We often have the desire to incorporate mindfulness into our daily routine, but sometimes it feels too overwhelming. Today we have some one-minute mindfulness exercises you and your kids can practice together. Read on to learn what they are!

Healthy Tip Tuesday comes to you in partnership with Trinity Hospital Twin City.

If you are like me every New Year, I set out a goal to practice more mindfulness, but quickly feel pressured with the thought of sitting still and trying to be silent. Isn’t that ironic? For me, mindfulness used to look like sitting for 10-15 minutes in complete silence, but I have since learned from friends and co-workers that it does not have to be the case. There are many different things we can do in our daily life to be more mindful and make a routine out of it.

Now more than ever during this time of COVID when our kids are struggling to cope, adding these exercises may be able to help everyone. The CDC shares that mindfulness is a great tool to keep in our toolbelt when dealing with stressful times. So, what are the exercises:

• Yawn and stretch for 10 seconds every hour
• Give 3 hugs a day with 3 big breaths
• Clench your fist tightly and breathe
• Stand up and take deep breaths for one minute. It is okay for your mind to wander, just try to focus back on your breathing.
• Come up with a positive phrase about yourself and repeat it for one minute when stressed or sad.

I hope these are all exercises you feel that you can do together as a family. Maybe you only work on one at a time to try to work them into your daily routine.