Let’s face it. You do a lot as a mom. From sun up to sundown, you are ripping and running trying to make sure things are in order for your children. You’re getting them ready for school and bed, making sure they eat, holding down a job, nursing them back to health, supporting them in their interests, and constantly worrying about their overall happiness. It’s a huge responsibility, and if you’re not careful, it can weigh on you mentally.
You love your kids to the moon and back, but the reality is that being a mom can be stressful and overwhelming at times. You’re constantly on the go making sure that their needs are met, it can put a lot of pressure on you causing you to burn out emotionally. Some women become so overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a mother that they end up suffering from mental illness or abusing substances.
Staying Emotionally Balanced
If you or someone else you know is struggling with mental illness or substance abuse due to overwhelming emotions of parenting, it is essential that you seek help from your doctor or by visiting sites like SBTreatment.com for further solutions. Whether you need professional help or not, learning how to stay emotionally balanced as a mom can make a world of difference. Here’s how to keep it all together when you’re stressed out and overworked.
Shorten Your To-Do List
Taking on too many responsibilities is something most moms do frequently. Though it may seem like the most productive approach, the truth is that doing too much increases your stress levels and worsens your emotional well-being. So, as difficult as this task may seem, you need to learn how to shorten your to-do list. Write down everything that you do on a given day and put the tasks in order from most to least important. The lesser important tasks can either be eliminated or delegated to your support system (which you’ll learn more about later). Shortening your to-do list will also mean learning how to say no to certain things when you’re overbooked.
Put Together a Support System
When they say it takes a village to raise a child, they weren’t lying. There are just so many fundamental things that your children need. Trying to supply it all on your own can get exhausting. So, it’s important to have a support system on your side that will pitch in when you need it most. When you go to your significant other, family members, and close friends for assistance, try to delegate things to them that are either weighing heavily on you (transporting the kids to school, helping with homework, or household chores) or things that aren’t daily requirements but still need to be done (like running errands for class projects, being a chaperone at a school event, or taking the pet to the vet). This lightens your load which automatically improves your mood.
Find Simple Ways to De-Stress Daily
You can’t be a mother without having some stress in your life. However, the key is to not let it consume you. Incorporating regular relaxation techniques into your day can help you keep the stress to a minimum. You can take regular walks outside to get a dose of sunlight and vitamin D, workout at the gym or follow a yoga video at home each morning, take a nap after you’ve put the baby down for theirs, meditate for five minutes a day, read a book, watch a funny video, or take a bath at the end of the day.
Make Time for Yourself
This may seem selfish, but it’s not. You have to make time for yourself as a busy mom. This gives you an opportunity to do things that have nothing at all to do with parenting. It can help to lift your spirits and keep you emotionally balanced. Go on a weekend getaway, schedule regular meet-ups with your friends, spend time in the mall shopping for something for yourself, or indulge in a date night with your significant other.
Being a mother takes you through a wave of emotions. You’re stressed out, anxious, and sometimes even overwhelmed with trying to be the strong presence your children need in their lives. In order to be the most effective mom, however, you need to keep your mental (and physical) health at the forefront of your mind. Use the advice above to learn how to stay sane while doing what you love more than anything in the world – being there for your kids.
