NOTE WORTHY WEDNESDAY!

Being a mom is sometimes thought of as somewhat of a “thankless job”. Now, I do not mean that it is actually a “job” or that it is entirely “thankless” but at times these words come to define how many moms feel at some highly stressful moments.

If you talk to different moms you would probably get as many different answers as moms that you ask as to, what they do to keep stress under control.

One thing for sure is that stress can and does need to be controlled, or it will have a negative effect on your emotional and physical health. Taking care of yourself will reap rewards for you and your family.

Something to remember is this, there is not one way and one way only to deal with the stress of being a mother or a working mother. But there is a common denominator and that is TIME.

Working moms have to juggle various tasks at work and sometimes it is exactly these “work” skills that help them run a household and deal with the demands of a family.

A few suggestions of how to use your time to keep stress in check throughout the day:

• Breathe

Sounds simple and it really is because you have this ability with you at all times. Take a few deep breaths to calm your mind and body down. Deep breathing sends a message to the brain to relax which in turn sends a message to the body to calm down.

• Yoga

Helps to relax the mind and the body. Find a class or even a DVD to learn some simple yoga practices.

• Acceptance

Accept your emotions.  Acceptance is key to dealing with stress, as this will hopefully lead to the setting aside of some personal time to deal with stress

• Support

Go out for a walk with a friend. The point here is to get together with someone who can share some supportive moments with you.

• Exercise

Give your child something he likes to do and take a quiet “time-out” for yourself. Exercise even for a short time will help

• “Lower the bar”

Be realistic with your expectations of yourself, your children and your family. You will not be able to be all things to everyone all the time. Remember, if some meals have to include something  or everything from the freezer so be it.

When you get on a plane and they are describing the safety measures they always tell you if there is a change in cabin pressure the oxygen masks will activate. And the next thing that they say is, if you are traveling with a child that you should put your mask on first and then assist the child with his mask.

Think about this…you need your oxygen and strength to be able to help your children. The same is true at home.

Take care of yourself first, as only then will you have the energy and strength to take care of your children.

There just can be NO EXCUSES!