Stress has become a part of our daily lives. Whether its work related or situations at home, we all are stressed at some time, especially if you are a mother.

Being a mom is the toughest job in the universe. It does not matter if you are a working mom or someone who stays at home or even working from home, managing your family can get very challenging. Juggling between your daily commitments and family can take a toll on you. Most of the mothers today have at least two to three kids and if you have a job in the middle, making things work can sometimes seem impossible. You mostly don’t have any time left for yourself and if the stress keeps building up, you may end up having weight gain issues, hypertension or other health-related problems. So, it is very important to take some time out for yourself and ease out the pressure. These tips can actually help mothers to survive the daily chaos.

Prioritize

There are many daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, washing, helping kids to study and then if you are a working mother, you would have your official commitments as well that you need to complete. Managing the daily to-do list can be a tough task because women often find difficult in prioritizing the task. See, what activities can be converted into weekly and where can you apply shortcuts. For instance, if you find it difficult making meals three times a day, make a meal plan. Use weekly meal prep recipes to cut down on the cooking time or if you have a budget, hire a housekeeper once a week to do the cleaning.  This way you can get that extra time for yourself.

Exercise

It is a common notion that since we mothers are always on our toes, we don’t need to exercise. However, the reality is different. Exercise can actually help in mood alleviation and strengthening your immune system. Apart from health benefits, it also helps you to have a good night sleep, which is very important to gain energy for the next day. You don’t have to step out of your house to exercise. There are exercises that you can do at home like Yoga or aerobics.

Use entertainment

Indulge in activities like music or dance. Dancing can be very helpful in releasing stress. Plug in your earphones and dance whenever you have a little time. It is a good way to exercise as well. So, it can alleviate your mood and since it is a form of an exercise, you don’t have to take out extra time to work-out. If you are not into music or dance, use the TV as your source of entertainment. Subscribe to Sky TV and watch the latest blockbusters at your home.

Take time out for you

By this, we don’t mean to ignore other things. But taking time out for stuff you like or just to gain back the energy is very critical. You are an engine of your family and even you need to refuel yourself to go further. Use a 30-minute break to either read a book or call a friend that you haven’t spoken to in days or just sit in the bathroom to fresh and rejuvenated. Speak to your husband to take up tasks on one of the weekends, so that you can visit a spa or go for lunch with your friends. Alternatively, you can see if you can let your mom take care of the kids for some time, to take a break from your daily routine. It is very important to have a “me” time.

Learn to say no

Mothers are often compared to super woman because everyone thinks they are capable of doing everything, which is not the truth. At the end of the day, they are also humans and have a saturation point. You just can’t do everything your work or kids or husbands demands. They think that saying no would make them a poor wife, employee or a mother. However, saying no to certain things is OK. You don’t have to be superhuman. Take up task only that you can fit in your daily routines. Make people around you realize that a happy person is always better than an irritated and stressed one.

So, use these stress management tricks if you feel overwhelmed or anxious. You need to understand that everyone needs time for themselves. We will always have things that take priorities above our interests. But we need to realize that doing activities we like will not only help us improve our moods, but it will also help in building strong relationships with our near ones.