by Angela V May always feels like the start of the “runaround season” in our house, school is winding down for the boys, sports are ramping up, and our calendar seems to magically fill itself overnight. Add in the fact that my husband has been away on a 10-day work trip to Germany (solo parenting, anyone?), and let’s just say I’ve been riding the edge of burnout and trying not to live off toast crusts and reheated coffee.
But something shifted this month.
Instead of waiting for a break to reset, I started adding tiny moments of mindfulness into my day, not in a perfect, serene, sit-on-a-mat kind of way, but in the real-life, kids-are-yelling-but-I’m-still-here present, kind of way.
Here are a few of the daily habits I’ve been practicing in May that have made a difference:
1. One Deep Breath Before I React
I used to think mindfulness meant meditating for 20 minutes. Nope. Lately, it’s meant pausing for one breath before responding when my kids are bickering over something small, or realizing the teen is going to be late to school because he is taking an extra-long shower. That one breath changes everything. It brings me back to the moment instead of spiralling into frustration.
2. Five Minutes of Something Just for Me
Even if it’s literally five minutes. Some mornings, I scroll through a cookbook while sipping my coffee. Other days I sit on the porch in silence while the boys are playing soccer in the backayard. It’s not fancy. However, it reminds me that I’m more than just a schedule manager and food dispenser.
3. Phone-Free First Hour
When I skip the early scroll, I’m a different person. I’ve started leaving my phone face-down until after breakfast. It’s made the mornings feel calmer, and I notice more, like the way my youngest smiles when he eats his pancakes, or how the light hits the kitchen counter just right in the morning.
4. One Task at a Time (When Possible)
I know multitasking feels necessary sometimes (actually most of the time), but I’ve been trying to just do the dishes, or just help with homework, without also answering texts or loading laundry. It sounds small, but doing things one at a time has made my brain feel less scrambled.
5. Gratitude Before Bed
I started a sticky note gratitude list beside my bed. Every night before I turn out the light, I write one thing that went right. Sometimes it’s big (“I survived a week of solo parenting!”) and sometimes it’s silly (“found my favourite lip balm I’ve been looking for in the couch cushions”). Either way, it shifts my mindset.
I’m not trying to become a totally zen, always-calm mom (that’s not a thing, right?). But I am trying to show up as a more present, less frazzled version of myself, for my boys, and for me.
If May feels like a blur for you too, maybe try picking just one of these habits this week. Let it be imperfect. Let it be small. Let it be yours.
Because little mindful moments add up, and they matter more than we think.
xo
