Just breathe

As I was contemplating the new Juice video, Mini-Mental Vacations, I got to thinking that another name for this exercise could be Mini-Mom Timeouts. 

As a mom to three kids, there are definitely moments in my day where I'm just flustered and at my witt's end.  It's usually as a result of mind overload, trying to process too much information at one time.  Three different kids trying to talk to me at the same time, permission slips being shoved under my nose, appointments I have to remember to make, the phone won't stop ringing, the dog is barking (I don't actually have a dog but it fits here so I went with it), trying to figure out why my feet are sticking to the floor, all while attempting to read a recipe and cook at the same time.   The noise on the inside of my head combined with all the noise on the outside, talk about overwhelming!  The other day I even caught myself saying to my youngest, "honey please be quiet, I told you not to talk while I was thinking".   If that's not a signal I need a mini-mom timeout I don't know what is :)

The way I see it, what we need is to just take a moment to concentrate on our breathing and clear our heads for a second.  We get so focused and caught up our day and what needs to be done that it can just become all too much sometimes.    Is it possible to recharge our batteries in one minute as Laurie Santos suggests in the video?  Yes I do believe it is.

As a mom I know how hard it can be to get any time to ourselves with young ones underfoot but don't underestimate what a mere minute can do.  Put yourself in a timeout in your room or bathroom or just take a mini-mental vacation wherever you are.  Set a timer for one or two minutes and tell your kids that no one talks until the timer goes.  This does get easier for them with practice I promise.

Take this time to take a couple of deep breaths, visualize paradise as the video suggests, pray or simply zone out and think about absolutely nothing at all.  It really does help.

I also absolutely love the list suggestion Jory makes.  Lists also relax me because nothing is more refreshing to me than a big ole brain dump.  A brain dump is a mental clutter eliminator.  Once it's on paper you don't have to think about thinking about it anymore.  I actually keep a notebook beside my computer that I use to jot things down as they pop into my head.  Big or small, it really takes the pressure off so I can focus on other things.

Take a moment (literally) today to give yourself the gift of silence and most importantly don't forget to breathe.