Wellness at Work: Stress Management for Moms

As part of the Macaroni Kid EBC Work from Home Series, several of the participating Independent Consultants will be sharing their expertise on how they run a successful work from home business. They will be sharing their tried and true tips and techniques with our readers.

First of all I want to take a moment to applaud and honor you! Whether you are a mom of 1 or 12, single parent, blended family, working, home schooling, or “just” (HA!) a stay at home mom…YOU. ARE. AMAZING.  Seriously! Being a mom is SO hard. There is no instruction manual, few of us have family around to help, each kid is different, and just when you think you’re starting to get a handle on things, everything changes.  So, please just take a moment to really be proud of everything you do for your kid(s) and your family!

Now what about you? What do you do for you? If that made you laugh, this article is for you! I’m sure we can all agree - life gets stressful. Unfortunately when that happens, self-care is often the first thing to go for most moms. But did you know that stress isn’t just uncomfortable, it is actually killing you? Stress affects us physically by affecting nutrient absorption and our metabolism. It also contributed to cardiovascular disease, reduced immunity, and advanced aging. Stress also affects our concentration and leads to anxiety and depression.  And stress often interferes with our relationships.

My intention today is to permanently change your relationship to stress. As if your life depended on it, because it actually does. Whether you work in an office, from home or are the family manager, you need to get a handle on your stress and I’m going to make that easy, with 3 simple steps! (The last thing I want you doing is stressing about your stress!)

Step #1: Assess

• What is your experience with stress and how does it affect you?
• Check in with your body and rate your stress level.
• Do you experience cravings or mood swings?
• Are you sick often?

Step #2: Recharge
Adopt a few of these relaxation techniques and simple dietary changes (you can do ALL of these from your desk so there are NO EXCUSES!)

• Sighing and mindful breathing help calm both the brain and body.
• Stretches improve blood flow and help energize. Try: forward folds, chair twists, neck stretches, arm stretches, wrist, and finger stretches.
• Try scheduling your day so you are more effective. (Work on important projects when you have more energy, etc.)
• Drink water - dehydration can cause us to feel exhausted and stressed. Aim for a glass of water an hour.
• Eat whole foods. Processed foods cause stress in the body (especially sugar, gluten, and dairy).
• Eat more greens and citrus - they energize and ground us.
• Increase your intake of healthy fats – they actually make the brain more alert and soothe the nervous system (try avocados, walnuts)
• Avoid the 3pm energy slump with quick & energizing snacks (pumpkin seeds, almonds & cashews, walnuts, energy balls, hummus with veggies, trail mix, fruit, peanut butter on celery, peanut butter on apples & bananas).

Step #3 – Reinvent

• If your old way of living isn’t working for you, create a new plan!
• Plan snacks and meals in advance (even chop and prep when it is more convenient) so it is easier to make healthy choices when hunger strikes.
• Schedule your day according to your energy level.
• Set calendar alerts for stretch and water breaks.
• Grab a buddy and go for a walk!
• Make a few of the dietary and relaxation tips above part of your daily or weekly routine.

Remember: being healthy doesn't have to mean more work - little changes add up to big lifestyle changes overtime. Get started today by simply assessing the stress in your life. This weekend take a moment to recharge. And next week make one change to your lifestyle. Keep it up and I promise you will be feeling better in no time! Now you can be proud of all you do for YOU too!

For additional health and wellness support, join my Healthy Steps Challenge (Next up - October: Negativity Diet Challenge), my Business Building Challenge or contact me for a free consultation. This is a sponsored article paid for and submitted by Beth Bunchman with Second Nature Health Coaching.