The stresses of looking after a new baby can take their toll on your health and well-being. During these tough times, it’s important to find some time for yourself to reflect on the present and practice some mindfulness techniques. You need only a few minutes a day to reflect and pull yourself back from the details and minutiae of parenting. Doing so can provide you some much needed context and perhaps even introduce you to some new ways of thinking and behaving.
In the spirit of practicing mindfulness techniques as a new mother, here are some daily meditations you can try out as the foundation for your reflection time:
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Giving Birth
Remember how much of a roller-coaster ride the pregnancy was? It seemed to take forever, and then all of a sudden you were in the hospital and your baby was born. From that moment, everything has seemed a struggle and a tiresome blur, but always remember that you had the strength to give birth, and that experience has prepared you for the journey ahead.
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Selflessness
It’s not easy getting up at all hours of the day and night to attend to your baby as they scream and wail. Sometimes you don’t even know what they want from you. But this is your flesh and blood and, even though you’re tired, you pick them up, cuddle them and make them feel safe and secure. There is light at the end of the tunnel and things will improve.
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No such thing as a perfect mother
No one is perfect; it’s true. But sometimes you feel all of the weight of the world on your shoulders and all of the guilt to go with it. It’s easy to think that other mothers are better than you and seem to be less tired and have everything together, but the truth is that having a baby is exhausting for everyone, and no one does it perfectly. You don’t need the extra pressure right now, so remember that perfection is a myth that no one can attain.
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Freedom
Your baby is so small and vulnerable now, but pretty soon they will have a mind of their own, with their own likes and dislikes. It’s easy for you to get so attached to your child that you start to control them by planning their future for them, but it’s also wise to remember that every baby will grow to be a unique individual. Help them to grow to become who they are and not what you think they should be.
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Making mistakes
On your journey as a new mother you’ve made plenty of missteps. Your mistakes are part of who you are and make you the person you are at this very moment. Your baby will also make mistakes as they start the long journey to adulthood. You can advise them, but they should also be free to make their own mistakes, just as you did.
Conclusion – Practice Reflection Daily To Achieve Inner Peace
By practicing daily reflective techniques, you can learn to relax and find inner peace. Use some of the meditations above to help you get started. Motherhood is a long road with plenty of pitfalls, but by putting things into perspective you’ll be able to appreciate the treasure you find along the way.
Do you have any daily meditations or reflections? We’d love you to share them!
Photo byNatalia Figueredo onUnsplash
Further Reading:
https://www.parents.com/baby/new-parent/motherhood/10-daily-meditations-for-new-mothers/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-25910/how-i-fit-meditation-into-my-life-as-a-new-mom.html