If you’re a parent who gets to the end of the day and forget what time you had lunch, you’re not alone. One mum I worked with as a counsellor — let’s call her Claire — described her head as “a browser with too many tabs open.” Her shoulders remained permanently hunched, and she spent her evenings tangled in scrolling and guilt. She had stopped being able to sit through her child’s bedtime story without yawning.

That’s the everyday shape of stress. Busy minds, busy lives. The good news? Tiny, practical mindfulness moves — done regularly — can cut through that fog. They don’t require an hour on a cushion, a retreat, or perfect silence.

They’re the micro-practices you can do between snack prep and school pick-up that actually change how your nervous system responds to stress. You can also use mindfulness based counselling and psychotherapy to go deeper with these things.

mindfulness based counselling

Why mindfulness helps with stress

Mindfulness for stress isn’t about emptying your head. Learning to notice what’s happening — in your body and your attention — so you can choose how to respond. That choice is the difference between snapping at your kid and noticing the snap and taking one breath before you answer.

Scientific programmes like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) show that regular mindfulness practice improves sleep, reduces anxiety, and increases resilience. In everyday terms: mindfulness gives you a little more margin in the moments that usually blow up.

Simple mindfulness practices you can actually do

Here are quick mindfulness techniques that suit a parent’s life. Try one, a few times a day — each only takes 60–90 seconds.

1. The physiological sigh

Take a deep breath in through your nose, then take a second, smaller sip of air at the top of the inhale. Slowly sigh it all out through your mouth. People call this double-inhale and long exhale the “physiological sigh.”

This is one of the body’s natural ways to release tension and calm the nervous system quickly. Research shows that even three or four rounds can calm stress in less than a minute.

2. Feet on the floor (grounding)

While putting on shoes or waiting at the school gate, notice your feet on the floor. Sense weight, texture, pressure. Similarly, you can notice the physical presence and weight of your whole body. Or if you’re sitting down, notice the weight of your body on the chair.

Grounding calms the nervous system more than you’d expect.

3. Two-minute body scan

Close your eyes for two minutes. Run attention quickly over your body — toes, calves, knees, hips, belly, chest, shoulders, throat, jaw.

Only notice. Don’t try to fix anything. Just notice and breathe.

You can easily find guided meditations and body scans online. For instance, practical guides on Mindful.org are full of simple exercises parents can use between the laundry and the school run.

4. Micro-mindful chores

Turn a routine task (washing dishes, making a sandwich) into a mindfulness practice — notice the temperature, smells, textures. It’s ridiculous how effective this is.

These are practical, low-barrier habits that build a calmer baseline. Over time they create space between stimulus and reaction.

When to bring in counselling

Mindfulness is powerful, but it may not be enough. Especially if stress is chronic or if there is unresolved trauma causing the tension.

Mindfulness based counselling and somatic therapy can help. Counselling offers a safe space to explore deeper patterns. Somatic approaches focus on how stress affects the body. It can also give you the opportunity to practice these tools with live guidance and have them adjusted to your needs.

If you feel stress in your muscles or have trouble sleeping, combining mindfulness with therapy can help. This approach often leads to quick and lasting improvements.

A final word for busy parents

Mindfulness for busy minds is not another chore. A set of tiny, evidence-based pauses lets you meet your day with more presence and less fatigue. Start small, be kind to yourself, and notice the difference.

Author bio

Ajay Hawkes is a somatic psychotherapist and counsellor. He works online and in Fremantle, WA. He offers simple, practical tools for parents. He also offers longer-term support through mindfulness-based counselling and body-based therapy.