Mindfulness for Moms

Most moms I meet feel like they’re juggling too many things at once and always dropping the ball. Between carpools and driving duties, weeknight lessons and sporting events that eat up full weekends, plus work, committee meetings, volunteering and the mental load of housework that, statistically speaking, still tends to land in the woman’s court, is it any wonder so many moms feel chronically distracted and mentally scattered? Most of us know we need to ask for help and learn to say no more often to preserve a bit of sanity and blank space in our schedules. But we’d also do well to say yes to an ancient practice that has never gone out of style: mindfulness. Here are three ways busy moms can put a momentary halt to the crazy juggling act and enhance their daily lives with more mindfulness. If you, like I, crave an infusion of “serenity now,” try adopting one of these ideas for a week and see if it takes. Even a few mindful minutes—morning, noon or night, the choice is yours—can be a rejuvenating rest in an otherwise topsy-turvy day.

Mindful Mornings

If you’re an early bird, mindfulness is abundantly found in the still hours just before the break of dawn. This is an ideal time to journal about your dreams, practice a sun salutation yoga routine or begin the day in a sacred text enjoying a steamy tea or coffee. Because you’ve just awakened from sleep, your brain is in its most receptive and refreshed state. Luxuriate in an early moment of solitude before you greet the day, and allow your day to greet you.

Mindful Meals

Meals provide a gentle pause within our days, yet so often we neglect them. We eat grab-and-go style, shoving food into our faces and never bothering to even sit down, sometimes foregoing food altogether. But meals are a traditional time to stop and pray, giving thanks for the food that sustains us in life. Few things are more mindful than saying a grateful blessing, enjoying the sensory awareness of taste and smell, and savoring a meal with people we love.

Mindful Bedtimes

Bedtime routines are common when kids are young, but do you enjoy a bedtime ritual all your own? Reading a book is a mindful activity when you truly focus on each word until your eyes lose focus and you have to bat them to stay awake. My favorite bedtime ritual is listening to an Audible book on sleep mode, the narrator’s voice trailing off and guiding me toward the land of nods. And at night, repetitive prayers like the rosary or a mantra can woo your weary brain into a blissful state of mindful calm.

Wendy Connelly, M.Div., is a podcaster (MoJo For Moms podcast), life coach and mother of two from Overland Park. You can find Wendy’s latest podcasts, retreats and more at MoJoForMoms.com.