Mindfulness For Moms: How To Stay Present And Enjoy The Moment
When I was just beginning therapy, after my debilitating depression and mental health crisis several years ago, one of the first things my therapist taught me was how to ground myself. I would so easily get caught up in troublesome thoughts, and this was a way to snap me out of it and bring me back to remembering where I was and what I was doing (working on changing my mindset and creating a better life.)
The technique she taught me involves the 5 senses. You can change out which sense you assign a number to but this is the system that worked best for me: 5 things I can see, 4 things I can hear, 3 things I can smell, 2 things I can taste, 1 thing I can touch.
Example Exercise:
5 things I can see right now–a plant on my coffee table, a candle I got for my birthday, a stack of new books to read, my doggies laying on the floor, and a new set of markers for my adult coloring book.
4 things I can hear–rain outside, the dishwasher running, instrumental music playing from my phone, and the air purifier.
3 things I can smell–Thieves essential oil in my favorite diffuser, fresh laundry tumbling in the dryer, and lingering balsamic brussel sprouts from dinner.
2 things I can taste–an exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon, and ice cold San Pellegrino sparkling water.
1 thing I can touch–my doggies which have now jumped up onto my lap for some attention and love.
This exercise can be done anywhere at anytime and nobody has any clue that you are doing this to ground yourself. You can be sitting in a camp chair watching your kid play soccer and do this. You can be in a corporate board meeting and do this. You can be pushing a cart through the grocery store and do this. Literally, this exercise is a way to ground yourself wherever you are, and stop the “monkey mind” from going into a tangent of no-good thoughts.
Once you’ve grounded yourself, now it’s time to enjoy the moment. For me, my personal example from above reminds me of all the beautiful things I have surrounded myself with in my home. I find so much joy in buying pretty things, supporting small businesses, and doing good things for the environment. I’ve come to love and enjoy the simple life that I’ve created and find beauty in it whenever I stop and pause long enough to ground into the moment.
You, too, can find joy in every moment if you just stop and ground yourself for these few minutes. It’s a remarkably simple exercise that has outstanding side-effects. It requires no tools other than your own mind and body. All it does require is the willingness to pause and appreciate where you are and what you have. I hope this serves you.
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