Podcasts Kids & Family Parenting 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms 082: How to Use Mindfulness to Cope with Pain or Illness as a Mom // Candace and Becky of Mindful Art Company

082: How to Use Mindfulness to Cope with Pain or Illness as a Mom // Candace and Becky of Mindful Art Company

Published: May 20, 2019, 1:45 p.m.

We’ve all heard the old saying, \"Moms shouldn’t be allowed to get sick!\" And it’s true--we shouldn’t! We need to take care of our families, and family life doesn’t just pause when Mom isn’t feeling well. It’s hard enough for the household to continue functioning for a week when Mom gets a bad cold or the flu, but when a mother faces chronic illness or pain, that can be a truly devastating trial. I’ve personally had a taste of this because I was diagnosed with a chronic health condition several years ago, and the medication I take for it causes kidney stones. For me, the most difficult part is how discouraged I sometimes feel when I can’t care for my family in the way that I would like to. Several months ago, in the midst of kidney stone pain, I reached out to Becky Farley and Candace Little, the founders of Mindful Art Company, and asked for their best tips on using mindfulness to cope with illness. They sent back the three takeaways that are the basis of our conversation today: Separate your pain from your suffering. Pain x Resistance = Suffering Allow pain to fix you. What is the pain telling you about what you or your body needs? Listen! Meditate. Tuning into your body instead of resisting it doesn’t necessarily take away the pain, but it makes it easier to deal with. These three strategies have been so helpful to me as I\'ve battled my own health problems the past year, and I hope they will help many mothers who are listening, as well. Show Notes -Instagram: @mindfulartco -Website: mindfulartco.com  -Meditation Art Kit or MAK Pack: 4 lessons, and with each lesson you get a meditation, a story, and an art project to create common emotional language with your kids. (And they are also super fun!) Use the code HALFOFF for 50% off any of their downloadable products this month! -Self-Compassionate & Art Workshop in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 15th. Use the code 3IN30 for $30 off. Codes expire 5/31/19~ We are so grateful to Mindful Art Company for being a sponsor of the Declutter Your Motherhood Workshop in Utah!