Mindfulness for moms: 21 simple ways to find a bit more calm
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
Motherhood is a lot, but a little bit of mindfulness can help. Discover 21 quick and simple ways to stay present while parenting and care for your mental health as a mom.
Motherhood can be a beautiful, messy, exhausting, and love-filled ride. One minute, you’re soaking in those cute giggles, and the next, you’re wondering how it’s even possible for one little person to cause all that destruction in under five minutes. It’s mentally, emotionally, and physically a lot, and finding time for mindfulness or yourself can sometimes feel like a pipe dream.
But mindfulness doesn’t need to be another thing you squeeze into your to-do list. You can be mindful in small ways inside your already hectic schedule (even if it’s just for 30 seconds while you hide in your car in blissful silence).
If you’re looking to care for your mental health without adding extra time to your routine, there are manageable ways to do it that can actually help you breathe a little deeper and feel a little calmer. Here’s what you need to know about mindfulness for busy moms so you can take care of yourself and your family a little better.
Why is mindfulness important for moms?
If you’re a mom, you know the constant juggling act of kids, work, meals, appointments, and sometimes, your sanity. Motherhood is overwhelming, and mindfulness can be used as a simple grounding tool to help you stay steady when life feels like a tornado.
Being mindful is about tuning into the present moment and finding small pockets of peace that allow your mind and body to calm down. This extra room to breathe and regroup might mean you’re less likely to snap over spilled juice or feel like the walls are closing in on you.
Mindfulness isn’t about becoming some perfectly calm, endlessly patient version of yourself. You’re just giving yourself some grace and space so you can show up for your kids and yourself with a little more ease. A calmer mind isn’t just good for you — it ripples out to your whole family.
5 mental health benefits of mindfulness
Motherhood can sometimes feel like a never-ending game of emotional whack-a-mole, and somewhere in the chaos, your own mental health may quietly slide down the priority list.
This is where mindfulness steps in — not as some magical fix-all, but as a small way to make the mental load feel a little lighter. When you take even a few seconds to pause and be present, your brain and body get a joyful moment to breathe. (Literally.)
Here are five ways mindfulness can help your mental health as a mom:
1. It helps reduce stress and anxiety: From navigating sleepless nights to worrying about whether your kid’s lunch is “balanced enough,” the mental load of motherhood is real. Mindfulness can help by pulling you into the right now. When you pause and focus on the present, it tells your nervous system that you’re safe, and this can make the stress feel a little more manageable.
2. It improves focus and clarity: It can be really hard to focus when your mind’s juggling everything from soccer practice schedules to what’s for dinner. Mindfulness trains your brain to stay in the present, which can help cut through the fog and improve your concentration.
3. It helps you manage emotions: Being mindful is about giving yourself a second to breathe before you react. This doesn’t mean that you’ll suddenly become endlessly patient if you practice, but it can help you to respond with a little more calm when things get stressful.
4. It builds self-compassion: When the mom guilt creeps in, mindfulness can help you to question and observe your thoughts rather than letting them take over. It can help you shift from beating yourself up to giving yourself a little grace.
5. It boosts emotional resilience: Mindfulness can help you move through the hard moments of motherhood with a little more steadiness. With regular practice, it can help you to notice your feelings, handle them, and then bounce back.
How to (actually) practice mindfulness: 21 simple habits for busy moms
When you’re a mom, you’re lucky if you can go to the bathroom alone, let alone sit in quiet reflection. But being mindful doesn’t require a silent retreat or an absolutely child-free afternoon. It’s about finding small moments of presence.
If you’re looking to feel a little more grounded and a little less overwhelmed, here are 21 simple and easy ways you can add mindfulness to your day.
Find mindful moments during everyday tasks
1. Start your day with one intentional breath: Before the rush of the morning routine, take one deep and intentional breath. Just one pause to ground yourself and to say, “I’m here, and I’ve got this.” (If you’re looking for more breathing exercises, here are 10 you can practice.)
2. Turn everyday tasks into mindful moments: As you do the dishes or prep the snacks, consider making it a mindful moment. Focus on how the water feels or how the knife slices through fruit.
3. Drink your morning beverage mindfully: When you take your first sip, savor it. Feel the temperature, notice the taste, and let it be a brief pause before the day pulls you in a million directions.
4. Pause during transitions: Use the natural transitions in your day, like moving from playtime to nap or from bathtime to bedtime as mindful moments. Try to pause, take a breath, and then notice how you’re feeling. It’s a small act that can help you reset before moving on to your next task.
Use quick grounding practices
5. Practice sensory grounding: When you’re feeling overwhelmed, stop and name one thing you can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. It’s simple, but it can be a powerful way to bring yourself back into the present moment, no matter what’s happening around you. (If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, here are six tips that can help.)
6. Use water as a reset: Splash cold water on your face and run your hands under the tap. A tiny ritual like this can help shift your mood, calm you down, and reset your mind.
7. Walk barefoot for a moment: Take a step outside and feel the ground beneath your feet. Notice textures like the grass, the dirt, or the coolness of tile. This can help you connect with the earth and anchor yourself, even if it’s just for 30 seconds.
8. Use scent as a grounding tool: When you’re feeling stressed, pause and breathe in a scent you enjoy, like your favorite lotion. Let this be a small moment to calm you and bring you back to the here and now.
9. Create a ‘mindful glance’ habit: Pick something in your home that you see every day, like a plant or a piece of art, and let it be your reminder to pause. Every time you see it, take a deep breath and aim to check in with yourself.
Tune in with mindful body awareness
10. Do a three-minute body scan: Close your eyes and mentally scan your body from head to toe. Notice any tension, discomfort, or emotions without judgment. You don’t have to fix anything. All you have to do is just notice.
💙 Listen to Tamara Levitt’s Body Scan if you want a little guidance as you do this exercise.
11. Stretch for sixty seconds: Stand up and stretch your arms over your head or gently stretch your neck. Stretching can release tension and help you feel a little more grounded.
12. Do a ‘five-finger touch’: Touch the tip of each finger to your thumb, one by one, while taking slow and deep breaths. Focus on this sensation. This is a subtle grounding exercise that can help calm your mind and body.
13. Place a hand on your heart: If your emotions start to feel heavy, pause and place your hand over your heart. Feel the warmth of your touch and the steady beat beneath. It’s a simple and powerful way that can help to comfort you and ground your emotions when things start to feel a little too overwhelming.
Develop a mindful connection with your kids
14. Practice mindful listening: When your child is talking to you, try to really listen. Put down your phone, make eye contact, and focus on their words. You don’t always have to catch every single word perfectly. It’s just about showing them that you’re fully there in the moment. (If you struggle with listening to others, here are five ways you can get better.)
15. Use mindful storytelling: Slow down and really take in the details when you’re reading to your child. Take in the pictures, the sound of your voice, and the feel of the book in your hands. You could ask your child to notice this too, which can be a small but powerful way to connect and create calm together.
16. Embrace mindful play: Notice your kids' laughter, their focus, and the joy they bring to even the simplest game when you’re playing with them. Let yourself and your mind be fully there.
17. Share a quiet moment: Sit quietly with your child and maybe hold their hand or cuddle. Just try to breathe together and enjoy the simple connection of being close, without any pressure to do anything else.
Play with quick mental resets
18. Set a ‘mindful moment’ timer: Set a reminder on your phone once or twice a day. When it goes off, pause for one minute to take a breath, stretch, and simply notice what’s around you.
19. Pause before speaking: If you feel like you're about to snap, pause for a single deep breath. This isn’t about being a perfect mom who never gets upset, it’s about creating a tiny little moment of choice before you react.
💙 Listen to the Pause to Breath session with Prof. Megan Reitz if your emotions are spilling over and you want a moment.
20. Really listen to one song: Choose one song you love or haven’t listened to in a while and give it your full attention. Notice the beat, the lyrics, and how it makes you feel. Music can be an instant mood-shifter.
21. End the day with gratitude: Before you go to bed, try to think of one thing you’re grateful for. It could be something big, like your child’s smile, or something small, like surviving another tantrum.
Mindfulness for moms FAQs
How can I practice mindfulness as a parent?
Mindfulness as a parent is about showing up for the moments you’re already living and being present in them. You could start by simply noticing what’s happening around you. When you’re playing with your child, try to be really there. Listen to their laughter and feel the texture of their sticky hands.
During harder moments, aim to pause before you react. You could take a deep breath and give yourself a second so you can choose how you respond a little better. And when you get overwhelmed, it’s okay to step away for a bit and ground yourself by noticing something simple, like the sensation of your breath.
What’s an easy mindfulness exercise I can do every day?
An easy way to practice mindfulness every day is to just focus on your breathing. It sounds basic, but just one intentional breath can really help to ground you.
To help you get into it, try to take five slow, deep breaths once or twice a day. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a second, and then exhale through your mouth. As you do this, focus on how the air feels as it enters and leaves your body. This tiny pause can help reset your nervous system and calm your mind.
Some easy ways you can more easily make breathing a part of a daily routine is to try to do it when you first wake up, during nap time, or even while you're brushing your teeth at night.
How does mindfulness help with mom guilt?
So often, mom guilt can feel like that annoying voice in your head that loves to remind you of all the ways you’re messing up. Mindfulness can help tame that voice by helping you to slow down your racing thoughts and creating space to question them.
If your guilt starts to creep in, mindfulness can get you to pause and ask yourself if this feeling is really helpful, or even true. It helps to teach you to observe the guilt without letting it take over. Also, mindfulness can help you nurture self-compassion by helping you to recognize that you’re human, and you’re doing your best.
How can I be a mindful mother?
Being a mindful mother is showing up, as you are, and being present in every moment, especially the messy ones. It means pausing when you feel like snapping at your child, taking a deep breath, and choosing how to respond. It also means offering yourself that exact same kindness and patience you give your kids.
Mindfulness is also about accepting the hard moments instead of fighting them. It’s practicing presence without judgment and knowing that you’re learning and growing alongside your child. It’s okay if you had a bad day. That’s going to happen, and when it does, try to just acknowledge it and then let it go.
Can I practice mindfulness with my kids?
It’s very possible to practice mindfulness with your kids and it actually can be a fun way to teach them how to manage big emotions.
A simple way to start can be to take a few deep breaths together when they feel upset or maybe just when they notice sounds around them during a walk. You can also try mindful eating, where you both slow down to really taste and describe your food.
Modeling mindfulness for them by showing them how to be present and how to pause when things feel hard can be another great way to expose them to this practice. For more, check out these seven ways to practice mindfulness with children.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
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