4 easy ways for parents to incorporate mindfulness into our daily lives

Mindfulness does not have to be hard. So often, we get these ideas of what it looks like to be mindful. We imagine a person alone on a beach (no kids …) looking out over the water, wearing white and we think … welp, that will never be us. End of story.

Let’s be real … that is not real life. Real life is waking up, wrangling our kids, maybe showering (thank god for dry shampoo!), working (and/or more wrangling,) picking up after said kids, cooking, maybe having a short conversation with our significant other about their day, all before crashing, exhausted, into bed to do it all over again tomorrow. Real life is wondering, how can we fit anything else into our JAM PACKED lives?

I am that mom. I try to do it all and fail, a lot. I LIVE by good concealer and dry shampoo … and I practice mindfulness. I’m here to tell you, you can be mindful too. You got this, mama.

Andy Puddicombe, co-founder at Headspace, once said, “Mindfulness simply means to be present, undistracted, no matter where we are or what we are doing at the time. So, we can be mindful sitting still, walking down the street, listening to music, playing sports, typing on a keyboard, sitting in a meeting—in short, every single moment in life is an opportunity to be mindful."

Y'all. We can be mindful anywhere. Mindfulness is simply paying attention on purpose. We can be driving our kids to soccer, eating pizza, writing an email, or talking with a friend, and we can live mindfully while doing it.

Here are some tips to integrate mindfulness into your busy life:

Mindful eating is a simple way to incorporate mindfulness into your day.

To practice, begin by taking a deep breath and looking at your bite. What is the texture? Is it shiny or smooth? What is the color? Are there various textures? Just notice the look of the food you are about to eat. Also, notice the reaction of your body and mouth when you look at the food.

Now, bring the food to your nose and smell it. Notice the smell and give the smell a label. Don’t think too much about it, just notice if it smells savory/sweet/tart/spicy, etc.

Bring the food into your mouth and taste it. Don’t chew it yet. Notice the taste on your tongue.

Take a bite and chew slowly. See if you can chew it up 15 times before you swallow, noticing where the food goes in your mouth and how it tastes as you chew.

Swallow and notice what taste the food left.

Take a deep breath. Notice how eating mindfully changed the way you enjoy your food. Repeat if desired.

Wherever you are, feel your feet connected to the ground. How does the ground feel beneath your feet? Notice the support beneath you and press your feet into that support. Take a deep breath. You are here. You are in this moment.

Anyone that breathes can practice mindfulness. Inhale and fill up your belly, not just your chest. (This might take a little practice, so if you can’t quite get it, don’t think too much about it, just breathe deep.) Now, hold your breath for 2 counts and then let your breath out slowly. Repeat if desired.

Set your phone in a different room or turn it off. Sit, facing each other, and listen. If you find yourself distracted during the conversation, simply notice and pull yourself back. Ask questions about the topic they are discussing. Look at them in the eyes. Focus only on the conversation and let all other distractions go.

Some of these tips might seem almost too simple, but that is what mindfulness is. It is simple. It is being aware of the present moment. When we practice even just one of these simple actions, we begin on our journey to live more mindfully. By beginning the journey, we are on a path to a richer, more authentic, more present (albeit still a little messy!) life.