Meditation and the Busy Woman

By Mary Sovran

The average woman today is so busy taking care of everyone else in her family, that she doesn’t have much time to pursue her own interests. At the end of the day, she is exhausted. Fitting in meditation would seem like an impossible task.

If a woman stays at home and has children, she is busy with their schedules. In the morning, she is getting them dressed and ready for school, making lunches, etc. Then the obligations of the day begin with, laundry, cleaning, and other chores. She has to decide what to make for dinner and attend to that. When the kids get home it’s snacks, helping them with homework and cleaning up after dinner.

If she holds down a job, she has all of the above obligations plus getting to work and performing at her best all day. Most women learn to multitask out of necessity. It’s no wonder she feels anxious and frustrated, and yet she expects perfection from herself.

After her busy day, she and her partner may have a moment for conversation before the bedtime routine begins. Hopefully there may be time before bed to relax a little.

Even if she hasn’t any children at home, or a job, she is probably still very busy with volunteer work, church activities, taking care of her home and pets, and a social life. However, she can still find the time to meditate if she schedules it in.

Many women in our society put themselves and their needs last on their list of priorities. They feel that their children, partner, and household duties come first before they can consider time for their own pursuits. This is a mistake because if she doesn’t take care of herself and value her own needs, it will lessen her ability to care for the people she loves.

Your meditation practice will change the whole atmosphere in your home. It will make a big difference in the way you treat your family members. It will help you to be calmer in dealing with everyday problems. You’ll be kind, appreciative, loving, patient, slower to anger, and less critical. There will be less tension, and family members will be more relaxed and open to discussing problems.

If you value your personal time, you can fit meditation into your day somehow. It doesn’t require a lot of time. You might set the alarm clock a half hour earlier than usual, or you could find a quiet spot to be alone for 30 minutes just before bed. I do my sitting meditation in the morning as soon as I finish my breakfast and before I get started with my daily activities. I try to fit my writing meditation in after lunch or just before dinner when I have a few minutes.

The combination of daily sitting and writing meditation has made a tremendous difference in the quality of my life, and I know that it would do the same for you. Now, just going to the grocery store has become an enjoyable experience. Instead of being frustrated with a long line at the cash register, I talk with people including the cashier. Some of them have even become my friends.

In the past, simply driving to and from the store could be infuriating if I got behind a person driving 20 miles per hour. Now I have compassion for the driver and realize that there has to be a reason for this low speed.

While it may seem impossible for the busy woman to fit meditation into her schedule, it can be done. The time and effort involved is well worth the trouble.

Need help learning mindfulness meditation? Check out Mindfulness Meditation Made Simple: Your Guide to Finding True Inner peace (paperback).

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