During these difficult times washing hands is obviously important. You probably already know the correct technique and now you can add some mindfulness to it if you wish to build resilience and feel better. Adding gratitude, loving kindness and body awareness to your hand washing ritual can give you more positive soothing emotions and build your resilience.

So, to give you variety and to help you shift your thoughts from difficulties I want to present three mindful ways to wash your hands. If you like it you can show your children, too.

 

Three Mindful Ways to Wash Hands

 

1. Washing hands with gratitude

Purpose: Mindfulness of emotions, gratitude and joy

Simply do your preferred hand washing protocol and while you lather your hands with soap think of five things you are grateful for. When done check in and see how you feel. Do you feel any different after this short gratitude practice?

Examples:

I’m grateful for the sunny weather.

I’m grateful for the yummy breakfast.

I’m grateful for the dinner mommy is preparing.

I’m grateful for my Legos.

 

2. Washing hands with loving kindness

Purpose: Mindfulness of emotions, kindness

Do your hand washing protocol and while you lather your hands with soap send kind thoughts to five different persons. Send a last kind thought to yourself looking into the mirror, smiling to yourself. When done check in and see how you feel. Do you feel any different after this short loving kindness practice?

Examples:

I wish mommy to be happy and healthy.

I wish daddy to be happy and healthy.

I wish my bunny to be happy and healthy.

I wish the nice lady at the grocery store to be happy and healthy.

May I be happy, strong and healthy.

 

3. Washing Hands Mindfully

Purpose: Mindfulness of Body, Focus

You can do almost anything mindfully. Try washing your hands mindfully for a day and then tell your child to try it out.

Do your favorite hand washing protocol and pay attention all the way through. How does washing your hands really feel? Slow down and feel the flow of water. Watch the water flow. Smell the soap. Feel the soap.  How does it feel in your hands? Feel the cloth you dry your hands with. Take your time and enjoy it!

Example script:

Pause and pay attention.

Observe and feel the water.

Pick up and smell the soap.

Feel the soap on your hands. How does it feel?

Really pay attention to what you’re doing and how it feels.

Pay attention to the water cleaning your fingers and your palms.

When ready washing enjoy the feel of damp, clean hands.

Be curious and take your time.

Was it nice, did it feel soothing? How did it make you feel, and would you like to try to do something else mindfully?

 

I hope you’ll enjoy these mindful ways to wash your hands <3

In case you want more activities …

then you’ll find 150 playful mindfulness activities in my 5-star rated best selling book:

Ultimate Mindfulness Activity Book – 150 Playful Mindfulness Activities for Kids and Teens (and Grown-Ups too!)

“The Most Important Mindfulness Book You’ll Ever Buy” – Helen Hudson

Wishing you peace and resilience <3

Chris Bergstrom

Chief Mindfulness Ninja @ Blissful Kids

 #1 Best-Selling Author of:
 
★★★★★ Awesome “Bought this book for my 6 year old, but even my 3 and 15 yo love the activities. We usually incorporate activities on a daily basis and it’s been working so far.”
&
★★★★★ Cute and calming “With the craze being all about baby sharks, it’s a great idea to take it and use it to help our kids calm down themselves. I’m a therapist and look forward to using this with my kid clients.”

 


See also:

Liking the Music

Stay Cool Game

5 Mindful Games

If you are new to mindfulness with children OR you want to make practice easy we recommend our online mindfulness courses.


Chris Bergstrom is a bestselling mindfulness author, the founder of BlissfulKids.com, a blog dedicated to children’s mindfulness, and a dad who is thrilled to practice mindfulness with his son. He is a certified mindfulness facilitator and trained to teach mindfulness to students in K-12. He’s also known as “the dad who tried 200+ mindfulness activities” and has taught meditation for more than 15 years.