Being a mom has often been likened to running around like a headless chicken. We jump from one child, one task, one role, to another–juggling the different aspects of our lives to the best of our abilities. We rush, we yell, we curse, we complain…all to be witnessed by our children, who are probably more affected by our stress than we realize.
We all dream of being ‘’that woman.” That woman with grace.
She is calm and she cheerful. She is busy and she is helpful. She is present and she is powerful. She is #momgoals, and everything you wish you could be, but better.
That mom did not magically wake up one day that way. Her grace takes work and time. She is not perfect, but she strives daily to be the best wife, mother, and professional she can be. What allows her to do this? What is one thing she may be doing different from the rest of us? She meditates.
And is precisely for this reason that every mom needs to make meditation an important part of her day.
Meditation is an age-old practice that enables an individual to calm and quiet the mind, usually in preparation for prayer. Meditation trains the mind to become aware of one’s thoughts and feelings, as well as rid oneself of mental clutter.
Here are 4 good reasons why moms need to put meditation at the top of their to-do list each day:
Meditation reduces stress.
Is your #mombrain getting to you? Meditation regulates emotions in the brain, giving moms the power to take charge of their nervous systems and emotions. The deep breathing and silence required by meditation promotes feelings of calm, slowness, and a renewed sense of focus.
After a string of tantrums, missed appointments, or delayed deadlines, moms can use this time to re-center herself on her priorities.
Meditation improves self-awareness.
The practice of meditation allows for moms to take the time to become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, and activities. It gives moms the time to pause and reflect on her days, recognizing the emotions and judgements she may have had during particular moments in the day.
Did I lose your temper with my children this morning? Did I forget thank my spouse for picking up the leftover ingredients for last night’s dinner? These are questions moms can ask themselves during meditation that can help them become better the next day.
It improves concentration.
Studies reveal that meditation leads to an increased levels of focus and memory in the brain. With the number of things most moms need to multi-task, distractions happen quite often…leading to unfinished work, or even a lack of presence of mind when she is with her children. What ends up happening is that she is thinks about work when she is with her kids, and thinks about her kids when she is at work.
Meditation allows her to be where is is, giving 100 % of herself to the people and the tasks of the present.
It increases happiness.
“When mama is happy, everyone is happy.” Meditation has been shown to increase the activity on the left side of the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for positive emotions.
While happiness may be a state of mind, it is also an emotion–a chemical in our brains that we have more control over than we realize–through activities like exercise (hello endorphins!) and meditation.
As moms, meditation sounds like the last thing we may have time for in our busy days. But once we realize the positive effect it can have on ourselves, on our families, and on our work, we will begin to look forward to these moments of stillness, and use them as fuel to become a better woman with each passing day.