Over 80% of working parents are said to suffer from stress-related health problems. And, with working women two thirds more likely to suffer work-related stress than men, it’s clear to see that having a health balance between work and rest when you’re a working mom is very challenging.
Paired with being ridiculously busy at work, many women feel ‘burnt out’ with having to look after children as well. However, balancing your work and family life doesn’t have to be a difficult as you might think, and below you’ll find some simple stress-relieving tips you can start using right away to start enjoying a stress-free life again!
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Look After Yourself
This may seem incredibly obvious, but one of the main reasons why so many working moms are stressed is because they don’t take enough time out for themselves. Naturally, you’re always going to put your children first and are likely to see work as an almost-equal priority, but this doesn’t mean you have to completely sacrifice your free time.
Simply taking up a new hobby, or engaging in activities like meditation, are a great place to begin distracting yourself from life’s stressors. You can easily do this from home, meaning you’ll never have to become stressed about getting home on time to collect the kids from school. To start with, take a look at this coloring book app for a therapeutic way to wind-down and relax – all from the comfort of your own sofa!
Set Boundaries to Suit You
Often, many working moms feel it’s their role to provide for everyone. This can make it very difficult to ever say ‘no’ to requests from others, and it can cause more harm than good in the long-run.
Simply setting boundaries and only doing things you’re comfortable with will almost guarantee a less hectic day-to-day life. If you’re feeling tired and your partner wants to go grocery shopping together, don’t be afraid to say no and ask if they can do it on their own instead to give you some much-needed time out. This isn’t being selfish; it’s simply putting your needs first for once and accepting you can’t do everything for everyone.
Stay Organized
Being a mom is notorious for being unpredictable but, if you ensure to plan ahead and keep yourself organized at all times, you’re sure to reduce any upcoming stress than may come along. As a parent, there’s nothing worse than your child spilling something sticky down themselves in public and not having any spare clothes or wipes to clean them up with.
Simply planning ahead and making sure you’ve got basic essentials with you at all times in case of accidents will make things much smoother in the long-run.
Sometimes, we can all feel like we’re losing our minds when trying to balance work with our personal lives. But, as long as you set boundaries and take proper time out for just yourself, you’ll be well on your way to reducing stress and improving how you feel.
Sophia Wallace is lucky enough to be able to work from home, but that doesn’t mean she has it any easier than Mom’s who leave home for work, possibly harder as she cannot walk out of the office at 5pm!