Thank you Headspace and Momtrends for partnering with me. Thank you for supporting the brands who support this blog. As always, opinions are only my own. 

Things in my life have been really stressful over this past year. Between moving to another state, becoming a single mom, and running my own business... well, you could say I'm always stressed. SO stressed actually, that when Momtrends asked me to attend an event in NYC to discuss topics like meditating and mindful parenting, I didn't know how I would ever make time to go to the city for the afternoon! Also, the idea of meditating made me nervous because although I've practiced prayer and yoga, I didn't know how to meditate. I decided to try it out anyway and make some time for me to go into the city to attend the luncheon with Headspace and learn about mindful parenting.

If you've never heard of Headspace, it's an meditation app that allows you to take a few minutes out of your day to focus on creating peace within yourself. And it's even more then a meditation app... Headspace wants to make an impact in people's lives to be less stressful. Did you know that summer is noted as being the most stressful time of year? In fact, Momtrends Media conducted a nationwide "Parenting Stressor Survey" in May 2018 and it revealed that 40% of parents identified with summer being their most stressful time of year, followed by back to school and holidays. The leading causes of stress in parents is change of routine (40%), too many activities (19%), and fear of brain drain (15%). 

While at the Headspace luncheon, I was able to hear about mindful parenting from co-Founder Andy Puddicombe who is the voice of the app and also studied as a Buddhist Monk. During our time together, we were taught how to meditate and also learned five ways to be more in the moment with your family. I loved them so much that I wanted to share them with you all!

DAILY FAMILY MEDITATION

Of course, the first way to be mindful is to practice meditation daily. I love using the Headspace app because it's SO easy to use. This is something that is great for the whole family, and you can even do it together! Headspace even recommends introducing meditation to kids as early as 3 years old. For only 3-10 minutes everyday, you can add much needed peace, balance, and togetherness into your home. I like to meditate before going to bed, and I even have Headspace send me a reminder at 10:30pm so I don't forget!

WRITE IT DOWN

Andy suggests parents to write down one or two things in a journal that you appreciate about your child every night before going to bed. At the beginning of the summer or before school starts, give your child the journal so they can read the hundred of ways you love them. 

BREATE 

Sometimes when the stress just becomes too much, we all could use 30 seconds breathe. Simply take 10 deep breathes over the course of 30 seconds to calm down. You will be amazed how doing something so simple can prevent any later regret from over-stressing, or even lashing out too quickly out of anger. 

DEVICE-FREE DINNER

Even if it's just one night a week, having a dinner where everyone puts their phones away is so important! Shared dinner together can be really special - especially when the whole family commits to being 100% device-free! Ask questions, talk about everyone's week, and just be there together.

MINDFUL EATING

The act of mindful eating is when we become more aware of where our food comes from so you can really enjoy it at mealtimes. As a family, talk about where the food comes from and where it might be grown. Eat your food slowly so you can really enjoy every meal. By doing this, you are creating a healthier relationship with food and the environment. 

Interested in trying out the Headspace app? Our readers can get 40% off a one year subscription to Headspace by registering here: https://www.headspace.com/buy/checkout/summary?voucherCode=BEINGSUMMERSHORES. This offer expires July 4, 2018.

Instructions to upload the code:

Register and enter the promo code here: https://www.headspace.com/code. Once you log into the app on your phone, it will automatically connect to the subscription you just activated. 

Why the code is useful: 

It's free to download but only the basic pack session is free. A subscription gives you access to the full Headspace Library, which has hundreds of meditations, mindfulness exercises and animations to help you build the practice. 

• Over 30 packs of themed meditations on specific topics like stress and sleep
• Dozens of one-off exercises designed to add more mindfulness to your day
• Super-short mini meditations you can do anytime. Great for busy schedules
• Sleep Sounds that help ease the mind into a truly restful night’s sleep
• Animations that guide you through essential meditation techniques and bring to life traditional stories like the Very Impatient Yogi
• Continued guidance from former monk, and Headspace co-founder, Andy Puddicombe

Photos courtesy of Momtrends.