How many of you have woken up with a sick baby lately? Or maybe you’re the one who woke up feeling like you just got ran over by a Mac truck?
When we encounter sickness, unforeseen obstacles or feel like the universe is working against us, here are 4 tips for managing stressful situations with little ones!
1. Call In Reinforcements
Reinforcements can be in the form of family, friends, a hired babysitter or neighbor you trust that can come help you for a few hours. Whether you need to run into the office for a few hours, get some work done from home, run errands or simply need some “you time”, don’t be afraid to ask for help!
If you are dealing with a lot of stress or feeling super sleep deprived because you have been getting up night after night with a sick baby, I strongly encourage you to call in reinforcements and take a few hours to yourself. Take a nap, go for a walk, do some Pilates or something you love that calms your mind. When you have time to yourself to destress, breathe and re-energize your body, it helps you be the best version of yourself in all other aspects of your life.
2. Breathe Before You React
One technique I use to help calm my mind, destress and not over-react is to breathe for 2 minutes. Yes, two whole minutes!!! Taking deep cleansing breaths in and exhaling the stress out can help you clear your head, destress and create space to come up with a Plan B or way to tackle what’s in front of you.
This is a productive and effective way to help you not only tackle unexpected events that arise with a sick child, but also manage stress when unexpected tasks pop up on your already lengthy “to-do” list.
3. Re-Evaluate Your To-Do List
Do you feel like your never-ending “to-do” list seems to loom over you day after day and even on the most productive days, it almost seems impossible to get everything done? I hear ya, mama!
While getting things done is necessary, we can’t let our lives be ran by a “to-do” list. When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, I recommend re-evaluating your list and asking yourself these questions:
- Can it wait until tomorrow?
- If it needs to be done today, can it wait an hour?
- Can my spouse or partner take on these tasks?
Remember, you don’t have to tackle everything all at once. Whatever items on your list you have determined MUST be done today, move through them one at a time!
4. Communicate
Everyone has been through stressful situations in their life so don’t feel like you are alone. Communicate with your boss, co-workers, friends and others to let them know what’s going on in your life. I promise they will understand and in most cases, be willing to help you with whatever they can.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Asking for help doesn’t make you any less capable of taking care of your family. Use the above 4 tips for managing stressful situations with little ones whenever you begin to feel overwhelmed! I promise it helps!!
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