Why Finding Ways to Unwind as a Mom is Important

I'm finding this whole being a mom and parenting quite stressfull. So for me, running has been a life saver.

Running is a natural way to relieve stress

Running offers me a way to get rid of all the built-up anxiety. It's a natural way to make sure the excess of adrenaline leaves my body. After all, our body is biologically programmed to either fight or flight. So going for a run is a natural reaction to stress.

I've been a mom for 23 years now. And I truely believe that running has kept me sane.

But if you don't want to run, or if you can't or don't like running, there are other ways to relieve stress. Imran was kind enough to offer some pointers!

Why Finding Ways to Unwind as a Mom is Important 

Did you know that moms are said to be more stressed at home than they are at work? This could be because parenting is a job that doesn’t have a pause button and making it a priority to pause and breathe can be difficult. On some days, it can feel like stress is coming at you from every angle and you have nowhere to run or hide. It’s crucial that you teach yourself how to take a break and put aside the demands of parenting for a few moments every day. In case you don’t know just how important that is, you’ll see why below.

Working parents say that they feel stressed, tired, rushed and like they don’t have enough quality time with their children. This is the reality of many modern-day families, especially seeing as both parents tend to work nowadays.

You can't ignore stress

However, if this stress isn’t dealt with, it could lead to things such as anxiety and depression as well as a domino effect of other physical and mental health challenges. To avoid this, you’ve got to find a way to destress and take life a little easier.

Your stress can be bad for your kids too

Did you know that high levels of stress can have a negative impact on your kids? Kids can pick up on tension in the home and it can result in stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions if you're not careful. Having said that, it is likely that your child’s wellbeing is a priority for you, so that’s yet another reason to try and work on the whole work-life balance thing.

Ideas for Unwinding 

Now that it’s been established that not relaxing and taking a break can negatively impact your health, your kids, and your family dynamic, here are some ways that you can unwind. 

Get yourself out of the house

Go and See a Show-Sometimes, if you want to truly unwind you have to physically remove yourself from your house where all of the stress and magic happens. You could decide to take the night off from cooking and cleaning and going to see a show at the theater with your kids. If you check sites such as ticketsales.com you’ll likely find affordable tickets there.

Work out

Work Out-One of the best and healthiest ways of getting rid of stress and tension is working out. You may be wondering why on earth you’d want to start working up a sweat with the few free minutes you have, but it can do so much for your mind and body. Also, try relaxation techniques like breath focus which requires that you take long deep and slow breaths and clear your mind. Another to try is body scan which combines breath focus with progressive muscle relaxation.

Read a book!

Read a Book- Many mothers can attest to the fact that they can’t remember the last time they’ve read a book. If you were once a bookworm, then you should find an escape and indulge in a book. Choose one that either allows you to lose yourself in another world or teaches you something new. The idea should be to relax and read.

Have a laugh

Laugh-Instead of spending most of the day worked up, try and laugh a little more. This doesn’t mean you should go around and start laughing at nothing, but you can make an effort to surround yourself with things that are funny or make you feel amused. Plus, laughing is good for your health as it helps you release endorphins, relax your body, and release built up tension.

Epilogue

Thank you very much Imran for sharing your thoughts on unwinding as a mom. I think you're right about the importance of getting rid of stress. I'm very happy that I've found a way that works well for me: running. But it's good to know there are other ways to relieve stress.

How do you deal with feelings of stress?

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