It is not easy, but it can be done! Life is not going to be stress free if we want challenges, but it can be “stress controlled” if we know how. The only way to deal with stress is by minimizing those things that really get us all worked up.
Let’s face it, if you work, you are going to have stress. If you have children, you are going to have stress, and when you ad them together you normally end up with a bad case of “I’m leaving for the moon in the next shuttle” kind of stress. However, we don’t leave on the next shuttle to the moon and leave them behind because we love our children too much, plus we need that job and may even like our jobs. The key is to be able to balance work and home without either of them suffering while minimizing the effect one has on the other.
As a professional, my days are hectic and stressful, but through the years I have come up with a system that lets me enjoy both my career and children. There are situations that we simply cannot control, but those that we can, we should simplify. If you get to work stressed out, the stress is more than likely going to continue to escalate because you are already in that state of mind. So, here is my proven system on how to reduce stressful situations, making your professional and “mom” life less stressful:
- Do not wait until the morning to pick out your clothes, get your brief case ready, put diaper bags together, etc., because this will certainly get you totally stressed out even before you eave the house, guaranteed! Do all this the night before streamlining the morning routine.
- Very important, pick a spot such as kitchen counter, where you and your kids place everything that needs to go the next day. It’s a great time saver and avoids the problem of forgetting things at home.
- Leave with plenty of time. Don’t cut is so close that if you run into a traffic jam, or the “chatter box” mom or teacher at school, you begin stressing because you “simply don’t have time for that.”
- At work take the time to organize your work, then complete one task at a time seeing it through completion. A stack of half completed tasks can be overwhelming, but the satisfaction of completing one task alone will give you the motivation to move on to the next.
- If you have an hour lunch, rather than going out to lunch everyday with co-workers, take that time a couple of times a week to take care of things that will give you extra time when you are home. Run quick errands or take care of small things like writing greeting cards or grocery lists.
- When you get home, make time for your kids and prepare simple but healthy meals. Spending that time together is important and valuable to both.
Lastly, don’t end the day with the feeling that there has been time for everyone but you. Make a little bit of time for yourself even if it is just a long hot shower or reading a few pages of a book. You will feel better about all the things you have accomplished during the day and with this in mind, you will be ready to tackle the next day with a whole different attitude and a lot less stress.
