Tag: mindfulness

Mindfulness: Getting to Know Your Stress

On By mamaneedsherbrainbackIn Body, Mind & Soul2 Comments

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Monday mornings are so blah. At the end of every week I promise myself I’ll use the weekend to get more organised, but then Friday night rolls around and all I want to do is party. When I say party, I mean put on my tracky dacks, order takeaway and curl up on the sofa in the foetal position. Despite my best intentions, I never use the weekend wisely to set myself up for a smooth week.

I start Monday feeling tired and stressed. I’ve been doing mindful meditation for a couple of years now (not always consistently) and have really dropped the ball in the last week. Every time I do drop the ball I really feel it. So, I thought I’d go back to basics and look at what stress is and what makes me feel it.

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Teaching Kids Empathy

On By mamaneedsherbrainbackIn Body, Mind & Soul, Parenting & Marriage1 Comment

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One of the many goals of parenting (seriously, this gig is exhausting) is to raise children who feel empathy. Hopefully, they’ll go out into the world and act with kindness and social responsibility. We all want kids who will care about others, the community and the world at large. Also, with some empathy on board they may not be so quick to ship us off to some rundown old age facility the first chance they get. So teaching them empathy is a win/win.

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Love to Meditate but Can’t Keep Still?

On By mamaneedsherbrainbackIn Body, Mind & Soul3 Comments

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Meditation is the bee’s knees. Everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Arianna Huffington take advantage of its benefits – lowering stress, improving physical health and heightening both cognitive functioning and creativity, to name just a few. It’s helped me so much in my life that I’ve become totally obsessed. But, sometimes I hate it…..

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Intro to Mindfulness

On By mamaneedsherbrainbackIn Body, Mind & Soul3 Comments

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I am pretty obsessed with Mindfulness at the moment. It single handedly keeps me sane (well, almost…..).  But not only is it sanity inducing, it is also great for the brain – and that’s scientifically proven. Here is a definition:

According to Jon Kabat Zinn,  Mindfulness is “Paying attention in the present moment without judgement and with kindness and compassion.”

One of the easiest ways to stay in the present moment is to use your breathe to anchor yourself to the now. This is done through meditation.  Because mindfulness meditation is basically just breathing, it’s really easy. But, because mindfulness meditation is just breathing, it’s really hard.  Confusing? Continue reading “Intro to Mindfulness” →