If your goal is to become a mindful mom this post is for you.
Mindfulness is an amazing practice than can help Moms improve their emotional and physical well-being.
There are numerous positive side effects of practising technique of being more aware of present moment, but it is especially beneficial to moms.
You probably feel lost and overwhelmed with you busy mom schedule, from day to day.
Moms have no day off, and it is extremely time consuming full time job.
Mindfulness is here to help you notice the world around you and help you find focus and attention on the present moment.
If you start practising mindfulness and incorporate it to your daily life, you will reduce stress and reach overall happiness.
Let’s dive into step by step guideline how exactly you can practise mindfulness every day with an aim to become a mindful mom.
Create a mindful mom morning routine
How you start your morning matters a lot and can completely change the course of your day.
When I started waking up early and dedicating the first hour of the day to a routine that support my growth and well-being, many things in my life changed.
It is not easy to stay on track with your routine if you wake up at the same time as your kids and the rest of the family.
In order to fit in your morning routines, you have to choose to wake up before your kids.
Having time for yourself in the morning will help you set yourself up for the day in which you have complete control over everything that can be controlled.
Life itself, especially when being a mom, is busy and goes fast by us, without letting us notice and enjoy simple moments, which are the most important.
If you learn to slow yourself down in the morning, you will likely choose to keep that feeling later during the day.
You will also check some things off your list in the morning, so you will have a less busy schedule rest of the day.
For example, if you want to start exercising and practice movement every day, there is nothing better than starting the day with a gentle pilates class.
When you do your workout first thing in the morning you are free during the day for everything else, and happy that you have found time to take care of your body.
How to choose the best morning routine to practice mindfulness? It depends on you and your priorities.
If fitness is one of your priorities, then make sure to fit in 30 Min Pilates class into your morning.
Start the day with meditation, journaling, listening to your favorite podcast, showering, drinking tea, or walking a dog.
Make sure to sneak into your morning whatever makes you happy and helps you be the fit and mindful mom yourself.
Meditate – Learn to Connect to Yourself
Life can look pretty chaotic if you are a mom.
As a Mom of a toddler boy and a teenage girl I can’t tell which child growing up phase is more challenging and more exhausting for me as a parent.
What I know and am sure about is that since I accepted that my mind and soul need extra care and that I should start doing something, things changed a lot for me.
Meditation can but doesn’t have to be connected to any religion.
It is a practice that helps you improve concentration, calm your mind, achieve emotional positivity, and clarify your perception.
Mindfulness meditation will teach you to connect to yourself and live in the moment.
It will help you observe the world as it is, and to become fully focused on the things around you, and doesn’t require any special props or preparation.
You don’t need to know how to practice mindful meditation in order to start.
You can start right now, just as you are.
Wear something comfy, sit in a quiet place and keep your back straight, but not stiff.
Start with a 5-min mindful meditation and set an alarm so you can forget on time.
Breath slowly, inhale on your nose, and exhale in your mouth.
Focus on your body, notice where you are in the room.
Notice your thoughts, and let them flow. Just become aware of everything you are thinking about.
If you are having a problem to do meditation by yourself, try this 5 min mindfulness meditation below.
Exercise – Practice Mindful mom movement
Yes, you can practice mindfulness while exercising.
Actually, Pilates is the best way to learn mindfulness through movement.
Pilates as a method of exercise teaches you to control your body with a mind.
It teaches you body-mind connection, which helps you not only to achieve better fitness results but also to become more aware of your body.
Learn how to focus on every single muscle in your body and to control body position in every exercise, and you will become more aware of how your body moves.
Becoming aware of the movement is the best way to increase the effectiveness of your workout.
When you focus on other muscles, not only the ones that exercise targets the most, you achieve better results in less time.
That is how you can reach your fitness goals with only 30 min Pilates / a day.
In my online classes, I provide cueing for the members and explain what exactly to do, how to align the body, what each body part should be doing.
This is so important, and once you start practicing it, you will start achieving better results with less time invested.
Since the time is a most valuable resource for moms, there is really no need to further explain why Pilates is the best type of workout to make you a fit and mindful mom.
RELATED: Program: Mindfulness & Pilates
Patience and mindful mom thinking
Patience is the foundation of mindfulness.
Learn to cultivate patience because it can help improve your well-being and the way you experience your life in general.
Mindfulness can help you become more patient and to control the way you receive information.
These two, patience and mindfulness, are interlaced and strongly connected.
When you practice patience you become more mindful, and when you improve your mindfulness your patience increases.
When you have kids, it is not always so easy to stay patient, be calm, and full of understanding.
Sometimes, you just cannot control your anger, because no one can get the worst out of you like your own kids.
When you catch yourself that you are starting to behave the way you would not like, then it is time to train your patience.
Take a break and just slow your breathing down, close your eyes, and wait before saying or doing anything. The rage will pass.
Patience is also connected to trust. If you enjoy the moment and trust that everything will happen in your favor, then you will not have a problem waiting.
There are many reasons why patience is highly valuable and why you should cultivate it if you want to become a mindful mom.
Show more empathy towards people around you first.
Your kids are not doing things on purpose, your partner might be slow in getting ready but has many other beautiful traits.
Have compassion and understanding for elderly people and their tantrums as well.
Generally, tolerance and empathy toward everyone are the key elements to replace anger and temper.
Next time when you are annoyed, instead of finding negative arguments, try to understand and find an excuse for whatever that person is doing.
Put yourself in the place of another and be easy on judging. It will give you more strength to deal with everything, which will as a consequence calm you down, help you build your patience and a mindful mom approach to life.
Journaling for mindful mom reflection
If you are a beginner in mindfulness practice, journaling might be the best option for you and the easiest way to master this technique.
Journaling can be used as a way to practice mindfulness, and it is easy to implement.
When starting practicing mindfulness it is important to start small and not make too big plans.
Might be too much and overwhelming for you if you start doing everything at the same time (mindful exercising, mindful eating, walking, journaling, and meditating).
It is not realistic and sustainable, and if you put so much pressure on yourself it may result in giving up.
The key is to go easy and slowly, step by step.
Start with 5 min of journaling a day. It is realistic and probably easy to fit into any schedule.
GRATITUDE JOURNALING
The gratitude journal format is something I always start with. It helps you review your life and remind yourself of everything you have and everything positive in your life.
Make a list of everything that makes you happy and everything your love on that particular day.
SELF-REFLECTION PROMPTS
Use questions to determine your feelings, thoughts, and experiences.
This will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, so you can understand and help yourself better on your journey to becoming a mindful mom.
By answering these journaling prompts, you can start learning mindful journaling and find joy in it.
- What are you proud of yourself for (in this month)?
- What is your biggest passion and what do you love doing the most?
- What would you tell someone about how you feel?
- How do you feel when you eat healthy and exercise?
- What does your dream life look like?
- How do you want to feel today (this week)?
- What does your best self look like – what does her day look like?
Answer all or some of those questions. Be honest with yourself.
Track your progress and check your answers.
Change the way you think and encourage positive feelings about yourself.
When things change inside you, things will change outside as well.
Breathing technique for mindfulness
Breathing is one of the most important techniques in mindfulness.
It can be used to practice a non-judgmental awareness of the present moment – mindfulness.
MINDFUL BREATHING
Start with simple noticing your natural breathing pattern.
Focus only on your breath. Notice how your chest are rising and falling. Notice the rise and fall of your belly. Just simple try to be wherever you are, thinking about your breathing and let go off everything else.
Be there in the present.
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
Deep breathing can release stress and tension from your body. Use it whenever you feel anxious or upset.
Breath into your abdomen while imagining filing the torso with air.
On the exhale draw the abdomen in toward the spine pressing out the air.
Place your hands on your belly to follow the rhythm of your breathing.
When you are upset or stressed use this technique to calm your self down and send the message to your brain that everything is ok.
LATERAL BREATHING
This technique can help loosen your ribs, release the mid back and increase lung capacity.
This a stimulating breath that can also be used to increase your energy and stimulate your mind.
Put your hands on your lower ribs. Breath to feel ribs expanding.
Imagine your ribs expanding like umbrella when you exhale.
ONE LUNG BREATHING
This technique is similar to lateral breathing, and can be useful for people with asthma.
It increases expansion of the lungs and increases mobility of the spine.
Leave only one hand on your ribs, while bending to side and placing the opposite hand on the floor. Breath only to one side and feel the one side of the ribs expanding and hand on the ribs raising.
Eat & Shower mindfully
Did you know that you can practice mindfulness during any activity, which includes eating and showering?
Actually, not only that you “can” but you also “should” incorporate mindful approach to your everyday life and during random daily activities.
As a mother, considering your busy schedule, you probably think that this approach would slow you down, which is the last thing you need in your preoccupied daily life.
However mindfulness will improve your focus and concentration on the present moment, which will make you more productive and help you finish every task faster.
Showering is perfect moment to be present and focus on your mindful mom thinking.
Enjoy the feeling of cleaning your body for the good health.
Feel how water is cleaning your mind as well.
While water is hitting your body be grateful that you have hot, running water.
When you finish put a soothing oil on wet skin, to keep it soft and moisturised.
Clean the bathroom and leave it nice and tide for someone else, or especially for yourself.
To conclude
Mindfulness is especially useful practice for moms.
On those days when you are the busiest that is when you need the most a mindful mom approach .
Once you start practising being more present in the moment and focusing on the “now” you will become more productive.
You will finish every task with better quality and faster.
Not to mention how happier and more satisfied you will be when you check everything off your list with a positive attitude.
Give yourself a time to master mindful mom techniques for your own and your family’s well-being.
Join program Mindfulness & Pilates to learn body-mind connection and achieve great fitness results.
The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.
Ready to start exercising Pilates?
Keep reading...
Let's connect
© Copyright Pilatesness 2023. All rights reserved.
