Four Essential Mindfulness Tips in the NICU
You might believe that the idea of “a peaceful NICU experience” is nothing but a contradiction–and I wouldn’t blame you for it.
How could a place full of medical urgency, emotional stress, and 24/7 beeping and buzzing ever feel tranquil, calm, and quiet?
Feeling more mindful in the NICU is about making lemonade out of lemons. The conditions won’t be perfect, but there are a few things we can do to calm our nerves and bring ourselves back into our bodies when we’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
Learning how to feel mindful in the NICU also prepares us for challenges, blocks, and frustrating moments later in life (and motherhood). If we can learn how to regulate ourselves now in an impossibly difficult situation, everything else will seem manageable by comparison.
I’m writing this article because I believe you can do hard things, mama. I know seeing your baby hooked up to ventilators and IV lines isn’t easy. I remember how it made me feel, too. The stakes are high, the pressure is real, and it takes everything you have to simply walk through those hospital doors with a smile.
Your baby needs you, so in order to help them, you must help yourself first. Try these four mindfulness tips, and let me know how they work out for you!
Mindfulness Tip #1: Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Method
I love this tip for mindfulness because it instantly takes me from 100 back down to 0. It also takes all of two minutes to do.
According to the Headington Institute, anxiety tends to bring us out of the present moment. Our mind cycles through worst-case scenarios, panic sets into our bodies, and we get stuck in a fight-or-flight response. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique works because it restores that mind-body connection and brings us back to what’s happening right now.
The next time you find yourself flooded with what-ifs and other anxious thoughts, try this:
Notice five things you can see. It can be as simple as the wheels underneath the incubator, a hand sanitizing station, or even a tree outside the hospital window.
Find four things you can touch. Maybe it’s the soft fabric of your shirt, your partner’s hand, or the chair you’re sitting on.
Identify three things you can hear. It might be the sound of doctors talking, ventilators humming, or the click of the IV pumps.
Notice two things you can smell. If you’re tired of smelling disinfectants or don’t find the scent of sterile rubber pleasant, you can smell the shampoo in your hair or the fresh linens in the isolette.
Finally, find one thing you can taste. It can be as simple as water from a styrofoam cup.
Mindfulness Tip #2: Relax Your Body
This mindfulness tip might be a given, but it bears repeating. Our bodies can tense up so easily, and we don’t even realize it.
Stress can take a physical toll on our bodies. It can cause us to grind our teeth at night or experience aches and pains in our neck, shoulders, and back. It can also cause headaches, weakened immune systems, and other problems.
We have to treat our bodies like the precious vessels they are. They do so much for us: get us from place to place, protect and nourish us, and give birth (to name a few). Anything we can do to nurture our bodies is like saying a big “thank you” to ourselves.
One easy way to give back to our bodies is by intentionally relaxing. At least a few times a day, close your eyes, bring awareness to your neck and shoulders, loosen them, and take a big, deep breath. Tune into your inhale and exhale for 30-60 seconds.
If it’s in your budget, you can also book a massage. (If it’s not, you can always ask your partner to rub your shoulders!) It’s crucial to continue doing the things that make us feel good. Start with deep breaths, but take things to the next level if you can. Go for a quick walk, do 10 minutes of yoga, or take a warm bath.
Whatever you can do to give your body relief and return to a place of mindful awareness is worth it.
Mindfulness Tip #3: Use a Journal
Journaling is another way to become more mindful in the NICU. One of the best pieces of advice I received during my hospital journey was to carry a notebook in my bag whenever I visited my daughter.
I wrote down the date, her stats (such as her weight and how much she was eating), the challenges we faced, and questions I had so I could remember to ask them the next time I saw the doctor.
I can’t express how helpful this was to my husband and I. Our journals served as both a place where we could safely work through our emotions and a place where we could document our daughter’s journey. I’m excited to give this journal to Jenna one day so she can see just how far she has come!
An important thing to note here is that you don’t have to use a journal the same way other people use a journal. You can write whatever you want in it. It doesn’t have to be organized or pretty. It can look like complete nonsense to an outsider.
Process your emotions the way you need to process them. If you’re leaning on a higher power, you can write down your prayers. Or you can just dump your thoughts. The most important thing to remember is to write without judgment.
Mindfulness Tip #4: Try Some NICU-specific Meditations
My final mindfulness tip is to try some NICU-specific meditations. While there’s nothing wrong with a traditional meditation app like Calm or Headspace, I find that NICU meditations better address the specific emotional and psychological stress we’re going through.
I like this YouTube meditation for the drive home from the hospital or these written meditations by Every Tiny Thing.
I hope these methods are helpful. Remember, a few mindfulness tips are not long-term prescriptions for serious mental health problems. If you are struggling with postpartum depression, PTSD, or another condition, please seek medical help!
I’m not a doctor and can’t give official medical advice, but I am a fellow preemie mom who can help ease the burden of what you’re going through. If you’ve already sought help from a medical professional and want extra support navigating the NICU and the journey beyond, you can check out my services here!