I’m a bit of a high-strung person. I get anxious when things don’t go according to my plan. One might call my personality, “Type A.”
Not shocking, these traits have followed me into motherhood.
Go about the day without a schedule?
Hard pass.
Have my child skip a nap?
Not happening.
And with all the stresses of life, on top of just being who I am, I recently noticed my patience window was getting smaller. My capacity for grace and understanding was shrinking. And I felt like I had reached a point where I needed to do something to bring myself back to where I needed to be.
I turned to an activity I have dabbled in but that never really caught on — meditation.
Creating a Meditation Habit
I have very little experience in meditation. Sure, I’ve gone through a couple guided sessions and I take a very occasional yoga class. But that’s about it.
As much as I appreciate time to be mindful and taking moments to breathe, meditation, as a practice, has never stuck with me.
After learning I had a free subscription to the Peloton app through my employer, I decided it was time to really give it a try.
I set my meditation experiment for one week. I committed to doing one short meditation each day for seven days. This felt like enough time to see if it helped, yet it wasn’t too long of a commitment that I wouldn’t follow through.
As another aspect of this experiment, I chose to meditate at different times each day. I wanted to see if there was one particular time of day that would work best for me and have the most positive impact.
Remember how I said I’m a bit “Type A?” Yeah, no chance I was jumping into this thing without a solid plan to achieve results.
Here is what I did, and what happened after one week of meditation.
One Week of Practice
1. Mid-Day Meditation
The first day I decided to give this meditation thing a try was over the noon hour. I took a break from work to do a 15-minute guided meditation.
This one was great. I felt like it was a good way to get reset for the afternoon at work, yet in a different way than my normal mid-day break where I exercise.
But as much as I enjoyed the mid-day meditation, I knew it would be the toughest one to stick to. When there’s so much to do every day, it’s hard to take a break in the middle to just be still!
However, for those who can take a break during the day and want the chance to reset and refocus, the mid-day meditation is an excellent option.
2. Morning Meditation
I went into my meditation habit thinking the morning meditation would be my favorite. I mean, I love mornings. Getting up early to have a sliver of quiet time is kind of my jam.
I already have a good morning routine, so I figured it would be easy to add meditation.
That all ended up being the “problem” with morning meditation. It was nice but it didn’t really do much for me. I am already in a great mindset and mood when I wake up, because I am a rare type of mother who goes to bed early and gets enough sleep every night.
For most moms though, I think the morning meditation would be a good one to try. Doing something important first thing in the morning can be the best way to ensure it happens.
3. Sleep Meditation
This was the winner! The pre-bedtime meditation was my favorite. During this meditation trial week, I tried it three nights in a row. I’m telling you, those are the three best nights of sleep I have had in a long time.
I have enjoyed sticking with the sleep meditation since closing out my experimentation week. And I’ve continued to meditate almost every night since.
Previously, I never really had a bedtime routine but now, I feel like I’ve found something that helps me de-stress. Meditation helps me let go, and shut off my mind so that I can make the best out of this time to rest and recharge.
For the mothers who have a tough time winding down at night and getting restful sleep, this might be the best meditation to try.
After just one week, I can honestly say I found myself more patient, thoughtful, and calm.
And while some days are harder than others and I definitely don’t have this “zen” thing figured out, continuing meditation has been beneficial for me. I recommend meditation to any mothers in need of some calm, focus, mindfulness, or other positivity in their day.
