Ayurvedic Practices for Emotional Wellness in Children

Kids are a little sunshine of hope, happiness, and love. Their soft giggles and innocent mischief bring every corner of the house alive. However, sometimes, the hectic modern lifestyle puts them in a fix, and they find themselves surrounded by negative feelings.

The constant desire to excel in every task, lack of communication with parents, and inclination towards an unrealistic lifestyle have put kids under unseen pressure. Such negative thoughts disturb the physical and emotional health of our little ones. So, what do you do to improve focus and concentration in kids and enhance their emotional health?

Thankfully, Ayurveda offers a long list of effective solutions to strengthen kids' emotional well-being. In this article, we will learn about Ayurvedic practices that aid emotional wellness in children. The solutions mentioned here will blend into your kid’s routine life, making it easy to follow daily. Let’s start:

Common reasons for poor emotional health in kids

Living in the digital era has its perks and limitations. On the one hand, it allows tiny tots to dream big and pursue their deepest aspirations. Contrarily, it exposes them to a society that pressurizes them to follow trends, overdo themselves, and engage in a self-sabotaging competition.

Here are some primary reasons for deteriorating emotional health in kids:

• Most parents are working these days. They leave their kids with nannies or child care centers, where they do not get family love and care. Being away from parental love makes them less expressive.
• Parents give their children mobile phones and laptops at an early age. This exposes them to excessive screen time, negatively impacting their physical and emotional health.
• Exposure to social media puts children in constant unhealthy competition with their friends or others. When they fail, their inferiority complex is triggered, causing them to lose self-confidence and attract negative thoughts.
• The growing trend of nuclear families has barred children from the pampering of their grandparents. This is also a primary reason for less emotionally expressive kids.
• Another reason for stress and anxiety in kids is the constant pressure from parents to excel in their studies. Plus, peer pressure can also add an unnecessary burden to their lives.
• Working parents fail to accompany their kids to gardens, parks, and similar places for a morning or evening stroll. This lack of connection with nature hampers the emotional health of kids.

Ayurvedic practices to promote emotional wellness in kids

Ayurveda is a treasure chest of natural ingredients, herbal formulations, and practices promoting holistic growth in kids. It elaborates on simple routines that can bless your kids with emotional intelligence, balance, and stability during their growth years. The section below covers these Ayurvedic practices in detail:

1. Establishing daily routines

As you might know, Ayurveda is a way of life focused on embracing Mother Nature's gifts. It promotes a disciplined lifestyle where predecided routines govern everyday activities. Also referred to as dinacharya, these routines promote security in children. They guide them toward achieving their goals without making them anxious or stressed.

You can create a routine for your kid’s rising and sleep time, eating meals, studying, playing, or practicing mindfulness. Designing a routine is quite helpful for children with Vata dosha imbalances, which cause anxiety and restlessness due to uncertainty.

2. Healthy eating habits for emotional wellness

Ayurveda believes that the food you eat leaves an everlasting impact on your kid’s physical health and emotions. It advocates a balanced and mindful eating approach to strengthen kids' emotional well-being. The best dietary tips for enhancing the emotional health of your child are given here:

Sattvic Diet

As parents, you must encourage your kids to choose a sattvic diet loaded with sattvic foods. These foods are easy to digest, giving your kid wholesome nourishment. Plus, they improve their emotional health by promoting calmness and clarity.

Some popular sattvic foods for kids are seasonal vegetables and fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milk, ghee, and legumes.

Harmonizing with the seasons

Ayurveda thrives upon an interconnection between humans, food, and nature. You must remember your mother increasing the proportion of dry fruits/jaggery in winter and cucumbers/buttermilk in summer.

Hot foods provide warmth during winter, while cold foods help beat scorching heat. Thus, you must change your kid’s diet based on the season to ensure their body can fight seasonal illnesses naturally.

Avoid processed foods

An excessive intake of processed foods can disrupt your kid’s doshas, leading to frequent mood swings. This is why Ayurveda urges you to avoid adding sugary drinks, fried foods, and processed snacks to your munchkin’s diet. You should encourage your kids to eat tasty and healthy home-cooked food only.

Stay hydrated

You must encourage your kids to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Lukewarm water aids digestion and eventually promotes good overall health.

3. Herbal remedies for calming emotions

Luckily, Ayurveda has various herbs that are pretty effective in calming children, relieving nervousness, and soothing restlessness. The list includes renowned herbs like Shankhpushpi, Brahmi, chamomile, lemon balm, and many more. Most of these herbs do not impact emotions but provide relaxation.

You can trust BabyOrgano Shankhpushpi syrup to give your baby the goodness of Ayurvedic herbs. This chemical-free syrup has Brahmi, Shankhpushpi, Sharkara, and Nimbu Satva to calm your kid’s brain, improve mental wellness, and remove fatigue.

You must consult a qualified pediatrician before incorporating herbs into your kid’s diet. Each child is unique, and what might suit one kid might not work for another. The expert will help you pick the right herb in the right quantity for your baby.

4. Yoga and meditation

One of the best ways to promote emotional wellness in kids is through yoga and meditation. This time-tested combination offers the following benefits for your little ones:

• Yoga asanas create body awareness in kids. It allows them to connect physical vibrations with emotions.
• Meditation and breathing exercises help release stress from the body. They calm the nervous system, promote relaxation, and reduce anxiousness.
• Breathing exercises accompanied by meditation help kids to calm their thoughts and connect with their inner self. This allows them to be present in the moment, skip worries, and channel strong emotions.
• These practices require a lot of focus and concentration. Regular practice can enhance your child's focus and concentration levels.
• Meditating in silence opens a window for kids to understand their emotions and healthily express them.
• Yoga and meditation teach your child other important life skills, such as discipline, punctuality, and resilience.

5. Nurturing home environment

Kids are like molding clay. Their actions, thoughts, and character heavily depend on the people and environment surrounding them. As parents, you must provide your kids with a caring and peaceful atmosphere where they can share their thoughts openly without fear.

Moreover, elders should spend more time with their kids instead of getting engrossed in mobile, television, or social media. Doing so will strengthen the bond with each other and positively impact the family's emotional well-being.

6. Practising mindfulness

Mindfulness is the art of living in the present and being grateful for what God has given you. In the present hectic life, teaching your kids about the importance of mindfulness is essential.

You can make them pen down their thoughts in a journal, meditate for a few minutes in solitude, or show gratitude toward everything before going to bed. Doing so will help them understand and express their overpowering thoughts easily. Moreover, it will help them develop a positive mindset toward life.

Wrapping up

Where physical health keeps kids active, emotional health gives them the will to pursue. Thus, it is important to instill emotional stability in our little ones so they can easily face all the challenges.

The solutions mentioned in this article will help you manage your kid’s overpowering emotions healthily. Plus, these Ayurvedic methods will work as a healing touch on their overall emotional health.

Do share your suggestions and thoughts in the comments section. We would love to hear from you.