Being a mom is not an easy job whatsoever. Juggling between work and the kids can take a serious toll on you even when you’re not fully aware of it.
Surveys say that 88% of all working moms suffer from one or more health problems brought about by stress.
What’s more, 7 % of these moms rate their stress levels as “extreme” while 64 % suffer from extreme fatigue as a result of the stress.
Stress is detrimental to your health no matter how you look at it. Prolonged periods of stress can be the cause of physical and mental illnesses such as depression, unhealthy weight gain or unprecedented weight loss, insomnia, incessant migraines, anxiety, and a weakened immune system.
These and many more morbid reasons are why you should try these 6 stress management tips for moms who have no choice but to adapt to their hectic lifestyles.
1. Remember to Relax
The power of meditation is often underrated and rarely considered as a suitable stress reliever. When is the last time you considered taking a 10-15 minute break just so that you could relax your mind?
Meditating is a viable way to stave off everyday stresses with solid consistency. What’s more, you do not have to be a monk to practice mindfulness meditation. Every mom can get started!
Employing simple relaxation techniques such as breathing in and out for a determined number of seconds will also help (the 7/11 technique is a good place to start) especially if you’re looking for a quick fix during a particularly stressful situation with the kids.
2. Talk to Other Moms
One of the emotional symptoms of stress is loneliness and a depleted sense of self-worth. Once you begin to feel overwhelmed and unable to take control of your current situation with work and your kids, you will start to loathe yourself for being unable to mitigate those daily stresses like other working parents.
That is where you will be wrong.
Every mom can attest that they have experienced time-related stress, financial stress, or an exhausting combination of both following the arrival of a newborn baby.
Meeting fellow moms over coffee and sharing your stressful experiences is actually a great way to relieve stress.
It is human nature to feel better about everything when you know that you’re not alone. Making new mom friends will give you a more positive outlook on your situation and help you cope with stress a lot better.
3. Worry Less, Do More
Easier said than done, right? Worrying too much about things beyond our control is natural.
That, however, does not mean that it does not impact negatively on our health and overall wellbeing.
Instead of fixating on preschool applications for your months-old toddler, focus on things you can do something about, such as planning their next doctor’s visit or child-proofing a particular room in the house.
Alternatively, you can list down all the things you’re worried about on paper then categorize them in order of urgency.
By prioritizing these “worries”, your mind will be much freer knowing that you already have a plan of action in place and you will be able to focus on your present, your health, and your overall wellbeing.
4. Plan Ahead
As much as we try to avoid them, every once in a while we get caught flatfooted by unprecedented surprises (not the good kind either). As much as you would like to float through the day to day life, being a mom makes that virtually impossible.
Contingencies arise and if you find yourself unprepared, you pile on loads of new stresses that leave you feeling physically and mentally depleted by the end of the day.
Planning ahead is a surefire way to prevent unnecessary stress. According to Robert Epstein, a famous psychologist, planning is the only way to “combat stress before it even comes up”.
Make it a habit to jot down important appointments, dates, and tasks in order to avoid unpleasant surprises as much as possible. If walking around with a pen and a notebook sounds too old fashioned for you, make use of your smartphone’s reminder, notebook, and calendar planner.
5. Exercise
This isn’t just a tip for stress management for moms, but for anyone.
There is plenty of research that shows how physical exercise is crucial in stress management. Not only does exercise possess mood-lifting properties that give your mind a much-needed boost of positivity, it also calms nervous tensions and works wonders for anxiety.
The best part is that you don’t even have to own a gym membership in order to complete your daily quota of stress-relieving exercises. As little as an hour or less of exercise per day will help you shed off all the stresses of the day and prepare your body physically and mentally to take on other tasks.
Don’t know where to start? These are some of the simple exercises you can do at home to ensure your energy levels are up there while your stress levels are at a manageable minimum.
6. Sleep
Once you become a mom, sleep becomes a precious commodity—one that can only be enjoyed on rare afternoons when the children are in the care of a relative or a trusted guardian.
What you don’t know is that the less sleep you get, the higher your stress levels gradually become.
Our bodies have a natural repair mechanism that includes the regulation of stress hormones. This repair and restoration period occurs when we’re at rest and requires the full 8 hours to be complete.
By denying yourself a solid 8 hours of sleep your body is unable to regulate cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, leaving you at the mercy of stress-related illnesses. Try as much as possible to enjoy at least 8 hours of sleep.
As hard as being a mom can be, you should always prioritize your health and overall wellbeing for your sake and for the sake of your kids. The power to keep stress at bay is in your hands; all you need to do is make use of it.
While the 6 stress management tips for moms are absolutely guaranteed to reduce your overall stress levels, you should never write off the possibility that you may need to seek professional help if your problem persists.
You can also opt for herbal stress remedies (try lemon balm first) and other forms of stress therapy in order to find a more permanent solution to your problem.
