Editor's note: This post was originally published during summer but we think these mindfulness practices might be helpful during this stressful time.
Parenting is hard work, and doubly so during these super stressful and uncertain times. Practicing mindfulness can help us stay grounded, present and intentional in how we are trying to raise our children. Mindfulness allows us to connect back to ourselves so that we don’t become reactive or combative during challenging times.
Here are just a few simple mindfulness practices that you can employ during these uncertain times (or anytime, really) to help you feel more energized, patient and in control of your emotions.
Square breathing
We breathe all day long. But incorporating practices like square breathing will help to calm and balance your entire nervous system. To use square breathing, you imagine a box in your mind.
Start by taking in a deep breath for four seconds, visualizing going up one side of the box. Hold it for four seconds, then imagine going across the top of the box as you exhale for four seconds. You then hold for four seconds and inhale for four seconds as you go down the other side of the box. Hold for four seconds and exhale out for four seconds as you move across the bottom of the box.
Repeat as many times as needed, but be sure as you inhale that your belly is expanding, and when exhaling that the belly is constricting. As you get better at this practice, you can inhale and exhale for longer periods, as long as they are in equal proportions.
Mindful appreciation
Science has identified gratitude as a conduit for happiness and health. Research has linked it with feeling more joy, optimism and pleasure.
Practicing gratitude in moments of stress can be as simple as stopping for a moment, maybe stepping out of the room, and identifying all the things you are grateful for.
It is as simple as acknowledging the mindset you are in and shifting your lens. You can move from thinking, "I cannot do this. My kids are out of control. I am to blame for their crazy behavior. How do I get out of this mess?" to identifying five things for which you are grateful. “I am so lucky that I have children who are healthy and that I have this afternoon to spend with them. I have the means to make the choice to work from home, and it is a beautiful sunny day.”
Meditation
You don’t have to pursue mediation on your own. You can find guided meditations online and via apps. You don’t need to do anything but listen, and you can do it anywhere and anytime. (I often do this first thing in the morning or in the car while I’m waiting to pick up my kids.) It’s a great tool for dealing with the stress at any time. But when you take a moment ot medidate in the morning, it can help set you up for the day so you are calmer and more grounded with a greater sense of inner peace.
There are tons of apps out there, but two of my favorites are Positivity and Headspace.
Parents and kids alike can have unreasonably idyllic ideas about being at home. When reality hits, these mindfulness tools might help you cope with the speed bumps a little more gracefully.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2019 updated in March 2020.
