Being a mum brings with it many wonderful things, however it also brings with it some not so nice things….including lots of stress! Today’s life as a mother is just so hectic – there are just so many things in the mix aren’t there? Mumming, work, a thousand parties and after school clubs, expectations – the list goes on. It just feels like everything has become so much more complicated in motherhood and therefore, well, quite stressful at times! If you’re a stressed out mama reading this, today I have some excellent advice for you from Anne Williams – a contact of mine and hypnotherapist at Centre of Transforming Health – on how to control stress. So now take a deep breath (because we all need to breathe a whole lot more!), and let’s being with her de-stress strategies:
DE-STRESS STRATEGIES
DOING EVALUATION
We are human beings not human doings and being too busy is stressful. It’s good to have a regular review of everything you’re doing to evaluate whether you have to do it all. You might like to review what is really important to you and what your priorities are. These may change over time. Are there things that you don’t need to do right now and which could wait? Could you delegate or ask for help with certain things? Beware of feeling that you ‘should’ or ‘ought’ to do things, as this may be putting unnecessary stress on yourself. Instead, question whether these things are what you choose to do or want to do.
Self care
Self care is making sure you are meeting your physical and emotional needs. Physical needs include a healthy diet, drinking water, regular exercise, sleep and security. Emotional needs include security, giving and receiving attention, emotional intimacy, feeling part of a wider community, meaning and purpose, having a sense of control, status, competence and achievement and being able to have privacy. Remember to put on your own oxygen mask!
Thought management
Be aware of how you’re putting stress and pressure on yourself by the way you think. For example, having high standards is fine, but perfectionism is a recipe for unnecessary stress. How are you thinking about the things that you find stressful? What other ways of thinking about them would make them seem less stressful? Thought management strategies include recognising thinking errors, challenging your thoughts, letting go of stresses and worries, and mindfulness.
Relaxation
Aim to do some relaxation every day, whether that’s a relaxing activity or practising relaxation exercises, such as breathing, progressive muscle relaxation or visualisation. It’s important to relax both your body and your mind in any relaxation that you do, so watching TV or reading aren’t the best forms of relaxation, as your mind will be stimulated.
Exercise
Exercise merits its own category outside self-care, as it is so important in countering the physical symptoms of the ‘fight and flight’ response, produces ‘feel good’ endorphins and serotonin, and is vital for general health and wellbeing. The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week (or a combination of the two) and strength exercises on 2 or more days a week. Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise programme, if you’re not used to exercising much.
Smile time
Laughter is genuinely a very effective therapy for stress and anxiety. It signals to the body that there is no emergency that it needs to fight or flee from. It boosts the immune system, releases endorphins and has even been found to improve cardiovascular function. Far from being frivolous, including fun activities in your week, will help you deal with stress and anxiety. Seek out things that make you laugh, whether that’s a friend, a TV programme, DVD, book or magazine or You Tube video.
Seek support
Don’t go it alone when you’re stressed or anxious! Talking to a friend or family member or your GP or a therapist can help you put things in perspective. You might also find it helpful to get support in implementing the DE-STRESS strategies, for example finding someone to exercise with.
NB These DE-STRESS strategies are not in order of importance or priority
Everybody’s circumstances and preferences are different. It might be more important for you to give exercise a greater priority when you think about how to control stress, if you don’t do very much at the moment. On the other hand, if you already do some regular exercise, it might be more important to practise relaxation (while keeping up your exercise!).
Are you a stressed out mama? What are your thoughts on Anne’s advice on how to control stress using the methods above? Do leave a comment and share:
So many amazing tips! I need to get better at controlling stress as a mum because if its not stress then it’s guilt. The new year needs to be when I start focusing on relaxing more 🙂
A fantastic post. I’m dreadful for bottling it up and putting up until I go bang. I do now run 10km few times a week to truly purge myself and it does seem to work. I just ache instead!!!
There are some great tips here. I’ve been practicing mindfulness which helps me and I’ve also been teaching my daughter the breathing techniques for when she gets angry or upset which helps calm her down.
You’ve got some really great tips here. I can only imagine how stressful it can be being a mum – especially a new mum who hasn’t had any experience before. Thanks for sharing!
Victoria | http://www.spokenreveries.co.uk
This is a great post. I’ve been so stressed at the moment. With Jasmines birthday and Christmas within the same week I’ve been so stressed. I like the part about striving for high standards not perfection. Maybe my New Years resolution should be around this!
I am not a mum yet but am loving these tips and I know i can use them in my stress filled daily life.
Hi. I really love your posts. Being a single mum, I find them really insightful. I have a blog of my own too talking about single parenting and my experiences in life. Check them out on : https://njambichemutai.com/. My Latest post is https://njambichemutai.com/2018/12/13/the-vicious-cycle-part-1/
I find everything is 1000 times worse when I am stressed, as I’ve got older I’ve also learnt what makes me really stressed and how to not put myself in those situations. These are really useful tips
Self care and relaxation are the things I struggle with the most. I always go to bed way too late. My goal for next year is to take better care of myself.