When the chaos around you takes over your life, it’s important to take it back. For most moms, this reclamation can seem overwhelming or even impossible. However, meditation and mindfulness don’t require a complete lifestyle switch. All it takes are two simple steps to reclaim your sanity and find balance in each day.
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Give Yourself the Gift of a Few Mindful Moments
Take just a few moments each day to meditate in a quiet place. Focus on your breath and the present moment. Think about how you are feeling, what scent is in the air, and other physical sensations, like heat or cold. There are tools available if you feel like you need something extra.
Guided meditation, for example, provide recorded exercises and even apps that lead you through specific mindfulness practices. Another option is a Mala, a necklace consisting of 108 beads intended for keeping track of 108 mantra or slogan repetitions such as, “I am grateful,” or “Life is beautiful,” or anything you like.
These practices help focus attention and promote mindfulness. And although they may feel insignificant at first, practicing meditation can help you reclaim your sanity and keep it in the midst of chaos.
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Practice Living in the Here and Now
Another way to achieve mindfulness is by simply living in the moment and appreciating life as it comes. For instance, find a positive aspect in a dreaded chore, such as doing laundry, which can transform the mind. Instead of thinking, “I hate cooking dinner,” try this instead, “Making dinner provides my family with fresh, healthy food,” or “We’ll have lots of yummy leftovers after this.”
Practice gratitude and positivity every day until it becomes a healthy habit. Create a “gratitude jar.” Whenever something good happens or you appreciate something, write it on a slip of paper and put it into the jar. If you want, you can date each slip, too. At the end of the year, empty your jar so you can see all the good things that happened throughout the year.
Creating time for meditation and finding authentic value and purpose in everyday tasks transforms your mind. Turning negative thinking into positive living connects your body, mind, and soul, strengthening all aspects of your life. When you reclaim your sanity from the chaos, you can positively influence your health and wellness.
