Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Mother with her daughter in her backyard.

Stress Busting Tips for Mom

Stress levels continue to rise for modern mothers and 70% of mothers surveyed in the United States rate motherhood as “incredibly stressful.” The pressures of everyday family life not only consume time and energy, but they also consume the mind as well. Worrying about finances, success in academics and cultivating a healthier family take their toll on mothers. Below, Resveralife offers some of the most effective tips to help bust stress, if only for a few minutes, and have more peace in your day.

Beautiful woman writing in her diary in a park.

Stay Organized and Plan Ahead
It can be difficult to plan for a typical day with your children, but there are steps you can take to stay organized and help reduce stress. Your kids can constantly come up with new ways to add unexpected stress to your day and those are hard to plan for, but there are also times during each mom’s day when things are stressful. One of the most stressful times of the day is morning. Someone lost a shoe, your keys are magically missing, your child cannot decide what to wear and you’re out of milk. Starting your day this way not only stresses you out in the morning, but it makes your day more chaotic as well. Experts suggest that parents, particularly mothers, rise a bit earlier in the morning than the rest of the house. This way you get at least a bit of uninterrupted time in the morning which starts your day with a sense of calm. Leave outfits for the next day (including shoes) out the night before for easy dressing and make an extra set of keys to save time searching for them every morning.

Woman performing a yoga breathing exercise in an outdoor setting.

Learn Calming Techniques
Moms are going to experience stress each day and it is incredibly helpful to have a few strategies for calming yourself down. One way of doing so is to practice deep breathing. Experts suggest employing the 5-7-8 breathing method to center yourself. Inhale for a count of five, hold your breath for a count of seven and the exhale for a count of eight. This may feel completely foreign and uncomfortable at first, but it slows you down and relieves stress. Another method experts say is helpful is to spend a few minutes each day meditating. You may think you have no time to simply sit and do nothing, but taking just a few minutes every day can help reduce stress significantly. Start small with three to five minutes and sit in silence. If you find it too hard to shut off your thoughts, try focusing on a calming word or phrase and repeat this as you breathe deeply.

Woman trying to hold a butterfly.

Be Present
One of the biggest stresses mom face is worrying about everything that must get done each day. When you spend your time thinking about all of the things that need to be done and how things could go wrong, you are missing out on living in the present moment. Try to really focus on what is going on around you. Notice your surrounding, listen to the noises, inhale deeply and experience the smell of your area. Channeling your stress energy into immersing yourself in the moment naturally relieves stress.

Let’s face it, being a mother is not an easy job. However, it is also the most rewarding one you’ll ever have. With your day so busy it can be overwhelming to take a few minutes out to just focus on yourself, but when your stress is lowered, everyone around you experiences increased happiness as well.

Abstract art showing beautiful use of color. q

Resveralife Live Well: How to Boost Your Mood With Color

A few weeks ago we discussed tips for using color to help you control your appetite and lose weight. If color can affect your weight, why not use color for other areas of your life as well? Colors also have an impact on your mood and can help energize you, make you smile and help soothe you. You can use everything from your clothing to the color of the walls in your home to boost your mood. This Resveralife Live Well Guide from Resveralife highlights how to boost your mood with color.

Woman wearing an orange top jogging with her husband in a park.

When you Need Energy
One of the most energizing colors is orange. Orange mixes the passion and fieriness of red, it also incorporates the positive and joyful associations of yellow. Experts suggest selecting workout gear that features orange because orange is a color that helps with stimulation and enthusiasm. You know there are days when you drag your feet about exercise, so pop on some orange and increase your energy levels.

Woman wearing a beautiful red dress ready for her date.

Another color that ignites you into action is red. Red is a bit more complicated than orange, because there are many moods and feelings that people associate with red. Red is often considered a color of passion and romance. A date is the perfect place for a woman to wear red. It gets the blood pumping and can make a man’s heart race when he sees you. Additionally, red can work in your favor when it comes to energy. Because red is a physical stimulant, as we just mentioned, it is also a great color for working out or increasing productivity. Red can be a bit overwhelming if you wear it head to toe so experts suggest adding in small pops of red. Painting your fingernails red, choosing red shoes or having red flowers on your desk at work are all ways to inject some energy ad passion into your day.

Beautiful green interiors of a home.

When you Need to Relax
Green is a soothing color that is literally easy on your eyes. The color green requires no ocular adjustment and helps reduce your level of fatigue. Green is commonly associated with nature and helps you tap into your psyche on a very primal level. In addition, green can increase mental focus and can refresh your senses. This is currently the most popular color for home decorating and is also a helpful color in offices. Often you have little control about the color of your office walls, but you can surround yourself with this relaxing color. Keep a small green plant, set your desktop to a shade of green or have a few green candles sitting on your desk for a bit of refreshment and relaxation.

Woman wearing a black dress at a meeting in her office.

When you Need to be Assertive
If you have a huge presentation or an important meeting at work, black is definitely your color. You know that black is used a color of mourning and that it is an ever-present color in fashion because it is slimming, but black is associated with more. Black is a color of assertiveness and even aggression. Studies have shown that when a sports team is wearing black uniforms, they have more fouls called on them than a team not in black. You’re not looking to start a fight at work, but black is perceived as a serious and can enhance your professional persona.

Colors work on your mind in a variety of ways. Blue increases feelings of tranquility, yellow helps with cheeriness and purple is associated with nobility and elegance. Experiment with different shades of each color and find new ways to incorporate colors into your wardrobe and spaces. Change your mood as easily as you change your clothes.

logo

UNLOCK
20% OFF

Sign up and get 20% off your first purchase!

No thanks, I'll pay full price