How to Find Quiet Moments When You Are a Busy Mom | Learn to be in the moment
When you lead a busy life, there are distractions and obligations around you constantly. It is easy to fall into a habit of multi-tasking everything. You are thinking of your to-do list while you are working on a project report. While folding laundry you are planning your meals for the week. The truth is our minds never stop planning for future events or feeling guilty of what we missed doing. Learning how to find quiet moments will help us enjoy life again.
When I first started reading about mindful moments and taking quiet time, I honestly thought it was impossible to do. What mom can go to the bathroom by herself, let alone find a moment of peace and quiet?!
I gave it a shot anyway and found simple ways to help myself rejuvenate after long days. I didn’t have a separate space just for me, but I found ways to integrate the little time I found to just practice being quiet.
What are Quiet Moments?
Quiet moments are trusting that your schedule and to do list will be there after you take a moment to quietly reflect on your day. They are the moments you take to let go of the stress you are having, and the moments you take to appreciate something with gratitude.
It is in these moments you train your brain to be in the moment. You give your brain a mini-vacation from constantly working all day long. As busy moms, we need to learn how to find quiet moments in our days to sit and be in the moment.
How to Find Quiet Moments
You don’t need to create a special place for quiet moments, but you may find it easier to introduce the idea to your family if you do; call it Mommy’s Time Out Corner.
Start out by getting comfortable so you can relax, breathe deeply, and quiet the mind.
As the thoughts of schedules and to-do items pop into your head, imagine them floating back to the paper for later.
Spend whatever moment you can get being in that moment. Breathe.
There are many other ways for quiet moments:
- take a walk during lunch
- no radio on the commute to work or home
- taking time to read a fun book on the bus ride home after work
- a bike ride in the evening
- hiking with the family
- family game night
- reading a good book at night
- relaxing bath
Let’s Reflect
You might be confused about the family fun being included in the quiet moment ideas, but I can explain. Many times as a busy mom, I would always be thinking about something else instead of being fully in the moment with my family. Then after they went to bed I had this wave of guilt wash over me, because I missed out on spending quality time with them.
I had let my busy brain get in the way of enjoying my family, enjoying my life. It was so bad that if the vacation time wasn’t long enough I never truly relaxed. It would take a few days to stop thinking about work and the family schedule, and then as the vacation ended I would start thinking about those things again. My brain never stopped, until I figured out how to find quiet moments and trained my brain to be in the present moment.
Now I can put those schedules aside and enjoy a good book. The family game night is filled with memories of seeing the twinkle in my son’s eye just before he knows he’s beat us. I’m able to enjoy watching my daughter’s face light up when her brothers come home to visit or when they call. The guilt of having to work late every now and then, isn’t as bad anymore, because I know that I’m living more in the moment with each quiet time I allow myself to take.
If you can figure out how to find quiet moments, it will bring peace and relaxation to your life. It is important to give yourself those moments of rejuvenation, where you aren’t thinking of the to-do list or even a schedule. Just be in the moment. Take in your surroundings and just let your mind be calm. You will find that as you train yourself to enjoy those little moments, you will find more moments of being present in your life. Taking those moments and appreciating them, allows you to enjoy life more.
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5 Comments
Rhonda
I love these reminders. It seems I always have a constant stream of narrative running through my mind and it gets in the way of what is really happening in front of me and can even prevent me from truly enjoying my family. Thanks for the ideas and advice about how to find quiet time and make space for it in the busyness of life.
Steph
Such a good reminder. Staying in the moment is often difficult for me with all the things I have going on as a mom and business owner. I try to catch myself when my mind drifts away from what I’m doing, especially when it comes to my family.
I think the older I get, the more I realize how fleeting life is. Our parents’ and our own mortality stare us in the face, our kids grow up in the blink of an eye…and sometimes tragedies happen to remind us how lucky we are. It’s easy to wish away the present or escape to the future in our minds (especially during difficult times). But later you may yearn for the past and wish you could relive and really savor the moments rather than mindlessly drift through the day-to-day.
Jacquie | Seeking Simple Life
This is very true. I was finding myself wondering where the years went and decided to stop yearning for lost moments and to try and capture the current ones more. It’s not always easy but I’m getting better.
Holly @vintagecourage84
I LOVE this article!! Personally, as a mumma of 3, working part time and blogging full time, my uber-organised personality most often takes over! I find myself in a state where my brain simply cannot switch off. And forcing myself to stop planning and doing feels like an uphill battle. But I love your simple tips for making it easier on yourself to find a quiet space. We all need it!
Holly xxx
@vintagecourage84
Jacquie | Seeking Simple Life
Hello Holly! I’m so glad I was able to help you find a quiet moment or two. Thank you for letting me know.
Much appreciated!
Jacquie