Self-care strategies for busy moms

Being a mom is one of life’s most rewarding roles and it also comes with unique challenges. Whether you work or stay home, your schedule is likely to be over-booked, you probably have very little time for yourself, and my guess is that you’ve become adept at multitasking. All of which means that you know a thing or two about feeling stressed!

Stress impacts women differently than men. Women are more likely to suffer its adverse effects such as heart issues, sleep disorders and headaches. Here are some relatively easy tactics to help your body manage the effects of stress.

1. Eat foods with high nutritional value. Avoiding processed and sugary foods will keep your energy levels high and prevent blood sugar swings. Putting the right fuel in your body will also keep you in the best position to deal with stress.
2. Get adequate sleep at night. This is critical! Lack of sleep makes us more reactive to stress and less able to cope. Make sleep a priority by reserving at least eight hours at night for sleep. To maximize your pillow time, keep your bedroom quiet, dark and comfortable. Don’t charge or keep electronics – including cell phones – in your bedroom. Schedule relaxing activities in the evening such as reading a book, stretching, meditating, or having a bath.
3. Choose a nutritional supplement that safely helps you cope with stress, day and night. Look for supplements that contain Suntheanine, which is an amino acid that promotes calming and relaxation without causing drowsiness. That’s ideal because it can be taken during the day to help manage stress or at bedtime to improve sleep quality. It’s also non-addictive, and won’t cause the next-day drowsiness or memory impairment you get with most prescription sleep medications. Suntheanine can be found in a range of supplements, capsules, tablets and chewables.
4. Make fitness a priority. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress, clear your mind, improve the quality of your sleep, and enhance your overall well-being. Get moving, even if it’s in 10-minute increments three or four times a day. You don’t even need a gym membership. Take walks, go bike riding and play active games with your children.

Try these four stress-busting steps for the next 30 days. You should start to feel more relaxed and energetic. Plus you’ll be teaching your children, by example, good techniques for staying healthy while coping with life’s daily ups and downs.