Top 10 Tips for Stressed Out Moms
Spring should be a time of quiet renewal, a reawakening after a long winter. The weather is beautiful, birds are singing, daffodils are blooming. Sounds peaceful, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, May has become BUSY with the ending of school year events, summer activities beginning early, and sport team practices moving into high gear. Throw in a graduation, wedding or even a birthday and it becomes nutty. Hopefully Mother’s Day was a reprieve from the chaos of this month.
Here’s a list of ways to help manage not only this hectic month but the summer months as well. When life gets too busy the focus is on the calendar and clock, not God and family. And often when we are over scheduled and stressed out, any bump in the road (illness, injury, etc.) can derail the whole family.
Top 10 Tips for Stressed Out Moms
1. Take a deep breath. Realize this too shall pass. The stress of today will be gone and replaced by another pressing issue tomorrow. You’ll soon forget what was causing angst today.
2. Give yourself permission to say no to volunteer requests. Saying no allows someone else an opportunity to serve and creates margin for you.
3. Be selective in activities for your child. Children do not have to experience every extra curricular activity before kindergarten. Hectic schedules can be the result of peer pressure to enroll kids in too many activities.
4. Rest. Get enough sleep to feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the day.
5. Eat well. Skip the quick pick-me-ups like caffeine and sugar. Opt for whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
6. Stay hydrated to avoid a whole host of health problems including headaches. Nothing is worse than a stress and dehydration headache.
7. Take time to be with your spouse, alone. Time without kids to focus on the two of you builds a strong relationship. Keep in mind the kids joined your marriage.
8. Keep up with your own interests. Having a hobby helps to relieve stress and gives you personal time to enjoy your own interests.
9. Join forces with other parents. Organize carpools, homework helps, and babysitting. Find a friend, preferably one who is a good cook, and offer to share meals once a week, each making double to provide dinner for one another.
10. Pray! Reliance on God will take the pressure off you. As the old adage goes, “Give it to God, He’s going to be up all night anyway.” Quiet time to discuss the problems of the day is balm for the soul.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:29
© 2013 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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