How to Be More Mindful as a Family

By: Dominica Morris

At the beginning of the Fall season my husband and I decided that we wanted to end the rest of the year by working on improving our mindfulness practice. The year and all of its world events, including us navigating moving to a new state, trying to raise a baby, as well as running a business, had put a pretty big toll on us. While we ended up coming out on top, staying healthy, and moving to a beautiful home we still felt exhausted and defeated. In the past we would travel to some far away place to reset, but with the world being the way it is we opted this time around to go a different route and it’s been wonderfully eye opening, and life changing.

Read More Books

When you read books you enjoy, it’s very difficult to get out of the moment. A good book can truly draw you in and keep you hooked and fully engaged. To me it’s the ultimate form of mindfulness because you are completely in the moment absorbing every word on the page. A lot of my husband’s and I’s work is spent being in front of a computer screen. So, on most days once our work day was done we would sit on the couch scroll through our social media feeds, or end up binge watching something on TV. It got to the point that being in front of a screen became exhausting.

We both elected to make hard stop to this and decided that reading would be a better way to spend our time. We both had made a list of some books we wanted to read and chose books that focus on self-development, wellness, spirituality, and travel. We also made the decision to only buy physical copies of the books. That means no reading on tablets or our phones. This way we can’t feel tempted to jump on social media sites or browse the internet. I have to say that reading our books has been a wonderful way to disconnect from our screens, but it also helps us change our perspective and help us grow. We’ve also made it a point to read more to Carter. He’s really enjoying this time together and is starting to pick up books and flip through them on his own. We’re reading so much to him now that his first word is book (or as he says it buh).

If you’re interested in what I’m reading I’ve shared my New Year’s book list in this blog post if you want to learn more about them.  

Spend Time in Nature

Being in nature is one of the best ways to stay mindful. Nature can awaken your wonder about the world, and make you feel at peace and one with the earth. Beach days have become a must for us. These trips are our way to bond and get out of the house. One perk of living in coastal Mississippi is that the beaches are virtually empty most of the time, so it’s been a safe way to get out of the house and explore. Carter’s loving it too, and he’s learning so much about nature and being outdoors. There’s just something relaxing about watching the waves while digging your toes in the sand, it really resets your mood after a busy day. If you don’t live near a beach or hiking spot, spending time in your backyard or going to the nearest park can have the same relaxing effect. When I lived in the middle of Atlanta I would go on runs in my neighborhood or go to a nearby park to get out and connect with nature. It always put me into a relaxed state of mind.

Mindfulness Tip: While outdoors fully pay attention to all of the sights and sounds around you. What do you hear? What do you smell? How does the ground feel underneath your feet? Ask yourself these questions as you’re walking around to keep your mind fully present in the now. If you’re with a child ask them the same question and let them become fully aware of their surroundings and the present. If you’re with a young child point out things that you see. I will often point out the seagulls or pelicans on the beach to Carter and other things that we see.

Start a Gratitude Journal

We’re journaling more. I’ve always been an advocate for journaling, I have all kinds of journals and have even recommended some on the blog. So, for me it wasn’t anything new but for my husband Caleb it is. He got a gratitude journal a few months ago and he’s been writing in it ever since. He says it’s really changed his perspective on things and he’s so happy that he’s started one. Journaling is a wonderful way to practice mindfulness because it helps you put your feelings and mood on paper. Having a gratitude journal also helps remind you of all of the good in your life, and can help remind you throughout the day to be thankful of all that you have, especially in times where you might feel upset or anxious.

Mindfulness Tip: While writing in your journal be fully present and write down everything that you’re feeling and thinking at that moment. Don’t worry about writing perfect sentences, just let the words and feelings flow on the paper as they are coming to you.

Eat Dinner as a Family

Work has kept us apart from each other more than we would like, even though we’ve been working from home. My husband will be in his studio working for hours at a time and I’ll be on my laptop typing away, while Carter will be with my mother in law in a totally different part of the house. This can go on for hours and by the time we get together to relax the day’s over. So we’ve decided to put a hard stop on our work at 4:30pm, Caleb will go for run or will swim laps in the pool while I spend time with Carter. By 5:30pm he will spend time with Carter and I will prepare dinner, so that by 6:00pm we’re sitting together at the table as a family. We’ve also made it a time where no electronics are allowed. We just sit as a family together, enjoy our meal and relax. It’s such a calming time and it’s given us time to reconnect and share our thoughts about the day.

If you can’t sit together as a family to have dinner, maybe it’s for lunch or breakfast. If none of those times work for you, you can set a specific time during the day that you can all spend time together. When I was a child my family always ate dinner together as a family, but as we got older all of our schedules changed. My mother however still reserved time for us to eat together as a family for Sundays. Sunday dinner was the time that we all got together to reconnect. So, even if the rest of the week is busy for you and your family find a time during the week that works for everyone and make it a habit.

Mindfulness Tip: Before you eat, give thanks for your meal. You can say a prayer, or simply say thank you for the food that is about to nourish your body. While eating take your time and fully taste the food that you’re consuming.

Key Takeaway

The key takeaway to all of this is that being present and in the moment takes some effort, but if you’re all on the same page as a family it makes it a lot easier. Set some hard rules how you want to spend time together such as when to put away phones, or specific times during the day that you can all be together. I know that day to family life isn’t always predictable but if you can keep these rules consistent and the same, it is a lot easier for everyone to follow them.

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