Methods to combat against your mom stress & prevent burnout.
- Time alone & self-care are crucial. Among the issues leading to mom overload, many of us find it difficult to make time & save energy to care for ourselves. Hobbies & enjoyable activities with friends before we became a mother are past. However, many of us still need time to be alone, reflect, explore in a journal, & take care of ourselves.
- What’s a mother to do in order to maintain some sanity & serenity? Make time to take a break & decompress. Can you escape into nature? Can you all go to the playground? Nature in a great stress buster. The natural environment is calming.
- Recognize your favorite ways to recharge your batteries. A walk around the block, listening to music, playing a game, baking cookies, riding bikes could be fun & recharging. Would you rather all take a nap or read together?
- Exercise is a crucial part of self-care, & this might be something that you can do as a family. Exercise boosts mood & lowers anxiety.
- When you do find a quiet moment, have you tried meditation? What about practicing deep breathing? They say journaling is also helpful. It did not work for me, but I always loved to escape into a good book.
- Take time to laugh. Our children are always doing or saying funny things. Children can be so lighthearted spontaneous & entertaining.
- Seek out pleasant social interactions, pay attention to your child’s smiles, watch for opportunities to show physical affection & give hugs. Reflect on happy memories, read uplifting stories, share jokes, & pet the family dog or cat.
- Allow yourself more time to get things done. Little kids do things slowly! Time pressure is one of the great stressors. In my household they called this “Susan time,” because I always tried to cram too many things into too little time.
- Call a good friend. You are not alone with mothering stress. We all deal with it. Find a good support group, on Facebook or elsewhere. Enjoy some levity influencers on Instagram, such as @fruitsofmotherhood.
- Your family’s health & happiness is bound tightly to your attitude. That makes your ability to care for yourself especially important.
