Taking Time Out: Mum Stresses & Self-Care

There is no getting away from the fact that being a mum (or dad, just a parent), can be pretty stressful. There are so many wonderful things about being a parent, and I definitely wouldn’t change it for the world. But sometimes, no matter what the age of your children, the stress can be very real as it can all seem quite relentless. I know from speaking to my own mother that the worry never leaves you, even if your children are older or even have their own family; you will always be thinking about and wanting the best for your children or wanting to help them.

And all of that can be pretty full-on, right? Teaching children, caring for them, cooking for them, helping them, and loving them, never stops. But if you don’t take some time out, then it can make you exhausted, stressy, and even a little resentful. There is an old saying that says that ‘if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,’ and I think it is so true. It is hard to parent at your best if you are feeling exhausted and frustrated.

I have been using an app called HRV4Training to measure my heart rate recently, doing a few things that I normally get on and do with my kids. It has been an interesting experiment to see what my heart rate is normally, as well as what makes a difference to it, especially mum-related things.

My heart rate was going up from in the sixties to around nineties when trying to get out of the door to do the school-run; the rush and the stress of it all is real!

So as essential as doing things like the school run is for me in this stage of life with school children, too much stress in our lives isn’t going to be that great for us over time. Which is why self-care and time for rest and relaxation is so important for any parent. So with Mother’s Day coming up, being able to really treat your mum to something relaxing like a spa day would be an amazing gift and something that can really make a difference.

I went for a special spa day yesterday in London at London Therapy 4 U, to test out how much of a difference something like a massage can make when trying to combat ‘mum stress.’ I was using the app to measure my heart rate and it really did help to calm and relax me; much more than when I am doing the school run! The experience was really lovely and I was able to enjoy it with my sister-in-law, who as a mum of three with a new baby, definitely needed a little time to rest and take time out for herself.