I had been practicing mindfulness for many years; breathing techniques, attempts at meditating…but it wasn’t until I gave birth to our daughter that I truly started to appreciate how impactful it could be on my overall wellbeing. It was the second night our daughter was here (the first was spent completely awake, J. A. and I still basking in the glow of having just delivered a baby. HGTV was on in the background as we cursed the people who designed the newborn long sleeve shirts with the series of impossible-to-do snaps).
So anyway, that second night, exhaustion started creeping in. J. A. was taking a quick nap on the sofa and I was sitting in the dim light of an Ikea paper floor lamp, staring at my daughter – this little helpless creature that was now depending on us for survival. It was intense…to say the least. I could feel how easy it would be to fall into a pit of anxiety – and by the way, I was already teetering on the edge. As tears started to roll down my cheek, I reminded myself, “Right now, your baby is healthy and resting. You are healthy and resting. That is all that is happening.”
During the weeks that followed, “this is all that is happening” became my mantra. It was during this period of time postpartum that I truly started to develop a habit of reminding myself about what is happening in the moment…and guess what? It ALWAYS made me feel better, because there was RARELY anything happening that was worth getting worked up about! Four years later, I still have to remind myself to be in the moment, but I always feel the power of mindfulness there for me. There is nothing to do, nothing to worry about, just be here.
Right now, ask yourself, “What is happening in THIS moment.” You might be having an ordinary moment, a happy moment, or a difficult moment, but mindfulness is a way to cut ties to all the “extraneous” and better see this moment for what it is.