Editorial Team
How Do Working Moms Practice Mindfulness?
“Mindfulness” is simply noticing what you are doing, feeling, or thinking at the moment you are doing, feeling, or thinking it. For the Christian, paying attention to God and being grateful for His gifts and blessings is a basic practice of being mindful. This helps you in your parenting because when YOU are present in your interactions, you can fully connect with your children.
Mindfulness for moms sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Sleepless nights, never-ending to-do lists, shopping, cleaning, caring – motherhood is demanding! Learning to practice mindfulness as moms, helps you better connect to God, yourself, and your kids.
If you worry about having time to practice, here are FOUR simple ways for moms to practice mindfulness every day. Remember that “Connection Creates Cooperation” and this starts with practicing mindfulness.
Practicing Mindfulness Every Day:
1. Practicing Mindful Breathing
The concept and practice are quite simple: Feel your belly rise with the inhale and feel it fall with the exhale. When your mind drifts, just notice it, then bring your attention back to your breathing. Continue to build your focus and awareness around the sensations of breathing, thanking God for the breath in your lungs that He gives you.
When practicing this grateful attention to breathing regularly, you can greatly reduce stress and anxiety. However, another important goal in improving your focus at the moment is to bring this same focus into each of your everyday activities and interactions with your children.
Anytime you can be more present in a moment, you are going to be more connected with other people. Therefore, being mindful equals better parenting because CONNECTION CREATES COOPERATION.
There are many different ways to practice mindfulness. One effective way to focus on the development of mindfulness is breathing awareness. Here are some of the everyday activities that can help you develop consistent mindfulness in your everyday interactions:
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2. Practicing Mindful Bathing
This daily activity can help you become mindful of your body and its sensations. Whether you are showering yourself or bathing your child, pay attention to the feeling of the water. Notice the temperature and the pressure. Thank God for this moment you get to enjoy a shower. Thank Him for the water to clean yourself and your family.
Notice out loud for your child: “This water feels warm on my skin! Do you feel it dripping down your back? Do you see all these bubbles the soap makes? They look fluffy! They feel soft. Thank you, Jesus, for this soap to get us clean!” Noticing these things out loud may feel silly at first, but it will keep you focused on the person and activity right in front of you. Present.
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3. Practicing Mindful Cleaning
Whether you are vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, or dusting, cleaning is another great daily activity that we can practice doing more mindfully. And practice our mindfulness while doing it! Thank God that you have a home to clean. Feel grateful that you have enough food that there are leftover crumbs on the floor! Turn your mind toward the motions of your body.
As you pay attention to the movements in your legs and your arms, thank Him that you are able-bodied enough to clean your home. What else do you notice in your body? Do you notice any discomfort or strength? How about any areas of stress or tension? Ask Jesus to heal any areas of pain or stiffness at that moment.
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4. Practicing Mindful Eating
Eating is another very useful daily activity to which you can apply mindful gratitude and present awareness. First, recognize that you have this food because of God’s provision, and ask Him to help you stay in this moment to enjoy the food He has provided. Next, pay attention to the actual physical sensations of chewing, tasting, and swallowing as well as the temperature and texture of the food you are eating.
Finally, ask yourself:
How often do we eat and…watch TV? Or eat and…talk on the phone? Or eat and….read? How about let’s just focus on eating and enjoying and thanking God for our food? Applying this grateful attention to eating will most assuredly help you enjoy meals more, eat slower, and consequently eat less because you are more observant when you feel satiated. Mindful eating can even reduce food intake and improve flavor – because you’re more likely to savor every bite and feel more satisfied.
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Kate Fraiser is a Parent Coach with Connect Point Moms helping you create stronger relational connections with the children in your life. This starts with being aware of your own stuff so you can BE PRESENT with your children in the moment you’re in, and then knowing and using the best ways to communicate with them. For quick and helpful parenting videos, find her on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok,