Why Moms Need To Practice Meditation

As moms, our lives seem to revolve around chaos. That’s why we’re unofficially designated as the “Chaos Coordinators” of the house. But all the nonstop chaos made me realize I need to make time for self-care, particularly for my mind and spirit. We all have those moments when we think, “I can’t do this,” “I give up,” “This will never happen,” “I’m not good enough,” “I’m a bad mom,” or “I quit.” They can truly determine the results of our day. We all know these thoughts are untrue, but our minds can beat us down in the middle of a bad day or week (or month). But you know what? They can also build us up. Our minds are pretty powerful like that. This is why I’ve decided to try something new, something proven to help with all these issues. And that is meditation.

What Is Meditation?

Meditation is a means of transforming the mind. According to one study, it’s a practice that encourages and develops things like concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and calmness.¹ I think we all could use a little more of that!

Mindfulness can do wonders when your kid is screaming “MOMMY!” for the millionth time. But why is meditation so helpful? Research on mindfulness suggests that meditation sharpens many skills and has multiple benefits. These are some of the reasons (including their research) why I’m making the time to meditate and why you should, too! Our kids and spouses will thank us later. 😉

Why Moms Need To Meditate

Meditation has the following benefits:

• Memory: Meditation has been proven to help you focus and improve your memory.^2,3 Lord knows I need help with my memory. Lately, I’ve been so forgetful. Hello, mom brain!
• Emotional intelligence: Meditation boosts your emotional intelligence.⁴ It makes you kinder and more compassionate, ultimately improving your relationships.¹³ (Our families will appreciate this!) It also increases your sense of connection to others.¹²
• Creativity: Meditation enhances creativity.⁵ Don’t you always come up with the greatest ideas when you’re in the shower or someplace where you’re relaxed? This isn’t by accident!
• Decision-making: Meditation improves information processing and decision-making.¹⁴ It also encourages divergent thinking (i.e., coming up with the greatest number of possible solutions to a problem.)⁶
• Mood: Meditation improves your mood and psychological well-being.^11,17 This practice can help decrease stress, anxiety, and depression. This includes mothers and mothers-to-be.^7,8,9,10
• ADHD: This practice can also help manage ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).¹⁶ I don’t have ADHD, but there are times when I think my brain is all over the place. Medication can be so helpful for that!
• Pain reduction: Meditation makes you stronger against pain.¹⁵ This is why I think mindfulness is so important for laboring women. I always recommend my birth doula clients practice meditation so they have that tool when they go into labor.
• PMS: Meditation helps treat premenstrual syndrome and menopausal symptoms.²²
• Disease prevention: Meditation helps prevent asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.²¹ It also reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as the risk of Alzheimer’s and premature death.^18,23 Plus, it may make you live longer.²⁴ Meditation reduces blood pressure and decreases inflammatory disorders, too.^19,20

The list keeps going and going. With so many benefits and research to back it up, I’m surprised more people aren’t practicing meditation! I know now that it’s something that I need to incorporate into my life. The problem is most people — like myself — can’t simply start meditating without learning how to do it. I needed guidance when I first started.

Tips on How To Meditate

I’m sharing a few tips that can help if you want to add mindful meditation to your day, too:

1. Choose a Peaceful Environment

You don’t want to be easily distracted or interrupted by your kids, so pick a spot in your home or somewhere else (outside is also nice) that can help you feel peaceful and calm. I recommend doing this first thing in the morning before everyone else in the house is up.

2. Stretch

Since you’ll be sitting still in one place for a little while, you want to stretch out your muscles and relieve any tension or tightness in your body that you may feel. This can help you prepare your body and mind for your mindful meditation.

3. Get Comfortable

Make sure you’re wearing something comfortable when you meditate. (Usually not a problem for us moms. 😉 ) If you wear tight or restricting clothing, that won’t help you fully relax during meditation. Removing your shoes helps, too. It’s also important to sit in a comfortable position that allows you to be balanced, straight, and tall.

4. Start Slow

You might think, “I can easily start with 10 minutes of meditation.” You’ll soon realize just how long five minutes feels. It’s a lot longer than you think when you’re remaining quiet, being still, and silencing your thoughts. You may think that silence sounds like a vacation since you’re used to nonstop rowdiness from your kids. However, I recommend starting slow (five minutes) and building your time to 20 minutes.

5. Clear Your Mind

Closing your eyes and only focusing on your breathing or a mantra (whether that’s a word, phrase, or sound) will help you block out any external stimulation or distractions. I know it can be difficult to completely clear your mind because you have so much to do and prepare for the day, but becoming aware of your normal breathing pattern and focusing on just being will help you get into your meditative space.

6. Be Consistent

To make this a part of your everyday routine, you need to make an effort to practice meditation at the same time every day. I noticed that when I didn’t make the time in the morning to meditate, it wouldn’t happen. I became “too busy.” Quickly, I discovered that practicing every morning before I started the day gave me the energy and inner peace to handle what the day (and my son) threw at me.

The overall goal of meditation is to focus and quiet your mind, eventually reaching a higher level of awareness and inner calm. The more we practice this, the better it is for our minds and bodies.