If you’re a mother and you feel stress, you are not alone. First of all, there’s never enough time in the day to get stuff done. And secondly, you never get a moment alone. I don’t know about your kids, but my kids constantly follow me around–from sunup until sundown. It’s exhausting and stressful. Sometimes I just need my own space to do my own thing and take my own breaths!
So if you’re struggling with your stress levels, maybe consider a few changes since you definitely cannot get rid of you children.
Some lifestyle changes are easy to make, while others can be challenging and require a bit more planning ahead. But if you’re determined to become healthier from the inside out – now is a good time to start. Here’s a guide to some of the lifestyle changes that you can make to help you beat stress.
More Sleep. Less Stress?
When a baby is tired, they get cranky. It’s the same for adults. A regular lack of sleep can lead to several effects on your health, including changes to your mood. When you’re tired, certain events can feel more stressful, which is why it’s important that you get more sleep.
I know this definitely to be true. When I get less than 5 hours of sleep (I know, I’m one of those rare people who can survive off of little sleep), I can’t handle any of the challenges from the day. The mess, piles of laundry, toys everywhere, screaming, and the other 10,000 things overwhelm me ten times more than necessary.
Some of the things you can do include developing a sleep routine, going to bed earlier and avoiding caffeine after lunch. Getting your eight hours of sleep a night can make a big difference to your health. Of course this is almost impossible with kids. But if you’re really lacking sleep and need it, consider going to sleep once the kids go down.
Enough With The Drinking
Many people notice a big difference in their health when they drink less. Drinking less will benefit your waistline, as well as improve the way you deal with stress. Many people turn to drinking to help them cope with stress, but it can actually make the problem worse.
Ever heard of mommy needing her mommy drink during bedtime? That’s because bedtime can be the most draining part of the day. Dealing with children who refuse to sleep or stay in their bed is stressful. Thus, that’s when a glass of wine is often most enjoyed.
But turning to sober living is a way to make a positive change for your health, and can give you greater clarity. Perhaps consider eliminating a drink every night and just have one every other night. Sure, the alcohol relaxes you during the moment, but the longterm health effects are something to be more alarmed about.
Let’s Talk About It
Are you one for talking about your problems? If not, perhaps it’s time to start. By opening up, you can help ease the burden you might be feeling, and even find a solution. Whether you’ve had a bad day and need to vent, or you’ve been struggling for a while – it’s not a bad thing to talk about your problems with others. Maybe it’s time to stop saying you’re ok – it’s okay to open up sometimes!
Too often we get caught up in saying, “I’m fine!” Reality check, are you really fine? Most likely you have something emotionally draining you or maybe even physically wearing you out and it’s really ok to oftentimes just talk it out.
Exercise Your Stress Away
Exercise is something that everyone can do for their health. While it can be energetic and tough, it is possible to use exercise to relax. From going for a run to a calming yoga session, it’s surprising how quickly your mood can change after some exercise. It keeps your heart healthy and keeps the weight off; so try to do more of it for the sake of your overall health.
I do this one the most. Whenever I have a rough day with the kids, or I feel over touched and stressed out, I go for a quick run or go to my garage and work up to a sweat. Without a shadow of doubt, I almost always feel better right away.
It’s easy to try and brush stress aside, but when it starts eating away at you, it could cause further problems with your health. So what are you going to do about it? Challenge yourself to change some of your behaviors and habits for a few weeks and see the difference it can make to your health. Besides, this is all about self care and paying attention to your needs too.
You might just surprise yourself!
