The Modern Mom’s Guide to Stress-Free Living
The modern world is great, mostly. But it can sure get stressful sometimes. If you have children, the usual worries and insecurities that affect the worst of us can become significantly amplified and end up causing far more trouble than they need to. With the right techniques in place, any of us can reduce the stress in our lives and live a happier, healthier existence.
The following techniques can be utilized by any mom who wants a better relationship with her home and her kids. If this sounds like you then read on. Don’t let stress take charge of your life, take back control and show the world that you’re as cool as they come, and nothing can trouble you.
Create Space for Yourself
We all need time and space to unwind now and then. When we don’t give ourselves anywhere within our own homes that we can relax in, it is inevitable that we will look elsewhere. As a mom, the impulse to keep your stress away from your kids is understandable, but it can quickly end with you spending time wishing that you were somewhere else. No matter how much you love your kids, if you are even subconsciously wishing you were somewhere else, this will come through in your behaviour.
You need to make space within your own home where you can unwind and relax. If you’re thinking, “but I don’t have any more space!”, you just need to be more creative. Even if the only spot available to you is on the end of your bed, this is all you need! Try and get into the habit of coming to your spot regularly and giving yourself a couple of minutes to just empty your mind and be free.
Enforce Bedtimes
As children, most of us rarely wanted to go to bed. As adults, it feels like the whole world is determined to keep our heads from our pillows. No matter what age you are, getting adequate sleep is essential for healthy functioning. Sleep deprivation isn’t just associated with an overall poorer quality of life, it is also linked with increased feelings of anxiety and depression.
Enforcing bedtimes in your home might be a bit of a struggle at first, depending on the age of your kids, but is worth it in the long run. A consistent sleep schedule has numerous advantages for both adults and children. If you’re able to keep it up for just a few weeks, this should be long enough for those benefits to manifest.
Making sure your kids are getting enough sleep will definitely help to make them less temperamental, and you less stressed. However, it is just as important that you are getting enough sleep. If you have very young children, it will be very difficult to stick to a consistent sleep schedule. You should nevertheless try and make sure that you and your kids are going to bed at the same time every day and waking up at the same time each morning.
Try Some Retail Therapy
Retail therapy can be a fantastic tool for dealing with stress in the short-term. Of course, it isn’t really practical to go on a shopping spree every time you feel stressed. However, a shopping trip every now and then can provide a significant and worthwhile mood lift. Make these shopping trips all about you. Don’t worry about your groceries, forget about any DIY chores that need doing, and just focus on indulging yourself.
Clothes shopping is always a great option for giving yourself a sizeable mood lift. A new look can mean a new you, sometimes changing an outfit will also change our outlook. If you can’t get to the mall to do your shopping, you can still indulge in retail therapy online. For example, check out the range of Gucci sneakers and other designer shoes available from SSENSE. Here you will find high-end designer footwear on Ssense.com that will soothe your senses and bring joy to your soul.
Relax Your Expectations
Whether you are pushing yourself to keep your home spotless in spite of the children, or you’re pushing your child to ace tomorrow’s class test, it’s all too easy to apply more pressure than you mean to. This can lead to you and or your child becoming needlessly stressed about things that aren’t worth it.
Every now and then it’s a good idea to check yourself and ask if you are being realistic in your expectations. We all want what’s best for our kids and want them to do well, but everyone has their limitations. Although it can be hard to accept, sometimes our expectations are too high and are counter-productive.
Raising children is one of the most meaningful and profound experiences that a person can go through, but it is also one of the most challenging. As a parent, there are always going to be a million and one things that can go wrong in life. For some moms, this stress is an occasional thing, but they end up becoming consumed by it. Living a more stress-free existence will benefit you and your children greatly.
