Hi all, I’m Caitlin Hudson, a full-time SAHM, nature lover, and health nut! I also have an intense passion for writing, and fortunately for me, Kendra has been wonderful enough to let me share my writing on her amazing blog. So today, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite tips for reducing stay at home mom stress! If you have any questions feel free to email me!
Anyone who thinks the life of a stay-at-home mom is relaxing doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Taking care of small children and a house is a lot of work. At times, it feels like I can’t manage it all. I have found that by taking time to keep a healthy routine, stay organized and simplify, my overall stress level is much lower.
Get exercise
Whenever I start noticing my stress levels are going back up, I realize that my exercise routine has gone down. This has been noted by medical experts, as well. Regular exercise increases endorphins, which make you feel good about yourself and life in general. In fact, those who get vigorous exercise may be 25 percent less likely to develop anxiety or depression.
There are lots of exercises I like to do to reduce stress. When I feel like I need to meditate and take it easy, I do some slow yoga moves and Pilates. I purchased this yoga mat from Beachbody about a year ago, and find myself using it often. If you don’t have access to yoga classes, you can always find free videos on YouTube. If I need to run off some energy, I go running. These activities are easy for me to do with the kids. I can either squeeze in a short workout during naps, or I load the kids up in the stroller and go. They enjoy the outing and I get some great cardio in the process. It doesn’t have to be long. Even 15-20 minutes of exercise makes a big difference in my outlook.
Take it easy
Sometimes I feel like the day is really getting away from me, with all the stuff I have to do for myself, the house and the kids. If I need more time, I simplify wherever I can. I have learned that skimping on sleep is a really bad idea. Instead, I stay ahead. At night, I get as much as I can ready for the morning, which is my busiest time. Outfits, schoolwork, snacks, are all prepared before I go to bed. In the morning, I keep my routine short and sweet. For example, I maintain a hairstyle that takes minimal effort and is simply wash and go.
Plan it out
When I was first a stay-at-home mom, I kept putting chores off until tomorrow. Then tomorrow arrived, and the house was a mess and I was stressed about how I was going to manage it all. Eventually, I concluded that I need to do a little work each day to keep the house in balance and my family happy. I started focusing on one room of the house each day to keep cleaning at a manageable level. There are a bunch of great “house schedules” out there that you can follow too. I came across this one on Pinterest that I might adopt myself. I make lists on my smartphone for cooking, cleaning and other activities. My kids can be really distracting, so I set reminders about appointments and playdates. I even schedule time for relaxation for me and kids, to ensure that we all get down-time.
Stay organized
The broader necessity I faced in scheduling was organization. Especially once my kids started preschool, I had to be on top of things so much more. Permission slips, payments, snack–I couldn’t forget about these or have trouble finding forms. I bought a small accordion organizer that I keep for each kid’s activities. Forms and papers are there. When they need to be signed and returned, they go right into the backpacks the night before so they are not forgotten. This has saved me a lot of time frantically searching for paperwork.
I like my life as a stay-at-home mom. But I need to keep my sanity, so I stay organized, I schedule whatever I can, and I try to keep things simple. These are good keys to a low-stress life.
Thanks Caitlin for these awesome tips!! Simple and easy to remember, but I know that I forget to stay on top of it, especially exercising. I feel so much better when I exercise, yet there are days where I make up so many excuses for not doing it!
