How to Create Space for an Emotional Reset 

Parenting Perspective 

Many parents move through the day in survival mode. They perform daily duties—school runs, laundry, meals, bedtime routines—all without a moment’s pause for internal reflection. It is no surprise that emotional build-up spills out in ways we regret. The question is not whether you care, but whether you have a system to support that care before it turns into depletion. 

Micro-Pauses 

Creating space to emotionally reset does not require hours of solitude or a perfect schedule. It can start in a smaller dimension, where a deliberate breath can be the beginning. Take a deep inhale when you close the car door, and exhale before stepping back into the room after a tantrum. These micro-pauses allow the nervous system to regulate and give your heart the space to acknowledge and process your feelings. 

Build a Gentle Check-In Ritual 

Build a gentle check-in ritual. For instance, before your child sleeps, ask yourself silently: ‘What was hard today? What did I need?’ This creates emotional presence without judgment. The point is not to fix or force a solution, but to recognise that your inner life matters and has a right to be tended to. 

When you begin to anchor these pauses into your day, you will observe a change in yourself and your life. Emotional reactivity often reduces not because life becomes easier, but because you become more emotionally available to yourself. That inner attention—quiet, calm, and compassionate—is what your child will absorb and reflect. 

Spiritual Insight 

The noble Qur’an presents human emotion not as a flaw to overcome, but as part of the spiritual journey towards Allah Almighty. Recognising and regulating emotion is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of moral and spiritual attentiveness. 

A Reminder That Spiritual Openness and Emotional Spaciousness are Linked 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Zumar (39), verse 22: 

‘And then for the person for whom Allah (Almighty) has liberated his conscience for (the message of) Islam; then he is (embarked on the pathway) of light (i.e. illuminated existence) from his Sustainer…’ 

This verse teaches that spiritual openness and emotional spaciousness are linked. When the heart is softened and open, light enters, and that light includes the capacity to feel and to pause before reacting. 

The Prophetic Model: A Practical and Spiritual Technique 

It is recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

Anger comes from the devil, the devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only with water. So when one of you becomes angry, he should perform ablution.

[Sunan Abi Dawud, 43:12] 

This Hadith shows a practical and spiritual technique to reset emotionally. Wudu is not only a physical act but a spiritual recalibration, literally washing over intensity to return to composure. 

Your efforts to pause, breathe, and check in are part of your spiritual hygiene. By doing this, you teach your child that even in chaos, one can seek stillness, not to escape feelings, but to meet them with mercy and respond with wisdom.