Are You Stessed Momma? | 6 Ways To Become Less Stressed

I know it's been a bit quiet around here lately, I've been pretty busy with my homemaking and caring for my family.  Often I get stressed about the things that need to get done, but I have found ways to put the stress behind.  Motherhood and being a homemaker is often a busy and time consuming occupation.

Dishes pile high 

Laundry baskets overflow

Little tummies empty quickly

Crumbs collect on the floors

Your energy goes away at amazing speeds

Add in many other things and then it starts all over again tomorrow

Things and seasons change.  You just now get used to winter and have figured out how to entertain your two little ones, then spring comes and you now need to figure out how to fit in letting them play outside, But, you can't just let them out alone.  It's busy and it's easy to fall head first into the stress of it.

Stress is bad for everyone but for a mother it's easy for your stress to be let out in your children or husband.  Here are several ways I let go and clear my head of the stress.

Pray - give your worries and cares to Jesus.  You might be washing the dishes or changing a diaper but a quick prayer to the Father will help ease some of that stress in your mind

Read Scriptures - There are an amazing amount of scriptures to encourage a worn/weary heart in the bible and just getting a few into your day can make a huge difference. Post sticky notes around your house if you are not able to get to personal devotions everyday to help encourage yourself.  Just a small reminder that the Lord is there can make a stressful situation much less stressful.

Read a book - even if it's reading a book about bears or cars to your boys.  I find reading any type of book relaxing.  Sometimes it's just a quick few paragraphs in one of the many books I'm in the middle of reading or a children's book out loud.  I often like to try to read from an encouraging book or something that will lift me up. 

Take a walk -put your babies in a stroller and go out for a short walk.  It's great exercise and I always find it relaxing and rejuvenating. :)

Have your babies help you do housework - one of the easiest ways for me to get something done and watch my babies at the same time is to have them help me do something.  I can fold laundry on the bed while they clean something in the same room, for me that's normally picking up toys. My two year old can fold small towels and put his own clothes in his drawer.  Give your little ones wash cloths and tackle the dirty bathroom together.  Let the littles work on the tub while you clean the toilet, floor and sink.  Be sure to use safe and non-toxic cleaners, especially when allowing children to help you as the others can be very harmful to their more sensitive bodies.

Lower your expectations - Children grow at alarmingly fast speeds and you want them to remember having a blast!  Their memories shouldn't be of momma always stressed about having the perfect house.  It's okay if the dinner dishes don't get done every single night, the laundry isn't folded right away, the bathroom needed to be cleaned a few days ago or dinner is simple.  Have fun with them, spend time outside playing in the dirt, sit and read what feels like 100 books to them one afternoon, go to the park and just waste the afternoon, let them sit in the tub extra long because they love playing in there, just have fun! Your babies will grow and you'll have all the time in the world to have the spotless house you didn't have then they were little! :)


I often fail at doing these things but when I stop and realize the stress I have or I've placed on my family I strive to do one, several or all of these things.

When the stress builds in your home what do you do?  Would you add something to this list?

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Never Alone!

 

Matthew 18:20

"and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."

No matter what we are never alone, God is always with us, even to the end! 

 

Today's the last day to enter the itti bitti Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

Comfort from the Scriptures

Last night I was up for a few hours with my little guy teething. I was discouraged and tired - honestly I didn't want to do it, I wanted to go back to sleep until morning. :) For awhile I didn't do anything except rock him and give him some teething homeopathic remedy to help relieve his pain. I then got my phone out and started reading the Bible on it. First I read Proverbs 31, then Philippians, & then the first 4 chapters of Ephesians. No reason for the order just sort of did it. He was resting well by the forth chapter of Ephesians so we both went back in bed. :)

During the time I spent reading several different verses stood out to me and comforted me as I rocked my baby. He wasn't crying though, just awake. He's never cried much with teething.

I found comfort during my discouragement and tiredness in the middle of the night from these scriptures:

She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Philippians 4:4-6

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3

Among many others. :)

What scriptures encourage you when your discouraged and tired?

A Precious Promise

"But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31

This Week

I'm pretty thrilled today, so far I've been able to keep up, which has seemed to be more of a dream than a reality these last couple weeks! : ) I have my kitchen clean, dishes washed and drying, laundry going well, baby fed and happy, dinner semi planned, & a few projects ready to start. I have of course "everyday" things to do but I'm looking forward to getting some other things done this week. Some of the things on my list include:

Try some new recipes.

Make a few freezer meals.Experiment more with Kefir and try some new recipes using it. Maybe some of the good ones will end up here. : )

Make my baby new diapers (these are pretty important - they should have been at the top of my list).

Read a book on Love that I received for review. It looks really good from the back and the little bit of jumping around reading I've already done.
Get some craft projects done - wedding album finished, cross-stitch Thomas Kinkade lighthouse finished, some birthday gifts, etc.

Get some reading done with my hubby. I love to read and it's so much more fun to read with My Love. Some of these books we've already read together.

Spend as much precious time with my Husband and baby - time flies, baby (almost 6 months) is already rolling over and trying to sit up!!

I probably won't be able to get all these things done this week but at least I have a goal! Goals help me a lot. Keeps me pushing till the end! Every time something gets marked off my list I feel like I've accomplished something!

We are in for some real cold weather the next few days in our neck of the woods. I don't like the look for the high of 8 and low of -4...I'm from California - we don't see temperatures like that. : )

Thank you for stopping by! I pray that your day & week is blessed and is filled with rest!

♥ Tabitha