Of Life & Toddlers

When you’re a mom, it can feel like everything falls on your shoulders.

The bills, housework, taking care of the children and even going to work can be too much for you to handle most days.

Learning how to manage stress is very important to your mental, emotional and physical health.

I’ve been using these five simple techniques to eliminate stress in my life and they have made me a much happier mom.

I wake up each day with a positive mood, I’m much more productive than ever plus my kids and spouse love being around me.

If these are things that you want for your life as well then try implementing these techniques today to change your life for the better.

Let’s begin.

Affiliate links included. Full disclosure here. 

 

1. Get a journal.

Journaling is very therapeutic for the mind, body and soul.

Studies have shown that jounaling not only improves your mental well-being but has several health benefits to include strengthening your immune cells.

Daily journaling can help you cope with depression, anxiety and stress, sometimes eliminating these conditions all together.

I’ve been journaling everyday as it helps me to relax as well as keep track of my thoughts and moods.

It’s also helpful for identifying my stressors which allows me to find ways to avoid or get rid of them completely.

2. Create a self-care day.

When there’s an upcoming holiday, everyone marks their calendars in preparation.

We may take off work or even go on a vacation for these special days.

Whatever the case may be, we look forward to the break away from the stress of everyday life.

As a mom, it’s important to have your own holiday or what I like to call a “self care” day.

Set aside a specific day of the week or month where you’ll put major responsibilities on pause, hire a babysitter and pamper yourself or relax how you want to.

Self-care days are great for managing stress and improving your overall mood.

 

3. When the kids are home, put away the phone.

Having a mobile phone used to be convenient tool to keep in touch with close friends and family.

But along with the rise of social media, it has now become a major distraction in our lives and has been linked to an increase in mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and lowered self-esteem.

For example, it has been discovered that using Facebook can exacerbate feelings of envy and lead to dissatisfaction of yourself and others.

If you want to improve your mood and productivity, it would be wise to put the phone down and spend more time with your loved ones, focusing on them and only them.

I’ve found that doing this often allows me to really cherish the time spent with my children and I never miss a moment.

 

4. Drink more water and cut the sugar.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You are what you eat”?

Well, it’s true and our moods are heavily influence by our diets.

Research has shown that higher consumption of refined sugar has been linked to several mental disorders such as aggressive behavior, anxiety and depression.

By simply drinking more water and cutting out sugary snacks you can help stabilize your moods throughout the day.

However, cutting sugar from your diet can be a difficult habit to break.

One woman, Sara Wilson found herself battling several mood and health disorders, such as thyroid disease, which she was able to successfully treat by completely eliminating sugar from her diet.

Her New York Times best selling book, I Quit Sugar is a good read if you want a step-by-step plan to quit sugar too, all the while improving your overall mood and health.

 

5. Learn to say “No” and mean it.

Do you ever feel as if you are being pulled in so many directions at once?

If you feel overwhelmed, it could be caused by overextending yourself to the obligations of others

To prevent this from happening, you have to learn how to say no and mean it.

Being too nice and open to every one’s needs can create the conditions for you to be taken advantage of.

Instead, politely decline those invitations to events or things that you don’t want to participate in.

Although it may seem scary at first, once you build the muscle to say no and mean it, others will soon respect you, your time and resources as well.

When it comes to being a happier mom, you can try all of these techniques to get rid of stress and make life easier or you can check out the book, The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers.

This book is a practical guide for mothers who are battling the complex feelings of unhappiness. It’s a worthy read if you want to regain your sense of self and live a life that’s full of joy and passion.

Final Note

Being a mother is a very rewarding yet exhausting job.

So, taking care of yourself mentally, physically and emotionally should always be a priority.

Implement some of these techniques today in order to maintain happiness by managing stress in healthy ways.

Author Bio

T. Chatman is a writer, teacher and mother of 2 residing in Tampa, Fl.

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