Food Allergy Mom Stress Relief Challenge
Sweet food allergy mom,
I am so glad you stopped in today!
I can only guess you're feeling a little run down lately,
and that the words "stress relief" perked you up a bit.
Understandable!
Because so many moms are overwhelmed and stressed out these days.
I hear it all the time in our Milk Allergy Mom community.
Add the intense work of managing food allergies and keeping our kids safe.
Girl, you deserve a super mom cape.
But is it really a cape you want?
For me, it's a break I need.
Heck yeah, friend, some dog-gone rest.
Are you picking up what I'm putting down? lol
MY SELF-CARE STORY
In 2017, after decades of plowing through life like an invincible machine,
I crashed and burned.
Turns out, invincible, I was not.
We had diligently managed allergies for over a decade,
my sister was tragically killed,
my stepdad was diagnosed with brain cancer,
and balancing home school and running a business in the midst of it all was getting tricky.
I sure don't share this to drag you down...
but to assure you that I've been in some valleys, my friend.
Not surprisingly, like most busy moms, I thought I knew self-care.
I thought I was doing enough of it.
But when my body burned out with a year of chronic illness from stress...
there was nowhere to turn but to some good rest and new habits.
That's how I got better, with my licensed counselor and the good Lord's help.
I still love my monthly self-care maintenance checks with my therapist...
she's an amazing sounding board, cheerleader, and coach.
With her help, I've come a long ways, baby!
PROFESSIONAL HELP
If you are suffering from some kind of trauma yourself,
I can't recommend enough finding a licensed mental health professional who can help.
Mine helped me discover my stressors,
how to process stress in my own helpful way,
how to manage anxiety that comes with my stress,
how to set boundaries to protect my health,
and how to enjoy a new, vibrant life with regular restful habits.
If you are dealing with severe issues, professional help is important.
You don't have to go forever.
I had no idea I could "graduate" from counseling, but I did.
I learned enough skills to keep myself healthy.
And now I just love to go back as needed to keep my skills fine-tuned.
As one who worked two years on a masters in counseling...
and then spent the past two years in regular counseling to process and overcome PTSD...
here are some of my favorite take-aways that I hope to never forget.
Putting them here will help me remember. And I hope they enlighten you, too!
7 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT CARING FOR OURSELVES
1. My favorite word for self-care is rest. Counselor-approved.
2. Rest keeps us healthy not only physically but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, too. Who doesn't want that?
3. Rest needs to happen every single day. Not just when you're exhausted.
4. When we have more stress than usual, we should rest more than usual. We often do the opposite!
5. What's restful to one person may not be restful to another. You have to discover your best methods for rest.
6. Rest isn't always sleeping. It can be an activity you love or even a physical activity as long as it restores you.
7. Rest oftentimes can be a quick 5-minute reset. Great news for busy moms like us!
5-MINUTE SOUL-CARE
Because I'm a mom with a lot on her plate...
homeschooler, online business owner, 20-year wife, church volunteer, neighbor, friend...
I absolutely love the 5-minute stress relief activities I've learned to do.
Some help me rest a lot, some aren't restful to me at all, lol.
That's why it's good to experiment and discover what works for you!
I call these "resets" in my day.
And they definitely propel me on to getting school finished, dinner on the table, etc., etc.
Don't get me wrong, there are days I totally fall off the wagon.
But I know enough now to hop back on as soon as I can.
I hope my story and take-aways inspire you to find your own restful routine.
When we find our rest, everything is better.
Even our loved ones reap benefits, too.
And sometimes THAT'S just the motivation we moms need.
If you'd do anything for your family...find your rest for them, mama.
Trust me, it changes everything.
Now read on for a little fun!
SELF-CARE WITH FRIENDS
Now here's the exciting part.
As much as I love learning soul-care and rest with my counselor,
rest with friends by your side is icing on the cake.
That's why stress relief is a huge pillar in Milk Allergy Mom Membership.
There, we have a fun 7-day self-care challenge you can take anytime.
Plus we inspire each other with stress relief ideas at least once a week.
If you'd like to learn more about finding rest alongside encouraging mama friends,
we'd love to be part of your self-care journey.
Just click below to get started!
I know you can do this, we can help.
