How to reduce the stresses of motherhood?
Photo by Christopher Luther on Unsplash
There’s no experience quite like motherhood. There’s no way to fully compensate a woman for all she does as a mother. Even if you wrap all of the jobs into one, there’s still a level of care and empathy a mother provides that’s literally priceless. With that understanding, it’s no wonder why so many women feel the weight and challenges of the role in so many ways. If you’d like to reduce the stress you feel because of motherhood, consider the following tactics.
Enlist the help of trusted family members and professional
A famous African proverb reminds the world that it takes a village to raise a child. One of the worst things you can do is try to raise your children on your own. Even if you’re capable of doing everything by yourself, you’ll rob yourself of energy, joy, and the capacity to be present for your children. Plus, your children need to develop healthy relationships with their village. For many people, the village includes aunts, uncles, and grandparents. If you don’t have close ties to your family, find a sitter who can watch your children for a few hours. During this time, you can tend to yourself with a little break.
Develop a morning ritual
Depending on the sleep schedule of your children, it can be challenging to find quiet time for yourself. While it’s a discipline, carve out time for yourself. If you’re able to do it in the morning, it can really set a positive tone to start your day. When you wake up before everyone else, use this time to move your body, express gratitude and meditate. You can even enlist the help of a Vedic meditation teacher in order to gain a better understanding of how meditation can fully enhance your quality of life. With the right morning disciplines in place, you can set yourself up to be the best mother you can possibly be to your children.
Outsource certain tasks
Whether you’re looking at mounting loads of laundry, a sink full of dishes, or those neglected cuticles, outsource certain tasks. Sure, it can be cheaper to learn how to do certain tasks yourself. However, you’ll spend more time in the long run. If you take a look at the hours you’d spend on cleaning the house and compare them to the time you could spend with your children or doing other activities, it might be more than worth it. In some cases, this might require some sacrifices in some areas. Still, if you’re able to preserve your mental health, make the necessary sacrifices.
Seek a safe space to vent
It can be a really cathartic experience to vent and cry about your situation. While you don’t want to be the friend who emotionally dumps on your friends, it’s important to find safe spaces to vent from time to time. You might need to invest in a therapist who can help you develop the mental and emotional bandwidth to deal with your situation. You might need to find a group of mom friends who can empathize with your situation and serve as a sounding board. While you don’t want to make venting a habitual experience, it can be cathartic from time to time.
Avoid the comparison trap
Even though it’s tempting to do, don’t compare your life to the lives of others. Whether it’s another mother at your child’s school or the mothers you see online, resist the temptation to compare because you don’t know the full story surrounding a person’s reality. You’re only getting a snippet of what a person shows you. It’s okay to take notes in terms of ways you’d potentially like to improve. Still, it’s helpful to remember that comparison is truly the thief of joy. Don’t rob yourself of the blessings of your reality.
It’s easy to focus on all of the stressors in your life as you ignore the things that are going well. Try to put on a different lens and romanticize your life with your children. Find simple ways to enjoy their presence. Take the children for a long walk in the neighborhood. Sit down as a family to do a few puzzles or art projects. Create a spread of kid-friendly snacks for everyone to enjoy as you all watch a movie together. Some of the simplest activities can provide the greatest amounts of joy as you work on reducing your stress as a mother.