The Challenges of Mindful Eating as a Mom
I’m realizing as a mother to a toddler that mindful eating can seem like a luxury. I imagine this is a challenge regardless of the child’s age but I’m hoping it gets easier! As mothers we spend so much time focusing our attention on our children, it can be easy to lose our connection to our bodies. Prior to having my son a year ago, I was participating in yoga classes 3-4 times a week, meditating on my own and walking regulary. My meals and snacks were all leisurely. I was relaxed and completely connected to my body.
I was able to hold onto some of this through the early stages of infancy. Although I wasn’t doing as much yoga and meditation during this time, I was walking and found plenty of opportunity to tune into my body while maintaining such close physical contact with my son. He slept enough that I had time to eat mindfully and get essentials taken care of (not always, but a good amount of the time). However, now that he’s a willful, energetic toddler, I find it much more difficult to stay connected to my body and remain mindful. Keeping an eye on an active, curious little boy while managing a household makes it challenging to remain centered. Time management as a working mom adds to this challenge. I often find myself doing things I encourage my clients to avoid: eating in front of the computer or in the car, not planning ahead, relying on whatever is in sight when I realize I’m hungry, not paying attention to what I’m eating, occasionally skipping meals, etc. In a nutshell, not taking care of myself. I know other moms experience this as well. My resolution this year is to find a way to incorporate more mindfulness into my day. Although I may not be able to take as many yoga classes as I did before baby, I can take time for brief meditations, connect to my breath and find ways to practice mindfulness in my daily life. It will bring more happiness into my life and certainly improve my parenting.
So as much as I would love to say that I always practice what I preach, I am human too!
