One Minute to Sanity: Meditation and more

Times like these, this post written a year ago, bears repeating. 

Why?

It's on  our "About Us" page, in the section on what we KNOW 

• being a mother may very well be the hardest job on earth
• being a mother is definitely the best job on earth

That 's why.

These past few months have been hard. For everyone.

What this means is that literally everyone you come in contact with, from your family members to the person walking down the street is having a hard time.

Everyone.

Finding moments of peace, moments to build new neuro-pathways is more important than ever.  Finding time, energy and inclination to do so is harder than ever. Raise your hand if you're exhausted. Yeah.  That. You'e got this.

One Minute Meditation

My UCSF neurologist (if you don't have one to call your own, you don't know what you're missing?) told me that even just one minute of meditation makes a difference.  Dr. Fine (Yep, that's his name, I don't lie.😊) also told me that the exhale should be longer than the inhale.  My interpretation of that?  Let go longer!

My "earthy crunchy" sister-in-law (whom I adore) suggests a 7 minute meditation, it's a chakra thing.  I use it for MS fatigue and while my old cynical self wasn't so sure, it actually totally works. 

Got a baby?  Got a toddler?  Got a kid? Got a preteen? You've got a busy life. Then throw in a pandemic. Time is a thing.

Want to work with the 7 chakra thing but think that you can't find 7 minutes? Try this: 7 seconds in, 14 out.  

Welcome to your opportunity to learn to take care of you. The above is all you need.  Want more? Read on.  But, no time?  Take that breathe, oh heck, take a few more. You may even get up to a minute eventually.

Stop by the shop if you want further instruction, we give it for free. We've got you mama, way beyond the bump.

Other ways to meditate. 

• Breathe in. Breathe Out. But, you knew that.

Sound or no sound? Not a right or wrong.

• Meditation might be easier with sound- if just looking at your phone will take you down a rabbit hole and poof! your minute has disappeared like a magician’s rabbit- then skip sound.

• How to meditate without your phone? Close your eyes and listen.  Focus on any sound that you hear and just keep listening.  If nothing else you might hear your own breathe or heartbeat.  Appreciate that. 

• Want sound? Your phone no doubt has a white noise app, try that. Find one that is soothing that you like-Tibetan Bowls, Rain, whatever you like to hear and set it for 1 minute or more. 
• There are also a million apps for meditation, and, surprise, you’re not the only one with only a minute!

You won't do it perfectly.

• Your mind may wander, that’s okay, just refocus on what you’re listening to. You can do some creative visualization here too-just imagine knocking that thought out of your mind with a tennis racket or releasing it like a balloon-or whatever woo woo thing works for you. Whatever works works.  This is You Time.

One Minute Dance Party

Just simply cannot meditate and feeling bad about it?  Stop that!  What's your favorite dance song?  CRANK IT UP!  Shut up and dance.  I haven't studied the science on this, but, imho, this helps.  Everyone. 

I have a friend who moved to the Yucatan just before the shit hit the fan, lots of plans to visit her mother on the East Coast and friends on the west Coast regularly.  Yeah. A pandemic.  When the wifi went out and communication went down, she danced and got through.  

One Minute Hug

One minute is actually a fairly long time to stay in an embrace.  Hug a human, hug yourself, hug a tree(according to someone I heard this can be surprisingly comforting-probably so long as no one else is watching 😅 ),just pause and hug. Touch is real.   Holding your hand on your heart is another option. Just for a minute. 60 seconds.

One Minute Play Date

Okay, I'm not sure about the one minute part, but I just read here that

"Play is similar to meditation in that it helps you focus on where you're at in the moment and reset your busy, perpetually exhausted adult mind." 

So, jigsaw puzzle minute anyone?  Shoot a few hoops? Whatcha got?

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Places for 1 minute meditations:

You can do this. Here are a few suggestions

Before You Get Out of Bed 

• Before you do anything else. Ideally before you even open your eyes, take a moment and commit to taking care of you for the day. Yes, just say it to yourself in your head “Today I will take care of me.”  If that’s as far as you get the first day, then Bravo for you! You have meditated!
• If you find that your eyes have not flown open and you’re not off on your day, or on day two or three after you’ve mastered the above, take a few more seconds.

• It might not be a bad idea to set a timer for a few minutes longer than your meditation-in case you fall asleep.

In the car-after you’ve Parked the Car, but before You’ve Gotten Out-or, just go to the car in the garage or parked out front, how many Zoom calls have you taken from there in a pandemic?!

• Tilt the seat back or don’t (this can lead to a nap if you’re tired, which can be great...or depending upon time, can be not good)
• Take one deep breathe when your meditation is done. Get up, you might be pleasantly refreshed.

Tea Time

• Turn on the Kettle
• Lay or sit down
• Skip the phone
• When the kettle whistles, you’re done

Microwave Time

• Start the Microwave
• Item takes 1-3 minutes? Just sit down, shut your eyes until the timer goes off
• Item takes longer than 3 minutes? Use or don't use an app.

Bathtime

• Into multitasking? There are no rules that say you can’t get some meditation time in during a bath.

Bedtime

• See above "Before You Get Out of Bed", but don’t set the alarm!

We feel confident that having read this you will be able to find the minute for yourself every day. 

Don’t set yourself up for failure.  Just one minute.  If you find more, great!  If all you get is 15 seconds in the morning, celebrate that!

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 Hey there!  I'm Sarah and I've been helping pregnant and new moms look and feel their best for over 20 years-which is just crazy, but I love it.  Our mission at Mom's the Word is to support moms-bump & beyond, basics & beyond, style and beyond.  Meditation is a buzzword these days, but it's been helping moms for a long time, and we love that.