What’s one of the first things that happens when you encounter a stressful situation? You tense up. Your shoulders rise, your stomach tightens, your jaw clenches.
It’s part of the evolutionary fight-or-flight response in the face of danger. Your body is literally getting ready to do battle. With a saber-toothed tiger. Except that, in reality, there aren’t any of those around.
Just your two year old.
Having a temper tantrum in the grocery store.
(Which, let’s be honest, does bear some resemblance to a saber-toothed tiger.)
Most moms are not getting quite enough sleep. Most moms also don’t get enough exercise. But which is more important? And if you only have time for one, in a given 24-hour period, which one should you choose?
Well, it’s a tricky little conundrum. But I’ve got some answers for you.
If you've got little ones, does it feel like your neurons are dying as you read Goodbye Moon (as lovely as it is) for the 246th time? If you've got older kids is their math homework making you break out in a sweat? There are many reasons for wanting to upgrade your smarty-pants quotient. But is there anything you can do?
Got stress? (Who doesn’t?) Got time to soothe those worries away with regular spa appointments? Or chill out in the bath every night with a good book? Or go for a nice, long daily walk in the woods?
Um, no.
The problem with most of our stress-management tactics: they take too much time! Which is ironic, considering that much of mom-stress comes from not having enough time in the first place.
So here’s a quick stress-detox strategy that will hardly take any time at all:
I’m so tired. How often do you say this? How often do you hear other people say it? In my experience, here's the answer to both these questions: All. The. Time.
Am I right? Some days it feels like everyone who walks into my office has the same concern. So, why is everybody so damn tired all the time? Fatigue would seem to be the plague of our modern lives. If you find yourself in the chronically-tired camp, here are some common causes of fatigue:
Erica recently wrote about making small changes towards a healthier lifestyle. And I am totally on board with that plan. Making big changes often feels way overwhelming. And overwhelm can stop you from changing even one damn thing. Where do you start, right? It’s much easier to tweak one or two small things, then build on that.
During pregnancy, we take good care of our bodies: we choose healthy foods, we take our vitamins, we banish harmful substances like cigarette smoke and alcohol.
But what about mental health? If you’re pregnant—is stress something you need to be concerned about?
So, the last time I wrote about happiness I discussed the growing body of research showing that happiness can make you healthier—and can help you live longer.
Which is good to know.
If you’re a happy person.
But...you might be wondering: is it even possible to become happier? We all know people who are genuinely happy—doesn’t it seem like they’re just naturally that way?
When was the last time your doctor advised you to jet off to Paris? Languish on the beaches of Hawaii? Book a ski holiday? It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Research is revealing that, like a glass of wine, a vacation is more than an indulgence—it’s good for your health.
