What is mindfulness?
There are so many benefits of mindfulness for new parents. In this post, I share five. But first, let’s review what we’re talking about here. In my last post, I shared this definition of mindfulness: mindfulness is paying attention on purpose with curiosity and kindness. In this post, I want to take things a step further and get into how mindfulness can help YOU as a new parent.
Here are 5 benefits of mindfulness for new parents.
Benefit of Mindfulness #1: It helps you clarify what matters most to you as a new parent.
By your baby’s first birthday, you’ll have made a mountain of parenting decisions. For example, you’ll have decided how and what to feed your baby, where your baby sleeps, whether or not to sleep train, whether or when to return to work, and who will take care of your baby when you’re away. At times, it may feel like everyone and their well-intentioned mama has something to say about what the “right” decisions are. Their voices can be so loud that it makes it hard to hear your own. Mindfulness can help you to quiet the noise of everyone else’s strong opinions and tune in to what’s right for you, your baby, and your family.
Benefit of Mindfulness #2: It helps you be more present for what matters most to you.
New parenthood can feel chaotic at times. There are so many demands for your attention. It’s easy to spend a lot of time caught up in thoughts about the past or the future. When this happens, you can miss out on what’s right in front of you. Mindfulness can help you to slow down and be present. This includes being present for the really really good stuff AND the really really hard stuff. When you’re present, you can fully engage in whatever matters most to you in any given moment.
Benefit of Mindfulness #3: It helps you manage the stress of new parenthood in a healthy way.
Becoming a parent is most likely a MASSIVE change for your life. Change, even when it’s wanted, comes with stress. There are so many strategies to manage that stress. Some of those strategies help you to feel better in the short term and help you to create the life you want in the long term. Other strategies may help you to feel better in the short term but DON’T help you create the life you want in the long term. Mindfulness can help you to tell the difference so that you can manage stress in a healthy way.
Benefit of Mindfulness #4: It helps you process your big feelings.
If you’ve noticed a lot of big feelings since becoming a parent, you are not alone. You may have experienced big feelings that are wonderful and wanted — like joy about meeting your new baby, excitement about starting this season of life, or hopefulness about the future. You may have also experienced big feelings that are uncomfortable and unwanted — like fear about your baby’s safety, grief about the loss of your pre-baby life, or dread about how this transition might impact your romantic relationship, your job, and your social life. It’s normal and natural to try to avoid these big feelings, but sometimes that makes them even bigger. Mindfulness can help you to process them in a productive way so that they don’t keep you stuck.
Benefit of Mindfulness #5: It helps you take really good care of yourself.
Taking really good care of others (including your baby!) starts with taking really good care of yourself. The classic metaphor for this is the instruction you’ll get in every pre-flight safety demonstration: put on your own oxygen mask first. Even and especially when the stakes are high and even when it goes against your instinct to attend to your loved ones before you attend to yourself — you’re advised, for your sake AND for theirs, put on your oxygen mask first. The idea here is that when your needs are met, you’re in a much better position to help meet the needs of others. All day long, your body and mind are sending you subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) signals to let you know what you need. Mindfulness can help you to notice and respond to them.
Ready to get started with mindfulness?
To be honest, I’ve only scratched the surface of the benefits of mindfulness in this post. I hope they’ve convinced you to give mindfulness a try. If they have, here are some posts to get you started:
