It comes as no surprise in a world full of distractions that we struggle to be and stay present with even those we love.
This can be quite the challenge. Being present with your baby as a new mom can be HARD. It was hard as a SAHM and it is hard as a DJB (Day Job Mama) as well.
As a SAHM you are home all day and it is almost impossible to stay fully present for an entire day. Check in with yourself right now, are you expecting yourself to be able to stay present with your child for 3 hours? No! And that’s okay! Why not set your expectations to be present for 30 minute increments instead?
As a mama with a day job, you have precious hours in the morning and at night to make the most of your time with your baby. Check in with yourself right now, are you expecting yourself to be able to stop thinking about everything that just happened in your day to be fully present with your baby for the next 2 hours? That’s not realistic either, and that’s okay too. Why not set your expectations to be present for 30 minutes after you reset.
What does a reset look like? I’ll tell you my 3 favorite ways to reset, though there are many more.
1 – Make a Decision
Before you walk into the room to be present with your baby, make a decision. Decide that you will trust that whatever it is you THINK you should be doing right now instead, will still get done. If you have 15 things running through your mind, immediately make a reminder on your phone, or write them all down deciding when you’re done that those things will get done, just not right now.
If you feel your mind racing and you think you should be doing the laundry, or going to the grocery store, or doing anything but what you are doing right that minute, you need to pause and ask yourself the question – what is my priority for the next 2 hours?
2 – Do a 1 Minute Grounding Meditation
Have you ever done a grounding meditation? This is one of the most efficient ways I get my clients to become present at the beginning of a call. You close your eyes and tune into each one of your senses.
Grounding Meditation – 1 minute
Do it with me, mama. You’re sitting on the floor, your baby is doing tummy time, or playing with a toy with you. You put your phone away from you. You close your eyes.
- What do you hear?
- What do you smell?
- What do you feel? (emotionally)
- What do you feel? (physically)
3 – Child’s Pose
I work from home, and the days where I go straight from the office to the family room to be with my baby with no shift or break in between, I struggle to be present. I have found that even if I have 30 seconds before I have to run out into the family room so the nanny can go home, I can lay on my floor in childs pose and reset.
I don’t know about you, but child’s pose is sort of like a surrender if you ask me. So while I lay in that position, I just think about accepting what my day was, surrendering to what I can no longer change, and looking forward to spending some quality time with my baby for the next couple of hours.
If I have the time, you can find me in this position for minutes instead of seconds because I will not allow myself out of it until I feel a peace of mind.
Those 3 ways to reset work every time. Now, if you’re familiar with my blog posts, you know what’s next.
The Modern Mama Takes Action:
- Choose a different reset option for the next 3 days (if applicable) and see which one you like best.
- Join my free community if you’re not already there and share which reset was your favorite, and I’ll send you a freebie that you can’t find anywhere else.
- Book a call with me so we can go over each of these in detail, and MORE so that you can become present in a way that feels naturally to you.