Stressed and tired? Here’s what to do

Just like how you check your battery level on your phone and devices, it’s important to regularly check on your own “tank” level. Only when you are aware that your tank is getting low that you are going to take some actions to replenish yourself.

This is where a daily mini mindfulness practice can be helpful to “check-in” to see how you are doing. Taking a minute to breathe and pay attention to your body, you may start to notice that you have a lot of tensions on your shoulders or that you have a tight knot around your stomach. You may even realize that, hey, I need to eat something, or that I need to drink something. Or maybe I need to go to the bathroom?

Check in with what your body needs, and what you are currently feeling. Are you feeling “tired but wired”? Often, as mums we fuel up in the morning with caffeine (I am guilty of this) until we feel jittery and question why we feel anxious and wired in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, fueling up on caffeine may make it more difficult for you to relax in the evening. I recently learned that caffeine has a half-life of 12 hours. This means that the effect of your 10 AM cup of coffee in the morning won’t disappear until 10 PM at night. When I learned this I started to ensure that I don’t have any caffeine past 11 AM in the morning. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to sleep when everyone (including your babies) is sleeping peacefully and not disturbing you. Unfortunately, a lot of mums are trapped in a vicious caffeine cycle which makes it difficult to have a restorative and restful sleep, and further drive the need for more caffeine in the morning!