How 1-minute of mindfulness can make or break your family vacation.

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Summer vacations are all about good vibes, right? Well, hopefully, but they often bring unpredictability and challenges. Here’s how practicing 1-minute of mindfulness can help you manage the unexpected.

Manage your expectations and reality. Often, we set ourselves up for failure — especially when an experience does’t happen the way planned. Tuning into reality fast will help you adapt.

Mindfulness helps us manage irritations because it brings the present moment to focus. Tension creates problem-solving opportunities. Showing up with compassion is extremely helpful when dealing with family members.

Here are five 1-minute practices to help you get started:

1. Focus on your breath to calm your automatic responses to tension. Dropping the sarcasm and edge in your tone of voice takes practice — so breathe in and breathe out — before you speak.

2. Start your day (and end your day) with a self-hug and an audible, “I love you” says Dr. Shauna Shapiro in her book, Good Morning, I Love You. This cultivates self-love and it just feels good once you get the hang of it.

3. Let it RAIN - Tara Brach created the acronym, RAIN, which cycles through, recognize, allow, investigate, and nurture the moment you are experiencing.

4. Sleep tight with a body scan to help you feel grounded and ready for a good night’s rest.

5. Call it woo-woo, or call it effective, because the Loving Kindness meditation can be beneficial in stressful or anxious times. It begins with repeating this phrase:

May I be happy

May I be healthy

May I be loving kindness and peace

Research shows these meditations change the perception of positive experiences — so you can remember the good stuff and leave the bad bits behind. Happy travels!