Increased Self-Care Needed if You are a Stressed Mother
Consider this thought “I need to provide self-care to the mother of my children.” We do our family no favor when we become a stressed mother. Our children need us at our best. To do that, we need to treat ourselves as if we are deserving and cherished. Indeed, most of us are! Mothers, whether employed or dedicated to working at home, can feel unnecessary distress. Let’s not get into the working mother and at-home mother debate. They are both working. The former happens to be employed.
Why Stressed Mothers Need Self Care
- Stress Reduction: Engaging in self-care activities such as meditation, deep breathing, or spending time in nature can help reduce stress levels. Taking breaks and focusing on your well-being can lower the negative effects of stress on your mind and body.
- Enhanced Mental Health: Practicing self-care can contribute to improved mental health by giving you the tools to manage anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. Engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation can boost your mood and emotional resilience.
- Physical Health: Self-care involves taking care of your body through activities like regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a balanced diet. Prioritizing your physical health can lead to increased energy levels, improved immune function, and a reduced risk of chronic illnesses.
- Increased Productivity: Taking time for self-care can actually enhance your productivity. When you’re well-rested, mentally clear, and emotionally balanced, you’re better equipped to tackle tasks and make effective decisions.
- Improved Relationships: Practicing self-care allows you to meet your own emotional and psychological needs, which can prevent burnout and emotional exhaustion. When you’re in a healthier state of mind, you can approach your relationships with loved ones from a more positive and supportive standpoint.
Remember that self-care is a personal journey, and what works best for one person might not work the same for another. It’s important to explore various self-care activities and find what resonates with you to create a sustainable and fulfilling self-care
Take the following quiz to help you assess how you are doing. It just might help you become more proactive with preventing distress or burn-out and give you incentive to increase your self-care.
The Mommy Care Assessment
- Are you free of anxiety, mood swings, tension headaches, fatigue, frequent colds, flu or insomnia? No__ Yes__
- Are you free of the Super Mom or Perfect Mom trap and think of yourself as a Good Enough Mom? No__ Yes__
- Are you available to your children in a supportive, relaxed, sometimes playful and loving manner? No__ Yes__
- Do you delegate some household tasks to your partner and children? No__ Yes__
- Do you have an attitude of “I appreciate an improvement” rather than insisting on tasks being accomplished to your standards? No__ Yes__
- Do you hold family meetings where you enlist team participation of family members? No__ Yes__
- Are you free of guilt when you see unhappy family members? You know that the only person you have control over is yourself? No__ Yes__
- Do you say no to activities that needlessly take you away from personal, couple or family time? No__ Yes__
- Are you aware that one of the biggest gifts you can give your family is your own well being as a healthy and assertive woman who both gives and receives? No__ Yes__
- Do you take daily time to rejuvenate yourself so that you can be present to your family mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually? No__ Yes__
The more yeses you have, the better you are taking care of yourself first. If your score is low, indicating you are a stressed mother, start to take the actions recommended in the above ten points. Raise your score until you believe you are one of the best, good enough moms on the block.
