Mindfulness is a psychological process of being present, this can be achieved in many ways the most popular being meditation. But what about being a mum and being mindful? With very little spare time, childcare to consider, work, juggling all the million things mums do, getting a minutes peace seems laughable. But do not fear, we are here to give you a quick and easy guide on how to practice mindfulness as a mum.
TAKE A BREAK
Take a break you say! Stay with us. Do you find yourself on the brink of snapping sometimes? You are tired, over worked, and enter the room of loud noises and chaos and you can feel your blood pressure rising? This is when a break is crucial. When we say break we don’t mean a holiday in the Maldives for a week (how lovely though!). We mean remove yourself safely and calmly from the area of chaos and your over energetic children. You need a safe space to ground yourself. We know it isn’t ideal, but one option is to head to your bedroom or bathroom and shut the door. Not the glamorous surroundings you envision for being mindful but there is peace and solitude.
Take the time to notice your shoulders and jaw, are they tight and clenched? Relax them, notice your breathing. Take deep belly breathes and keeping breathing until you feel more relaxed and grounded. You can do this for as long as possible, but even a minute can change everything.
DANCE IT OUT
Movement is perfect for when you are feeling stressed, tired and finding it difficult to be present, there is no other therapy as wonderful and powerful as dance. Put on your favourite music and turn it up loud and DANCE to your hearts content. Dance like you have no care in the world and smile. Let the kids join in with an early evening Kitchen Disco!
3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
Think about your essential self-care. Staying in your Pj’s won’t make you feel great so a shower, brush your teeth and making sure you eat well are essential to your wellbeing! Mastering these tasks, when you can, will help you not only take care of yourself it will also help you remain mindful and grounded around others too. It sounds silly to mention these things but its so easy to forget the small things when the kids are running rings around you from 5am! Have a cuppa tea, eat your breakfast and then brush your teeth. There, feels much better doesn’t it?
GET WALKING
Changing up your scenery and getting out into the world even if it’s just your garden or outdoor space can be a refreshing and essential reset for parents. It’s an added bonus that kids and babies most often enjoy the change of scenery too. Strap baby in the carrier, kids in the pram and head on down the local park or around the block or if you can make it to a forest or beach then even better.
Which is your favourite way to stay grounded as a parent? We would love to hear how you stay mindful!
