Stress Reduction
Is stress reduction really an issue for most moms? Absolutely. We mothers have such a tremendous amount on our plates. It often takes a virtual juggling act to keep what's there from spilling over the sides.
|
|
The good news is--we can reduce our stress levels. Dr. Robin Chaddock outlines how in her article below. By assessing four key areas and making changes as needed, you can learn to lead a more balanced life. Stress reduction is one outcome, yes. There are other benefits of living stress-free, as well, which naturally flow from walking closely with God. |
Stress Reduction through
Balanced Self-Care
By Dr. Robin Chaddock
I knew I was in real trouble as a stay-at-home mom when I would drop my kids off at a play date or preschool and drive along the road for twenty minutes before I realized I was still listening to Veggie Tales or the latest Disney soundtrack. I was losing myself and not even knowing it. And I wasn’t the only one.
A survey revealed that mothers feel they have made significant sacrifices. Seventy percent of moms questioned said that being a mom is much more demanding and exhausting than they had expected. A whopping 86 percent feel moms don’t get sufficient respect, and 80 percent responded that this is particularly true for full-time moms. Nearly one quarter (24 percent) say they have lost their identity since they became mothers. (Statistics are from Gail Kopecky Wallace and Ann Pleshette Murphy, “Moms Don’t Get No Respect.” Family Circle, May 21, 2002, p. 60)
Apparently we’re feeling a bit frazzled at times.
In their book 12 “Christian” Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend list this assumption at the top of the roster: “It’s selfish to have my needs met.” As licensed psychologists, they have observed their patients and note that “many of us have been taught a self-annihilation doctrine for so long that it makes sense to us. Yet to believe this is to confuse selfishness with stewardship. This crazy-making assumption – ‘It’s selfish to have my needs met’ – fails to distinguish between selfishness and a God-given responsibility to meet one’s own needs.”
God highly esteems you. That’s the spiritual foundation of self-care. Its core is choosing life. Its essence is choosing to affirm life – your life.
So how do you choose life when you don’t even have enough time to choose socks that match? In Mark 12:30, Jesus outlined what it means to be a whole person: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This is a comprehensive recipe for the balance we need in self-care.
Your heart is the seat of your will and intentions. The first choice you make for life in your heart is to stay uncluttered and in consistent communication with the Holy Spirit. This is the wisest use of your will. Will yourself to stay focused on and in the guidance and healing of God’s Spirit living inside of and talking with you all the time.
Your “soul” houses the part of you that knows there is something beyond yourself…that you are not alone. You choose life for your soul when you choose thoughts, attitudes, and expressions of yourself that bring you closer to God. You choose death for your soul when you choose to engage in negative attitudes and behaviors that cause you to feel separated from God, from yourself, and from others.
Your intellect, mental health, and creativity camp in your “mind.” This may be the easiest of the four (heart, soul, mind, strength) in which to choose life. Little choices made minute by minute such as watching television, listening to junk music, or engaging in gossip rob you of self-care. You affirm life when you feed yourself nourishing input.
Your “strength” is your physical stamina and conditioning. We need to make the choices that keep us in good shape – the kind of shape that enhances our ability to focus on our true purpose. I tell my daughter all the time that we’re shooting for health and vitality, not a certain size, weight, or “look.” Our strength also needs tending through the complex intertwining of the body and the mind. So if you need to address anxiety or depression that may have a medical cause, choose life and get that taken care of as soon as possible.
Self-care is a choice. What will you choose to do to take good care of God’s precious creation – you? Make small choices in each of the four areas, and watch your whole like become less stressed and more enjoyable. You can do it.
About the Author – Dr. Robin Chaddock is an award-winning college educator in the areas of psychology, and family and relationships, as well as the author or “Being a Wise Woman in a Wild World” and the upcoming “Discovering Your Divine Assignment.” This article is excerpted from her book “Mom Overboard: 12 Lifesavers for Moms Who’d Rather Swim Than Sink” which can be purchased for the deeply discounted price of $5.00 at her website
www.wisdomtreeresources.com
www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com
provides Stress Reduction Tips
Stress Reduction Tip #1:
Start your day with a quiet time. Perhaps a devotional book will help focus your thoughts or a prayer journal. Spend time every day alone with the Lord.
Stress Reduction Tip #2
Smiling and laughing are great therapy. Check out our
Family Funnies
page and lift your spirits today.
Stress Reduction Tip #3
Sometimes helping someone else feel better can do just as much, or more, to help improve your attitude. Choose someone to bestow with an act of kindness.
For more stress reduction ideas, visit our home school helps and inspirational pages.
|
