Building a Mindful Home

Even mindfulness has a place at your home

Mindfulness is being aware of ourselves and everything around us, taking it all in without thinking or judgement. Sounds like a lot of work to do at home, huh? False. Mindfulness isn’t a weapon of mass creation hidden deeply somewhere. It’s your natural ability to focus your attention, emotions, sensations, and thoughts to the present.

Here are some tips on how to be mindful at home:

There’s always time. Balancing everything in your life is daunting, stressful, and time-consuming. Do you have time for every member of your family? Remember, connecting with the members of your family isn’t something on your to-do list or any other list for that matter. It’s a part of being a family. Being mindful of that can whip up some good memories and establish solid connections with the members of your family.
As much as possible, don’t bring your work home with you. Be consciously present at home.

Practice mindful eating. Appreciate the feast your spouse, partner, teenager, or housemate has cooked and prepared for you. Savour the variety of flavours and slowly saturate your senses. Detach the umbilical cords that connect you and your family to all your gadgets and social media posts. It’s time for the family to eat, so enjoy and stop thinking or wandering.
Hearing isn’t the same as listening. When you ask a family member how their day went, make sure you’re listening. Focus and pay attention to their feelings, body language, and the tone of their voice. You may not know what advice to give all the time, but simply listening tells them you care a lot.

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Do you have a teen in the house (or out of the house)? Being mindful can bring them happiness and reduce their stress levels as a result of everything that’s been going on around them. A 2016 research study published in the Journal of Adolescence has shown that mindfulness can enhance emotional intelligence (EQ), increase self-compassion, and decrease symptoms of depression. Mindfulness for teens can take the form of emotional self-awareness which falls under emotional intelligence (EQ). It’s a skill in identifying and accepting their emotions, moods, abilities, and motivations at any moment without judgement or blame. They’re on top of their emotions and not the other way around.
Who’s pregnant? Mindfulness is great for parents who are expecting a bun in the oven. A 2017 systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions done during pregnancy showed favourable responses and decreased levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among pregnant patients who practised mindfulness techniques. Below are some tips on how to be mindful during your pregnancy:
- Use and appreciate your senses. Slow down and appreciate the taste of your favourite fruit, the sight of sunrise or sunset, the smell of freshly cut grass on your lawn, or even drinking a glass of water slowly.
- Enjoy being alone for now. Your bundle of joy will come soon, and you may not have enough time for yourself anymore.
- One thing at a time. Don’t be overwhelmed by what you have to know and do. Slow down, make a list and prioritise.
Let’s not forget Grandma and Grandad. Being mindful protects ageing brains from declining according to a 2015 study among people over the age of 65 years. Sure, they complain about forgetting your name and misplacing house keys, but being mindful, minimises the number of times these situations happen. You can teach and encourage them to do some deep breathing exercises, seated stretches (stretch and move their arms from a seated position), and learn to do new, simple, and exciting things. Visit them as often as you can so they’ll remain connected. Other mindfulness activities for them include:
- Walking clubs
- Book clubs
- Ceramics/Pottery classes
- Gardening clubs
- Group exercise classes
- Playing video games. Yes, even Grandma and Grandad can still play some interactive video games like golf, fishing, bowling, basketball, etc.
- Art classes
- Listening to music
- Jewellery making
- Pet therapy

There are lots of mindfulness courses and programs for each member of your family. Being mindful has always been innate and natural in all of us. You just have to activate it. Being mindful at home does have several positive benefits. We will have more topics on mindfulness in upcoming articles: