How can I recognise my own warning signs when I am too busy to even think straight? 

Parenting Perspective 

Recognising Physical Warning Signs 

When life becomes a blur of tasks, noise, and responsibilities, your body often signals burnout long before your mind catches up. The secret to avoiding emotional spillover is not to have more time, but to make the time you have more micro-aware. Keep an eye out for subtle warning signs: Do you sigh more frequently? Snatching at little things? Are your jaw, shoulders, or stomach tense? These physical indicators are your body’s early warning mechanism informing you, I am overextended. They are not indicators of weakness. 

Creating Micro-Checkpoints 

Include quick self-checkpoints throughout the day. It might be a sticky note on the kettle that reads, Breathe. Or an alarm on your phone that just says, Check in. Ask yourself: Am I breathing shallowly? Am I speaking tensely? Should I take a minute to sit down before continuing? These exercises take less than 60 seconds, but they can stop the pressure from building up to the point where it becomes yelling or emotional withdrawal. You do not need full mindfulness routines or uninterrupted solitude to self-regulate, just small, repeated habits that protect your composure from collapsing under the weight of busyness. 

Click below to discover meaningful books that nurture strong values in your child and support you on your parenting journey:

Spiritual Insight 

The noble Quran teaches us to reflect regularly, not just on theology, but on the self. Allah Almighty states in Surah Al Hashar (59), Verse 19: 

“And do not become like those people who have become oblivious to Allah (Almighty); so he made them oblivious about themselves…. “

Forgetting yourself is not spiritual. One way to remember is to be self-aware. It is recorded in Sunan an-Nasa’i, Hadith 2391, the holy prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

“…For your eyes have a right over you, your body has a right over you, your body has a right over you… “

Muraqabah, or spiritual attention, was a way of life for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He never reacted unconsciously, even under pressure from the community. Before answering your child, you can question, What is my soul carrying right now? You are not only raising your children more calmly, but also more mindfully in Allah’s presence, when you take the time to notice your cues. 

Click below to discover meaningful books that nurture strong values in your child and support you on your parenting journey: