I took a nap with Nico this afternoon. That in itself is not unusual: Nico won’t nap alone, so the two of us lie down together on my bed nearly every afternoon at naptime. I often use this time to read on my Kindle, listen to a podcast, or even work on a blog post as he naps in my lap. Usually music plays in the background. But today’s experience was a little different: instead of dedicating today’s naptime to productivity or entertainment, the two of us slept side by side without distraction, accompanied by nothing but the sound of his breath syncing up with mine. I rubbed his back and tousled his hair, stroked his fluttering eyes, hugged him to me as he nursed at my side, breathed in his babysoap scent. Eventually my own eyes closed and sleep fell upon us both.
I’ve been nursing babies to sleep for more than ten years now, but few of those countless nursing sessions have been spent fully engaged and present with my children. (To prove my point, and to be fully transparent, Nico is nursing to sleep on my lap as I type this late at night.) But in this year of practicing intentional mindfulness and presence, I want to spend more time actually being where my feet are planted. That means more naptimes spent napping, more playtimes spent playing, more prayer times spent praying; in other words, more time being mentally present for the task at hand instead of allowing myself to be distracted by my phone or absorbed in unrelated thoughts.
As I work to incorporate more presence into my life in 2026, I’ve decided to make a list of practical strategies that can help me fully embrace intentional mindfulness. Some of these practices are already routine for me, others are less frequent or entirely new; some will be extremely challenging to adopt. Each one has the intended effect of helping me remain present and in the moment at hand.
You probably didn’t choose Present as your One Word for 2026 (though HOW COOL if you did!), but I would wager a guess that presence is something you’d like to see more of in your year, too. In sharing this list, I hope that I might inspire you to join me into stepping into deeper presence in the months ahead.
1. Sing with the kids in the car.
2. Have a dance party in the living room.
3. Go for a family nature walk and stop and examine everything that catches our eye.
4. Spend time looking for shapes in the clouds.
5. Set a timer to see how long I can go without touching my phone.
6. Go a day (or more) without listening to anything (podcast, audiobook, music) on my headphones.
7. Practice savoring my food by taking several deep breaths between each bite.
8. Sing/rock my children (not just the baby!) to sleep.
9. Take a distraction-free bubble bath.
10. Use red lights as an opportunity to practice deep breathing.
11. Go a day (or more) without using the internet to look up the questions that pop into my mind.
12. Keep a daily gratitude list of several small-but-meaningful moments from the day.
13. Have a conversation with a friend in which I ONLY listen (without sharing any stories of my own).
14. Set a reading timer (20, 30, or 60 minutes): no grabbing my phone or getting up to do “just one thing” until the timer is up.
15. In a public space, notice as many small details as possible; reflect on them later in attempt to recreate the scene.
16. Watercolor, do a puzzle, color in a coloring book, or engage in some other craft or activity that requires my full attention.
17. Single-task while watching a show, doing chores, playing a game with the kids, cooking dinner, or working at the computer.
18. Log off of all social media for an extended amount of time.
19. Pre-decide the next several books I will read and/or listen to so that I don’t waste hours scrolling through options when it’s time to start a book.
20. Commit to a day of turning every anxious thought into a prayer (maybe even aloud).
21. Begin the day by greeting each family member with a long hug and verbal affirmation.
22. Notice and comment on at least one good thing about every person I interact with in a given day.
23. Change up a usual routine so that it becomes less rote (eat with my left hand, drive a different route, do my quiet time in a different part of the house, etc.).
24. Practice making eye contact with people during conversation (including with my kids when they talk to me while I’m working around the house).
25. Snuggle on the couch with a family member with zero distractions (phone, television, books, etc.) and no motives beyond spending time together.
26. Pause, count to five, and offer up a quick prayer before reprimanding a wayward child.
27. Practice a one-day Sabbath: no technology, no extra work, no agenda.
28. Use time in the bathroom (including time doing hair/makeup, brushing teeth, or showering) to pray.
BONUS: Meditate on a passage of Scripture that draws my attention to being in the presence of God (like the ones quoted in this post!).
Do you have any additional suggestions for bringing more mindfulness and presence into every day life? I would be so grateful if you would share your ideas with me!
