Stress Relief Tips for Working Moms

Deborah Belle, Ed.D., a psychologist from Boston, said it so eloquently, "A mother's morale and her emotional and mental health are her child's strength. Therefore, working moms must take measures to protect their well-being." 

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Working moms have to wear many hats every single day. Despite enlisting help from others, you still bear most of the load of being a parent. You look after the kids, stay on top of your tasks at work, take note of bill due dates, and take care of chores around the house. The list goes on. You often want to catch a break but just can't.

Stress management is a critical skill that working moms need to master. You can't pour from an empty cup, after all. Below are a few tips for maintaining your sanity in your busy lives.

6 Stress Relief Tips for Working Moms

1. Ignore criticisms

Moms take the brunt of parental criticisms. People criticize working moms for returning to work instead of caring for the kids at home, while stay-at-home moms are undervalued for giving up their careers. In short, you can't win with them. So, as much as possible, shrug these critics off. You sure have a small circle of loved ones — family and friends — whose opinions you value and whom you can run to for support. Keep them in mind so that when criticism comes from someone outside of that circle, you can ignore them immediately. You can't please everybody. There will always be something you do that will rub people a certain way, and that's okay.

2. Celebrate small wins

We are not after perfection here. Instead, we focus on progress. Every area of your life does not need to be perfect, and striving for perfection at all times can cause you undue stress and disappointment. Instead, you can focus on your small victories and the progress you make. Your kids finished their plates at dinner? A win! You got your 8 hours of sleep for three nights straight? A win! Doing this can give you a more balanced, realistic, healthy perspective.

3. Avoid comparisons

Sometimes, our inner voice is our biggest critic and attacker. You may undermine your efforts and compare yourself with others in tough times. When this happens, remind yourself that you do not showcase your losses and difficulties in parenting. So, when you see other working moms doing so well, remember that that is not the whole story. You should not compare your daily life with others' highlights. Social media has been the biggest culprit of this for a decade now. Taking a break from social media may be difficult, but it can be the best way to step back, recoup, and destress yourself.

4. Ask for help

Wanting and preferring to take control most of the time comes with the territory of motherhood. However, if you don't learn to delegate and enlist help soon, you will get burnt out, and things will be all over the place. Think of it this way: if your best friend, partner, or parent asks for your help, you will most likely come to the rescue without a second thought. That same empathy and compassion you give others, share that with yourself, too. Let others handle a few of your minor tasks while you take a break or catch up on sleep. It will make a massive difference in your day, for sure.

5. Go back to your hobbies

Your interests and hobbies might have taken the backseat when you became a mother. And sometimes, without you noticing it, this becomes a source of stress and frustration for you. Take the time to think about the things you enjoyed when you were still childless, and do them once in a while. For example, schedule a monthly wine night with your girlfriends if you've always loved going out on girl's nights. Or, if you used to be the type who finishes a whole TV show season in one sitting, enlist the help of your spouse or a sitter for an entire Saturday while you catch up on your shows.

6. Go to therapy

You may think therapy will take away hours from your week that you'd instead use to finish your tasks. However, sometimes talking to a therapist could be the only way to avoid getting overwhelmed and burnt out. You can learn healthy coping mechanisms and stress management techniques in therapy — from breathing exercises and meditation to long-term and gradual progress. The goal is for you to relate positively to your surroundings and loved ones amidst the stresses of being a working mom. 

Final Thoughts

Remember that you don't have to do it all. And that you deserve the love and care you give everyone around you. Taking care of yourself takes conscious effort, even organization, and scheduling. So cut yourself slack and follow the tips above to keep your sanity and avoid burning out.

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