Stressed? What to do about it...

It may sound like a cliché, but techniques such as meditation, relaxation or even exercise does help reduce stress levels.

We're always reading stress advice for career people... but thinking about the lady who emailed me who wasn't sure if she was stressed made me think how this group in our community is so often overlooked.

So, this advice is for the stressed stay-at-home mom... the unsung heroines of our community (or heroes if the stay-at-home parent just so happens to be Dad!)

Take your mind away from what you are doing. Read the comics, take a walk. Take deep breaths. If you're a stay at home parent, take your children to the park, walk slowly and breathe in the fresh air. Find some time of the day to sit and soak in a long warm bath with a good book. If you can't get to a aerobics or exercise class of some kind (that has a creche), buy a video and do it at home. You have to have some special "you" time - this is not being selfish. If you are not feeling 100%, you are not going to be able to give 100% to your family - so you HAVE to take care of you first if you want to be able to take care of others.

It will take some practice but you need to relinquish the "need" for a spotless house - you have children - any mother will tell you, children and a permanently spotless house just don't go together unless you have a full time house-keeper! Train your children to pick up after themselves.

If you're house proud, sit down and make a list of the things you feel must be done to make you happy re your house and then schedule the tasks for the week, making allowances for interruptions along the way. Schedule in children time. Schedule in all the things you have to do. Now somewhere in that schedule, find at least half an hour just for yourself - possibly later in the evening when the children are in bed, or maybe you can get up a bit earlier before everyone else - but it's imperative you find time just for you. Buy one of those soothing meditation music tapes, put it on softly, lie on the sofa with your eyes closed and just listen and relax.

You might like to try a herbal remedy - St John's Wort is excellent and can be found on most vitamin shelves in the stores. Check with a naturopath for their recommendations.

Most of all, enjoy the time you have with your children... blink and they'll be grown up and gone!

Terri Levine
http://www.comprehensivecoachingu.com
http://www.terrilevine.com
http://www.coachinstitute.com