by Samantha Montpetit-Huynh

Whether you are a new mother or seasoned veteran, there comes a point in your life when you give up trying to keep up and give in to reality. Your life has changed, permanently. And no matter how much you try, it’s not going to get any easier on it’s own. This is true.

There must be ways to cope with the stress.

If you are a seasoned mother like myself, you have come to this conclusion probably years ago, but just accepted that craziness is the new norm and everyone yells at their kids trying to get them out the door for school, don’t they?

Well not as much as before; at least not this mom.

Now I’m no champion nor do I pretend to be but a couple of years ago I came to the decision that if I didn’t do something to help manage my stress and get a better grasp on the daily activities of an entrepreneur, wife and mom, I was going to blow. Explode.

Now I meditate. And it has changed my life.

Studies show that meditation helps reduce stress. In one study, after meditation training of 20 minutes once a day for only five days, people had measurably less anxiety and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

I yell (a lot) less. I have a much different approach when dealing with what I perceive to be, stressful situations. I lower my voice and talk. I listen and as a result (shockingly), people listen to me. I breathe and think before I react because there is always another side to the story and it allows me to put things in perspective.

Like I said. Meditation has changed my life.

Have I turned into a granola toting flower child? No. But I have carved out (another), yep, another 15 minutes to my day just for me and the payback is immeasurable. I’m not perfect; sometimes I miss it but when I do, I notice it and so do my kids.

So if mediation is something you’ve always wanted to do but weren’t sure how to start, check out Deepak Chopra’s Meditation Challenges and see where it takes you.

In the meantime, just sit, close your eyes and breathe. There is no right or wrong way to meditate; just do it. Whether it’s first thing in the morning (my personal fave) or how you end your day, just five minutes; 5 minutes can make the difference.

And for me, it made such a difference. It almost turned into an addiction. An addiction that is a good one to have and my family would agree.

What about you? Is meditation something you’ve always wanted to try but just can’t find the time?

 

Samantha Montpetit-Huynh is the mother of two beautiful girls and the founder of Core Expectations, Toronto’s only full services wellness team that delivers personal training, abdominal rehabilitation and other support services to the homes and offices of pregnant women and new moms across the GTA.