Balancing your home life with your career can be incredibly stressful. If this describes you, it’s important to take stock of the fact that you have the power to change things for the better. With the tips outlined below, you can address the factors that contribute to your stress head-on, and in the process, improve your outlook on life while eliminating challenges and hurdles one-by-one. Take charge and make the change today.
Eliminate clutter
Clutter can seem overwhelming and, at times, may feel like an insurmountable hurdle that’s preventing you from living the life that you want to live. Whether your desk at work is cluttered, making it difficult for you to focus on your daily tasks, or your home is, there are steps that you can take to declutter your environment. Doing so could have a positive impact on your stress levels and quality of life. Consider this a first step in reducing your stress—it’s easy to do and you’ll start reaping the benefits immediately.
Stay active
Staying fit and healthy can benefit body and mind. Exercising—or simply taking part in physical activities, like daily walks on your lunch break—can give you more energy, help take your mind off of stressful things, and allow you to maintain your stamina, so that you can make it through the work week. And of course, there are long-term health benefits, as regular physical activity can boost your cardiovascular health, mitigate your risk for certain diseases, and reduce body fat.
Think positive
Part of staying mentally strong is choosing to think positive. We’ve all been cut off on the freeway on our way to work. But do you let that person who cut you off affect the rest of your day or do you choose to ignore it? You do have a choice. Yes, it’s true that you don’t want to bottle up your negative feelings, but in many cases, how you react to a situation is entirely up to you. And the way you react can have a huge impact on your anxiety and stress levels. As the old saying goes, for some, the glass is half-full, while for others, it’s half-empty. Try to be a glass-is-half-full person. You may be surprised at the benefits.
Set priorities
Multitasking may be an unavoidable part of modern life, but simply by setting priorities and sticking to them, you can greatly reduce your stress—and likely get more done in the process. It’s inevitable that as a working mother, you will have many different things that demand your attention in any given day or week. Jot these things down and prioritize them. In this way, you know which ones to address immediately, and which tasks can be set on the back burner without too much at stake. Make this simple change, and you may be surprised at how quickly and easily things fall into place.
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Alleviate money concerns
For many, money is a primary source of stress and anxiety. Or more specifically, a lack of money is. And it’s easy to understand why. Everything costs money, and a dollar only goes so far. If you find that you are scraping by month-to-month as a working mother, consider trying to make some extra income. Easier said than done, right? Well, believe it or not, you may not even have to adjust your schedule. With businesses like Amway offering entrepreneurship opportunities and e-commerce platforms like Etsy allowing anyone to sell from home, you can make extra money on your own time, at your own pace. It’s understandable that you may not want to take on a second job due to the extra time away from home that it involves. But what if you could make extra money at home?
Enforce boundaries
Children who back talk, fail to do their chores, ignore their homework, or are generally uncooperative can make your life incredibly difficult. As the mother and authority figure in the household, set firm boundaries and rules and ensure that these boundaries are followed. If your son or daughter should step out of line, punish them accordingly and hold them responsible for their actions. Once your children understand that there will be repercussions for misbehavior, they will begin to treat you with the respect that you deserve as a parent—and your life will become a whole lot easier in the process.
Eat healthy
Just as it’s important to stay physically active, it’s equally important—if not more so—to eat a healthy diet. One that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat foods. And try and avoid binging on sugars and carbohydrates if you can. A healthy diet will allow you to avoid putting on the pounds while also improving your energy and stamina. And as with exercise, there are long-term health benefits, too; a healthy diet can greatly reduce your risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other ailments. So if you must make the daily trip to Starbucks, skip the Frappuccino and stick with a black tea or plain coffee instead.
Take time to relax
If you can, try and take some time to relax. Prepare yourself a bubble bath. Sit quietly and read for an hour or two. Treat yourself to a massage. Relaxation can have a profound effect on your mental state and is often a crucial component of reducing your stress and anxiety. Just as your body needs sleep, your mind needs to unplug every once in a while, particularly with the stimulus that you deal with on a daily basis. It simply isn’t tenable to always be “on.” So remember, just because you’re a mom, that doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve a break, too. Don’t be afraid to set some time aside for yourself and don’t feel guilty for it either!
Working moms, give yourself a break
Being a working mother and being stress-free don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Carefully consider the tips outlined above, and put them into practice if they feel right for you. At a minimum, you will likely find that there are practical benefits to be had, from a cleaner, more organized home, to better health. But you may also find that taken in total, these steps can have a profound impact on your mental state as well. So wash away the stress and anxiety and start your new life today.
Samantha Rivers
Website:
http://www.upwardonward.com/
Samantha Rivers is a freelance writer who lives in Chicago (Go Cubs!) and loves writing anything in the lifestyle, tech, travel, and career realm both online and print. When she's not running the Upward Onward blog, she enjoys reading, finding new restaurants, being active outside, and indulging in a glass of wine or two.
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Great post. Thanks for sharing this article. It is really interesting to read and a great help for Mothers.