Stress can have multiple adverse effects on people’s mood and health, but when you become a mommy, stress is almost an unavoidable part of daily life. That is precisely why mums need to bust their accumulated stress regularly to stop it from becoming a real problem for both themselves and their family to deal with. It is easier said than done though, so we have six tips for you today that should help.
Don’t Be the Control Freak
It’s only instinctive to try and control every aspect of your children’s lives but it’s also a wrong instinct to follow. You cannot, and you should not try to control everything primarily for two reasons. Firstly, the more you stress about the little things, the more things you will have to stress about and secondly, it will hinder them from developing their own personality. Let go of the small things at times, even if you know better.
Establish Your Non-Negotiables
What we often forget is that children are constantly learning and how people around them react to the different activities that they do is a big part of that learning process. This is why you need to establish the non-negotiables, just as you need to stop stressing about the little things. They might make a fuss about them initially, but eventually, they will learn that no amount of fuss will change that and then handling those activities will become less stressful for you.
Always Start Early and Keep Things Organized
Understand and accept the fact that as a mum, you will be a very busy person for as long as your children are young. It is in acceptance of this fact that you should also learn to start early before any and all activities. Prepare ahead of time and stay organized with name labels for all your children’s stuff. This goes for their lunch box, books, copies and pencil box that you pack in for him before going to school or nursery. This way, you won’t have to stress about him/her losing them every other day because you will mostly be able to collect them from the school’s lost & found box.
Don’t Let Obligations Get You Down
A lot of mums feel obligated to their kids, friends, husband, communities, groups, etc. without even realizing that they are building up stress by regularly doing things that they really don’t want to do. While responsibilities can be obligating at times, do learn to say no every once in a while, and take time out to do something that you would actually enjoy doing instead.
Get Your Sleep In
Lack of sufficient sleep makes everybody cranky and stressed out, so mums are not the only ones suffering here. Even then, when you have a kid or two to take care of and especially if there’s an infant, insufficient sleep time becomes a real problem. You can only counter this by taking the help of other family members who can watch the children while you get in your 7 – 8 hours. Also, make it a rule for the children to not disturb you when you finally do manage to go to sleep.
Talk to Someone
It is a proven fact that the less you talk about your problems with somebody, the more trapped and stressed you feel, so find a friend or a family member who will listen and to share. The very act of talking about your problems helps immensely and if you cannot find anyone close to talk to, do not be hesitant in seeking out and talking to a therapist.
There will always be some stress associated with being a parent, but if you let that get to you, you will burn out faster than you think. The first step is to realize and accept that stress is affecting you and once you do that, the aforementioned six tips should come in handy.
