If you are a mother you have experienced stress.
For those women who were over-achievers before motherhood, we tend to make it worse by overbooking our lives. We have to serve on the PTA, we need to be the Girl Scout Troop Leader, we are expected to lead the neighborhood playgroup, and we relish our role as the resource for all mothers and anything else that "good mothers do."
You can't do it all, so stop trying.
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Determine what your real priorities are. What is most important to you? Cut the rest. Learn to say "no" without guilt.
One of my personal rules is to never say, "yes" without a stall. I need time to ask and answer – if what I am being asked to do is in line with my values and priorities. Will it require me to give up family time or something that I enjoy? May I stop doing it when it no longer works for me? If I don't come up with the right answers to those questions, my response is "no."
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Clearing your schedule does wonders for bringing down the level of stress and the sense of being overwhelmed. Try it! Take 20 minutes before you go to bed (or wherever you can) and list the things that are most important to you. Create a second list of the things on your schedule that do not bring you so much joy and can be let go of. Update your calendar and get a better night's rest for this huge accomplishment.
Another great way to alleviate stress is to pray or meditate. Beginning your day with some quiet time spent in prayer or meditation makes a huge difference in your stress levels. Try getting up ten minutes earlier to fit it in your schedule, if you don't already have time in the morning. If you have already cut out some things that are not so important, then you have time. I promise you will feel better after a week.
Let us know how a new morning routine has made you feel. We look forward to hearing from you.
Here are some ideas of places where you can meditate and pray outside the house:
Shockera Reading and Meditation Yoga. 6919 Annapolis Road. 240-764-6191.
Private sessions lessons on all paths of Shockera yoga will help you let go of fear and frustration by integrating yoga and meditation into your life.
The Still Point Wellness Spa. 1 Columbia Ave., Takoma Park. 301.920.0801.
Enjoy life coaching, guided imagery and hypnosis, acupuncture, shamanic healing and other spa accoutrements.