6 Simple De-stressing Strategies For Busy Moms
“Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do”– Matt Walsh
Being a parent, life is not easy. We are always overloaded with a multitude of responsibilities and duties. Hectic work schedule, school meetings, social gatherings, personal and professional commitment…and the list goes on. As a result, a kind of frenetic tension is a usual occurrence in every household. Stress is an inevitable part of parenting.
Positive stress is good for better work performance, motivating us to deal with challenges and accomplishment of tasks. But for moms, stress is never ending. We always have tons of parental worries. We spend a large percentage of our time caring for our kids and family.
“Being a mother is learning about strengths you did not know you had, and dealing with fears you did not know existed”– Linda Wooten
Parenting has lots of expectations. It is believed that a real parent is someone who puts their child above their own needs and desires. And while doing all these we often forget to take care of own selves and as a result, suffer from stress and anxiety.
Stress leads to various hormonal changes in our body. When we encounter a stressful event, our endocrine gland secretes different hormones (such as adrenaline, cortisol and epinephrine) and this raised level of hormones causes the increase in respiratory rate, heart rate and sweating.
These hormonal changes help the body to produce a “fight or flight response” and after sometime the body comes in a normal state, but when we suffer from a stage of “chronic stress”, these constantly raised hormone levels lead to hypertension, sleeplessness, depression and other psychosomatic disorders, so it is better to take early steps and use some mom de-stressing strategies to enjoy a healthy and happy life.
Here I am sharing some of my favourite de-stressing strategies for moms:
1. Penning down your emotions
Sometimes we feel abandoned and isolated because of failures in life. Sometimes we feel pressurised due to the daily routine filled with tons of responsibilities. Penning down your random thoughts is the easiest way to express your heart’s emotion. And the good part is that when we write down what is bothering us, it makes us feel relaxed and we often get a solution for the existing problem. It is similar to having a heart to heart conversation with our dear ones. So whenever you feel tense or frustrated, try to pen down your thoughts, and you will definitely discover a great solution to release your anxiety.
2. Talk to your family and friends
Nowadays, we live in a high-tech world. A virtual world, where we know a person who is miles away from us (through the internet) but we don’t have any connection with our neighbours. Communication gap is the main cause of stress among family members. It is the root cause of several mental and psychological issues like depression, sleeplessness and anxiety disorders. Constructive communication with family and friends is a great stress reliever. So discussing your problem with your friends and family, clearing all misunderstandings, having an open hearted conversation with your family and friends is the most successful strategy to combat your stress and anxiety.
3. Go for a walk amidst nature
Nature is the creation of God. Scientific studies suggest that nature has healing properties; it relieves tension, anxiety, reduces blood pressure, eases muscle tension. Taking in the sights and sounds of nature improves our mood. As moms, we have to deal with repeated tasks and we often need a break. A short break in the form of a walk even in your backyard has a significant psychological benefit. Nature is a positive distraction, which makes us calm and happier.
4. Be creative and focus on your hobby
One of my favourite ways of stress relief is being creative and spending some quality time alone with your hobby. Whether it is drawing, painting, writing, crafts or singing and dancing…the options are endless. When we engage in any form of creative activity, we are in a state of complete mental involvement and that works like meditation. It has great potential to reduce stress and can alleviate the burden of various psychosomatic disorders. So moms, bring back those creative juices in your life once again and enjoy the harmony of life with peace and happiness.
5. Eat healthy and exercise regularly
This is the easiest piece of advice to receive or to offer someone, after all, who wants to be distressed, but actually, it is a most difficult thing to follow. During everyday hectic life, we often get more focused on our jobs and responsibilities and involuntarily ignore our health. And this neglect wreaks havoc on our physical and mental fitness. It may cause nutritional deficiencies, muscle pain, weakness of the immune system, even a state of chronic stress that is very harmful that makes our body vulnerable to other systemic infections. So plan your daily routine and schedule some time for proper healthy eating and exercise as this is the best tool to deal with stress.
Scientific studies suggest that exercise produces endorphins (good neurochemicals) that help in building stamina and mood lifting. Even 5 minutes of aerobic exercise provide excellent health benefits. And a nutritious healthy diet helps in strengthening our immune system and makes our body strong enough to deal with stress.
Preparation and organisational strategies
The major cause of routine stress is the lack of preparation and organisational strategies. Shopping, cooking, routine tasks, professional and social responsibilities overload our life with uneasiness. But the simplest way to manage them effectively is to make a to-do list and use some simple planning for your tasks. This works like magic to reduce stress and irritation. I always prefer to use a weekly planner for all important tasks which helps me a lot at the time of a stressful event. It also works like a guide or a mentor in difficult situations.
Last but not the least, try to enjoy each and every moment of life. Sometimes, when we have too much to do and see tasks piling up, we often forget to enjoy the tiny sweet moments of joy and happiness; everything seems like a burden for us. So forget those unnecessary negative circles of thoughts and try to enjoy each moment of life. We cannot take care of our families unless we care for ourselves, so try these simple de-stressing strategies and enjoy a happy and healthy life.
Moms, these were the my ideas for de-stressing. What are yours? Which strategies did you like the most? Let’s talk in the comments section below!
Surbhi is a qualified doctor (B.H.M.S.) with 5 year of teaching and clinical experience. She started her writing journey at the age of 17 and published various articles in famous news paper and magazines. The most incredible experience of her life is being a mommy of two cute dolls. Recently she started her own blog Positive Parenting. She loves to write on crafting, parenting issues and kids activity and wants to share my parenting journey with others.