How To Cope With Stress As A Mom During The Corona Virus?
As moms our lives can be hectic and overwhelming. Yes, even stressful as there’s so much pressure to be it all and have it all.
Now add Corona virus to the mix… The perfect recipe for stress and burnout.
Moms tend to feel bad when they need a break. Our children and families come first. And if they are healthy and happy, we are happy. Even if that means compromising our own needs.
Taking breaks and practicing self-care is usually seen as a luxury and slightly… selfish?
If your self-care routine once was a weekly manicure, facial or massage, before children of course, now it might just be a shower that’s a little longer than 5 minutes! Extra bonus-points if you got to shave your legs!
But then a crisis hits, the Corona virus is now among us. It has turned our hectic lives upside down. The fear, the unknown, the urgency to make sure we’ll survive this… Things are changing by the day.
If we had any form of self-care in our daily, busy lives… Now it’s really thrown out the window! “Ain’t got no time to take care of myself!”, right?
Until you notice the overwhelm, shoulder tension and you’re snapping at your partner. Yes, this means it’s time for a break!
First Things First
While our caring and nurturing nature is beautiful and wonderful, it’s really not serving anyone in the long run if we don’t take care of ourselves first.
Even, and especially, during the Corona virus.
Self-care doesn’t have to be fancy and time-consuming. It’s a commitment to your own health and wellness. No one will fill your cup, only you can and I’ll share with you how.
Here are my top 8 self-care practices:
- Morning routine
Create a consistent morning routine where you take 5–10 minutes to stretch your body mindfully or do yoga, breathe and meditate. After releasing tension and stiffness, take a moment to reflect on how you feel in this very moment, without judgment or expectations.
Practice feeling gratitude for one thing you’re happy about.
Then find your focus on setting your priorities for the day. It will set a positive tone and help you stay on track.
2. Set realistic goals for the day
Write on your to-do list 3 most important things that need to get done today and celebrate when you check them off!
3. Unplug
Take a break from your screen. Log out, delete that app, turn off your phone and computer. Put it far away… Go outside, take a seat. Find a spot to just be. And take a deep breath. Shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being. Breathe again. For 1–5 minutes.
4. Drink plenty of water
Staying hydrated is just very important. We all know it. So keep your water bottle close by and sip regularly.
5. Get fresh air and daylight
Make sure that you get fresh air and daylight every day. Even a walk around the block or stepping out in your yard, makes a difference.
6. Get around 8 hrs of sleep
Sleep is one of the first things to go when we’re busy or in the midst of chaos. But a good night rest is so important for our immune system and overall health. It’s non-negotiable.
7. No is a full sentence
I admit this can be a tough one. But if you feel something is taking too much of your time and energy, you can opt out. No is a full sentence. There’s no need to explain and come up with excuses.
8. Evening routine
In order to get good sleep, it helps to shake off everything that happened during the day to release tension and clear our head. It can be a few minutes of gentle stretching and a short meditation or prayer. Finish feeling gratitude for one good thing that happened today.
This list is to inspire you. Take what works best for you. These are my tools to help me recognize when I need to take a break so I don’t lose my mind.
Remember, self-care is about meeting your own needs! Only you know best what’s best for you and your loved ones want you to be healthy and well!
Are you a busy, working mom and ready to find stress relief?
-Join Laura’s free Facebook-group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/selfcaresecretsformompreneurs/
-Sign up below for your free 5 Step Guide To Stress-Free Mornings: http://bit.ly/StressFreeMorningGuide