Introduction

Being a mum, whether it’s for the first or even third time, is an extremely special and rewarding experience. Motherhood helps you connect with your inner child more than anything else, and helps you understand yourself better.

However, it is also extremely easy to lose yourself in the process of child rearing. When the responsibility of being a mother is combined with the daily stresses of life, it’s common to fall into habits that drain you. Today, we’re going to look at some of the everyday habits that you might be engaging in that increase your stress levels as a mum.

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10 Everyday Habits Increasing Stress Levels In Mums

Here are ten silent saboteurs that may be responsible for your high levels of stress:

Following Poor Sleep Habits

One of the most common stressors for moms, both young and old, is the constant lack of sleep. Whether it’s due to the daily stresses of life, or something that is happening inside the home, most women can suffer from sleepless nights or complete insomnia while handling newborns and toddlers. If you too, are habitually sleeping at inconvenient times and feel tired and stressed, then these simple tips can help you feel get a better quality sleep every night:

• Start by establishing a night time routine and sleep at the same time every night. This will help you and your children fall asleep in accordance with your circadian rhythm and help you feel stress free.
• Optimize your sleep space. A cool and dark place is essential for a deep shut eye so focus on adding more blinds and curtains to the room, add some relaxing music, and light a calm essence candle if it makes you feel comfortable and enhance the quality of your sleep.
• Make sure to wrap up any night time responsibilities an hour before sleep time and avoid taking any gadgets in the bedroom. This will make it easier for you to fall asleep faster and enjoy a deep slumber.

Not Committing To Self Care

Self care is an integral part of a holistic and well lived life. When the responsibilities of motherhood start to continuously overshadow your ability to take care of yourself, it might be time to pull back your energy a little bit and invest it in yourself. If you’re finding yourself lacking in self care lately, these simple habits can help you get back on track:

• Journaling is a great way to start prioritizing your self care if you’ve been feeling a little disconnected from your routine. Letting your thoughts out on a piece of paper can help you stop overthinking and lean into relaxation mode.
• If a walk in the park without your kids, or a bedtime skincare routine sounds like self care, don’t skip it. Even 30 minutes dedicated to yourself can make a big difference.
• Last but not least, plan a combination of activities that can help you keep kids busy while doing your thing, such as working out at home together.

Setting Unrealistic Self Expectations

Being a mother is extremely rewarding, but it also comes with a colossal weight of doing things perfectly. When you always strive for perfection in everything you do, you can easily burnout and enhance your stress levels, which can add to your stress levels. If you’ve been having a hard time setting realistic goals and expectations around your life and everyday tasks, try including these steps in your goal setting process:

• Start by breaking down your chores and tasks for the day into manageable steps and set a timeline for each step. The idea isn’t to bound you to a timeframe but help you figure out what you can do to finish a large chunk of your chores without getting exhausted.
• Acknowledge the shortcomings that you or the process you have created may have. The idea is to help you accept that motherhood isn’t about perfection, it’s about learning new things and enjoying the journey.
• To make the most of your time, learn to say no to things that drain your energy or add stress to your life.

Refusing To Ask For Help

Mothers always feel that they know what is best for their child, which is true to a certain extent. However, if you keep thinking this way, it can make it hard for you to delegate your tasks, risk spreading yourself too thin, and miss out on the opportunities to rely on people who care for you and want to help you reach your goals while reducing your stress. If you, as a mother, find it difficult to ask for help, here are some suggestions to help you make the first move:

• Make sure you and hubby pick up after themselves to reduce stress and divide chores related to children based on your strengths and work schedule.
• You can also ask friends and family to help you when you’ve got long hours at work or are simply enjoying a date night.
• Hiring a babysitter from time to time can also help you catch up on important tasks and make time for yourself without worrying about children.

Neglecting Your Physical Health

Mothers are some of the strongest creatures in the world, but even they need to actively take care of their physical health and engage in exercise for a long and stress free life. When you fail to take care of your body, engage in regular physical movement that’s outside of your normal child care time, and don’t actively build your body, whether it is through cardio, strength training, or HIIT, you’re more likely to face physical challenges and ailments, that can add tremendous stress and pressure to your life. If you have been neglecting your physical health for too long, follow these mini habits to make your life easier:

• Make movement a part of your life, whether it’s moving around while doing chores or enjoying yoga at home, find ways to incorporate more exercise into your life.
• If being consistent feels tough, ask yourself how you can make more time. When you start to focus on the needs of your body, you can easily achieve your physical goals, be it becoming stronger or noticing weight loss and more energy in your body.
• If your kids are too young to stay alone, invest in a baby and me workout class. This will help you bond with your baby while also meeting your exercise goals.

Letting Go Of Hobbies

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Our passions and hobbies are closely related to our view on life as well as our self image. As a mother with multiple responsibilities, it’s easy to forget about your ‘me time’ and let go of hobbies that you can enjoy, outside of your family. Not only do hobbies add meaning to your life, but can actively aid in reducing stress, enhancing your creativity, and helping you form social relationships outside of your motherhood experience. Here’s how you can engage in meaningful hobbies and activities to reduce your stress levels as a mother:

• Consider your hobbies like essential appointments. Even if it’s a commitment of 30 minutes to 60 minutes every couple of weeks, never miss it. Find friends, family, or ask your spouse to cover for you.
• Start with a couple of hobbies first. Don’t overschedule your time. If you’re an introvert looking for hobbies, consider reading, DIY projects, or solo travel.
• Most importantly, don’t be afraid to try new things and enjoy the process. If you’re nervous about stepping out of your comfort zone, ask a friend or family member to accompany you.

Consuming Mindlessly

What we consume, whether it’s technology or food, has a strong impact on our body, both physically and mentally. Many moms, owing to the external and internal pressures of their daily lives often forget to practice vigilance when it comes to consuming. They may be eating leftovers and wondering why they don’t feel good, or they may be doomscrolling child content on social media, comparing their life to that of someone else. All these habits promote stress and take away from your experience of motherhood. If you’re guilty of engaging in mindless consumption, here are some effective tips to help you become more mindful in your everyday life and manage your stress levels:

• Practice mindfulness and meditation for at least ten minutes everyday before getting on with your day or waking up your kids. It’ll give you enough time to ground yourself and make the most of your time alone.
• Set rules around no technology use in common areas such as dining tables or family rooms. Setting time aside to connect with each other can drastically reduce your stress and make it easier for you to manage your and your family’s screen time.
• Whenever you’re engaging in any activity, try to be more present in your body instead of letting it take over your mind. Whether you’re spending time with your family or enjoying a meal, learn to appreciate the experience.

Lacking A Work Life Balance

While the essence of being a working mother is about having it all, in real life, an unbalanced work life can add more stress to your everyday life, making it difficult for you to give your best in either sphere. Most women tend to try and give their hundred percent to both personal and professional life, which leads to burnout and ailments. If you’re someone who feels that they lack work life balance as a mother, here’s how you can make the best choices in order to have it all:

• Protect your boundaries voraciously. Whether it’s with your family while you’re working, or with your employer when you’re spending family time, don’t let the two lives clash and communicate your expectations accordingly.
• Make sure to take frequent breaks, whether it’s from office or house work. Incorporate simple activities in your break schedule that help you rejuvenate.
• Seek support from your partner in house work if you need to spend more time with office tasks. Communicating your needs upfront can help make your work life balance more productive and seamless to manage.

Absence Of A Social Life

While a strong network of people that you can rely on for child support is important, it’s even more important to have a social life outside of work and being a mom for you to stay sane and thrive as a fully functioning adult. Your social life can include people who you share common hobbies with, your partner, your family and friends, and even your work colleagues. If you’ve recently noticed that you don’t have much of a social life anymore, it might be time to do the following things:

• First things first, hire a professional babysitter and enjoy a date night with your partner. This will help you focus on reconnecting with each other and spending quality time together.
• Schedule a girls night on your calendar if you have to, but find some way or the other to get out of the house and be more social with people who help you destress and vent your feelings.
• If your office hosts any networking events, whether online or in person, take time to enhance your professional network. You never know when a LinkedIn connection can offer you the right and flexible job opportunity that you’ve been looking for.

Poor Time Management

The level of stress that poor time management can bring into your life as a mom isn’t talked about enough. Sure, you’re doing everything right on the surface. Your kids are fed and dressed, your house is clean, your office work is done, but in all of this you’re completely burnt out, because you’re multitasking and pushing yourself more than you can allow. What happens next? You fall sick and your house falls apart! Don’t fall for the trap of everything that needs to be done now, instead allot time to each task based on your energy levels and demands of the day. Here’s how you can properly manage your time as a mother:

• Treat your daily life like a day at the office, at least when it comes to your tasks involving household chores and children. Create a schedule that covers components of family time, work time, and me time.
• Let go of the mom's guilt. Understanding that you can’t do everything all the time will set you free and help you prioritize your mental health, helping you show up as your best self.
• Use technology to make your daily life easier. Delegate tasks among the family members, automate things like scheduling appointments and planning daily meals to take some things off your plate and focus on areas that require your attention.

Fighting The Silent Saboteurs

Motherhood is a rewarding yet arduous experience. A lot of your everyday habits can dramatically add to your stress levels as a mum. Some of the most common habits may include not eating mindfully, lack of exercise and sleep, ignoring self care and hobbies, overworking and striving for perfection, consistently multitasking, and a lack of social support. By engaging in habits that help promote a healthy work life balance and make time for things that bring you happiness, you can reduce your stress levels and enjoy a more fulfilling life as a mother.