Meditation in motherhood? Who has time for that?!
No time For Meditation?
That’s what I thought too. Until recently, when I felt desperate and was willing to try anything to bring calm back into our household.
My patience has worn thin. My fuse is short. My snap is quick.
I have recently blamed it on lack of structure and ‘summer-itis’ making my typically well-mannered children, well— horrible. Is it them? Or is it— ME? (It’s probably both.)
Our stress resilience has been tested time and time again in the last couple of years. It has caused a steep uptick in mental health disorders and stress levels leading many people have found themselves floundering and sinking in poor coping skills (“Hey weeknight wine”) and searching for ways to swim.
Meditation is one activity that is scientifically proven to increase resiliency to stress and takes minimal investment upfront. To get nerdy with it, mindfulness practice actually dampens activity in the amygdala, which is the area of the brain that is responsible for emotional memory, fear, anxiety, anger, and aggression. This allows us to be less reactive to stressors and recover quicker when we do experience stress.
Here are three reasons to implement meditation and mindfulness practice into motherhood:
- Can help you return to baseline + decrease cortisol levels quicker after stressful events (Mom rage, anyone?)
- It can decrease your negativity bias (it’s not all bad, mama)
- It is linked with better relationships + more positive behavior when it comes to your kids. A happy, patient mama equals happier, stronger kids.
Interested in starting a meditation practice? Find a meditation app that works for your lifestyle!
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Lauren Hays, PMHNP
Lauren was a licensed and trained registered nurse in the NICU and has since made a career shift to focus on mental health. Lauren is now a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, focusing on women’s health and wellness. She is a mom of three precious little men who has turned her pain into passion.
