You can’t… But we can try to pretend we can!
So, we’ll share these 5 Tips to Reduce Stress for the Busy Mom!
The good news is it’s still possible to reduce your stress, and in honor of Stress Awareness Month (April), there are a few simple adjustments you can make to cut back on stress and feel better on a daily basis.
- Go outside. Fresh air can do wonders for stress. For starters, heading outside boosts your immune system. If you’re cooped up inside with kids or co-workers, getting out of a closed-in space filled with germs and into the fresh air for a quick walk can strengthen your immune system. Because the last thing any mom needs is to be quarantined in bed with the flu. If you head outside and take a deep breath of fresh air, you’ll also feel happier. No, but seriously, research shows that many of the scents in nature promote relaxation, reduce anxiety and lighten your mood. Fresh air is also proven to up your overall energy, which is always a bonus as a mom. Plus, if you bring the kids outside with you, they’re bound to take in the positive effects, too and hopefully run off some energy, giving you more time to focus on some other stress relieving tips.[bctt tweet=”Relaxing reduces #stress & helps you be a better #mom @homemadeexp” username=”losethecape”]
- Relax. Whether it’s “me time” or setting aside a few minutes every day to just sit down, rest or take a bath, relaxing is also shown to boost your immune system and fight against stress. Oftentimes, when there’s too many things going on at once, moms tend to put aside their own needs, but this can actually backfire. Many moms also say they feel guilty taking time for themselves—whether it be a day out with friends, a trip to the salon or just a simple nap—but the truth is when moms stop taking time to recuperate, stress takes a much heavier toll. And when anyone is too stressed, it becomes more and more difficult to complete daily tasks well, let alone be at your full potential as a person and mom in general. Allow yourself guilt-free time to relax, recuperate and enjoy time to yourself, even if it’s only a few minutes a day.
- Grab some dark chocolate. That’s right, dark chocolate is proven to help reduce stress. A chemical called anandamide temporarily blocks feelings of pain and sadness, which is why so many swear they feel better after
inhalingeating dark chocolate. Some other delicious, stress-relieving food items you may want to consider adding into your diet are pistachios, cashews, yogurt, blueberries and even a glass of wine. You’re SO welcome.[bctt tweet=”Eat chocolate! YES! It helps reduce #stress! Tips to reduce stress for #moms” username=”losethecape”] - Sleep. Yes, you’ve heard it all before. You really should be sleeping a full eight hours at night. You really should try to stay caught up on sleep or catch a nap whenever you can. It may seem like an overused tip, but the reason so many articles and health professionals stress it (pun intended) is because it has such an important effect on health and stress levels. Lack of sleep can not only cause stress but it can also influence how much stress you experience. If you’re a mom, like so many, that has trouble sleeping, focus on getting into a routine before you go to sleep or partaking in comforting acts, like drinking chamomile tea, lighting a lavender candle or relaxation stretching before heading to bed.
- Think positive. As a mom, it’s likely you often shift to worst-case-scenario thoughts. We’re put in difficult situations on a daily basis, and it’s easy to focus on the tiring and rough parts of family, kids and day-to-day life in general. However, teaching yourself to find the positive aspects in not-so-great situations or really long days is a simple way to reduce stress. When you’re able to be happy about the little things, you begin to seek joy in situations that may have just stressed you out before.