Taking Care of Mom: Little Things You Can Do to De-Stress

As a mother, it’s extremely easy to get caught up in the everyday chaos of life with kids. However, this doesn’t mean you have to be stressed out as you deal with the daily struggles this life brings. While it might sound impossible, you can find was to de-stress. Below are just a few of the many ways to do this.

Have Quiet Time: One of the easiest ways to calm your nerves and dissolve your stress is to set aside some time each day where you can just sit and relax. Many women find that the best time to do this is early in the morning before they wake their children up for school. However, there are others who do this mid-morning/afternoon when their kids are at school…even right before bed has been found to work too. Regardless of when you do this, it may help you clear your mind and calm your nerves – so, give it a try. It doesn’t have to be much time – as little as 20 minutes!

Pamper Yourself: For most mothers, pampering isn’t feasible. However, this isn’t the normal kind of “spa-treatment” most associate pampering with. The kind of pampering I’m suggesting can be done at home. To help yourself de-stress consider purchasing a few nicely scented candles, bath salts and new lotion. Then, after the kids are in bed, lock yourself in the bathroom and light the candles while you fill the tub with steaming water and watch the bath salts dissolve. Take a long (minimum of 30 minutes) bath and then apply the lotion once you’re out and dry. You’ll be surprised at how relaxed you will feel when you emerge from the bathroom.

Call a Friend: Sometimes, life can seem unbearable and it’s just too much for us to take by ourselves. This is when you need to pick up the phone and call a friend. We all have days when we just need to vent. However, it isn’t good to vent to our children and, sometimes, we should refrain from venting to our husbands as well – they just don’t always understand and make things worse by trying to “fix it.” So, pick up the phone and call a friend. Tell her what’s going on and that you’re just venting. You’ll feel much better once you’re done and your stress level will be lower too.

Listen to Music: When you’re in the car driving to and from work or taking the kids to the various places they need to be, try listening to music. Music has a way of unlocking the worries we have been carrying with us throughout the day and releasing them. Make a CD containing a collection of your favorite “feel good” songs and keep in your car so you will always have some uplifting music waiting for you. You’ll find that this CD will help your spirits on the days when everything seems to be going wrong.

Be Selfish: That’s right – be selfish. I know this goes against everything mothers are “supposed” to be, but every now and then it’s okay to be selfish. There are days when we, as mothers, get extremely overwhelmed because we are being pulled in so many different directions. This is when you need to take 30 minutes to an hour and just do whatever you want. It doesn’t matter if it’s writing in your journal, reading or taking a nap – do whatever you want. You will feel relaxed, de-stressed and able to focus after your mini-break.