Photo Credit: Unsplash6 Ways to Relieve Stress When Motherhood Becomes Overwhelming Preeti Baid June 5, 2019 Health & Beauty, Parenting 3077 Parenthood as a whole will get overwhelming and it’s important to take caution when you realize you are stressed. Stress can lead to serious health issues and hinder your ability to care for your child properly. Motherhood is greatly rewarding but there are times when you will experience negative effects. You want to make sure you notice when it is getting to be too much for your handle. Sometimes a simple break will benefit your stress levels, but that won’t be possible all of the time. Stress can be triggered by finances, tiredness, expectations, and the responsibility of being a mother. It’s a very demanding job being a mother and many women deal with issues like insecurities, excessive pressures, and fatigue while trying to do a good job. Stress can hurt your family in many ways, so it’s important to step back and see how you’ve changed because of it. Try doing stress tests to see your levels. Assess your home and determine if it is a place that relieves your stress or causes it. If it leads to more stress, you may want to change some things. Your kids pay attention to you and your moods so ask them if they’ve seen any changes in you. This will help you get the reality check you need. Use different ways to destress so you can get back to being a better and calmer mother. 1. Treat yourself After learning you have been dealing with stress it’s important to think about how to relieve it. Sometimes it’s good to treat yourself out to a dinner alone or even a movie. Sometimes even buying yourself something you’ve been wanting or desire. Gifting yourself things is good to put your in a good mood and to help you ignite self-love. Pamper yourself with self-care products and spa days. Give yourself a new hairstyle and a fresh mani-pedi. Gift yourself time as well. It’s important to dedicate certain times of day or days of the week to yourself. It’s important to tend to your own needs just as much as you do your children and others around you. Try that new restaurant that you want to try and indulge in it. You could even take the time to enjoy your favorite snacks while watching your favorite shows. All that matters is that you spend time with yourself. 2. Hire a babysitter, nanny, or household help Pay someone to help you when you need it. Whether it be to watch your children for a short period of time or to have someone assist you with chores, it’s beneficial to relieving stress. To improve your relationships with others, including your kids, it’s important to spend time alone. When you want to be alone, asking for help is ideal. Whether it is for a date night or indulging in a pamper day, nannies and babysitters come in handy. Don’t be afraid to ask your family or friends to watch over your children if you can’t afford to pay a babysitter. Even if you need time to sleep, give the responsibility of caring for your child during late hours to night nannies. You will be grateful for the amount of sleep you receive. It’s okay to need help, especially when it comes to parenthood. Don’t burn yourself out with pride because you don’t want to ask for assistance or you think you can do it all. It’s hard work being a parent and the amount of time and effort you have to put in is unmeasurable. 3. Give yourself a break Some people think it’s bad to say take a break from your child, but it is needed. To avoid getting burned out with anything, you must give yourself a break. Don’t discredit yourself when you choose to take a break. You aren’t neglecting your child or your responsibilities, you just need some time to recoup. Stress breaks are good to decompress and relax. During this time you can practice breathing exercises or meditation to relax your mind and body. 4. Exercise Exercise may seem like something time consuming and hard. Many people don’t enjoy working out due to this, but if you want to destress try including your child. Take a walk around the block or visit a park to gain some peace of mind. Simply spending time outdoors will improve your mood and relieve stress. Exercise is known to help with relaxation, believe it or not. Go to a swimming pool and bike riding with your children and you will enjoy yourself. Finding things to do with your kids to destress is good for those who don’t like to leave them alone. You could even put on some jams and dance your stress away. Make sure to include your kids because I’m sure they would love to join you. 5. Find a support group Find support wherever you can and use it to your advantage. Whether it is your family and friends or strangers, support systems will keep you sane and help lessen your stress. Being able to express your feelings, difficulties, and life as a whole will be beneficial for your mental health. Holding things in only hinders you and your relationships with your children and others. There are even some support groups online that are good for mothers. Here’s a list: cm Online Communities CafeMom Mamapedia 6. Grab a journal Writing down the thoughts you don’t particularly want to share with anyone is crucial to maintaining a peaceful mind. Sometimes we get stressed in our journey of motherhood and want to express our complaints but some want to seem like a burden. You’ll never be such with a pen and paper. If you don’t want to keep what you write, tear it out and trash it. You’re guaranteed to feel better after, even a little bit. SHARE THIS POST