and how we can use it as a tool for stress relief, self-regulation, resettling our bodies, and even finding more happiness and joy.

I absolutely love this chat!

Chris is funny, smart, relatable, and honest, even about his own parenting struggles — and you will get so much out of this episode. Plus, you’ll want to stick around for his views on kids, smartphones, and social media, which is the other issue we’re all discussing these days.

 

Take a listen right here or on your favorite podcasting app, and scroll down for related links from today’s episode

Mindfulness changes our relationships to our thoughts, changes our relationship to our anxiety. It actually builds new connections in the brain associated with happiness, positive outlook, problem-solving, creativity.  – Dr. Chris Willard.

Get to know Dr. Chris Willard
Follow him on Instagram for sure! Find his books on Amazon, including the excellent children’s books Alphabreaths and Breathing Makes it Better, plus his parenting book Growing Up Mindful, and his stress management book How We Grow Through What We Go Through. Visit his website drchristopherwillard.com for a lot more.

Support our Amazing Sponsor
Phyla Phortify Probiotic Serum is a genuinely excellent skincare product! It’s the all-natural, clinically proven, dermatologist-recommended acne breakthrough with no harsh chemicals like benzene or Accutane, so it’s safe for everyone with absolutely no side effects — no irritation, no redness, no dryness. It works by targeting the bad bacteria that causes acne, to prevent breakouts before they start, which is just what you want. Give Phortify Probiotic Serum a try for 8 weeks at phyla.com and use code COOLMOM for 25% off your first order.

Our Cool Picks of the Week:
Chris talks about the benefits of travel to open minds, change perspectives, and help you grow as a human. 
Liz loves the cucumber guy, @logansfewd on Instagram! Okay, he has a name — it’s Logan Moffit and I hope you’ll love him too.

Our sponsor: Phyla Phortify Probiotic Serum 

Links, Related Episodes and Helpful References From Today’s Episode:

• Chris’s recommendations for 6 classic children’s books to teach lessons in mindfulness
• Dr. Ken Ginsburg on treasuring the teen years instead of surviving them
• Anya Kamanetz on the impact of the Covid years on kids
• Melinda Wenner-Moyer on raising good kids into great adults
• Dr. Devorah Heitner on what we get wrong about kids, social media, and mental health
• Free downloads and mindfulness resources from Chris’s website
• More about his Growing Up Mindful training program for parents, educators, and caregivers. (It starts this month!)

 

If you want to chat about today’s episode, pop into the Spawned Community on Facebook — or find me on Instagram at @coolmompicks or @mom101. Be sure to subscribe to Spawned wherever you get your podcasts and thank you for listening!

Some purchases from our posts may generate a small affiliate commission to support our work at no additional cost to you.