Stress is hard to contend with. It shows itself in different ways. For me its achy legs, grumpiness and tiredness. Do you have days where you just want to shut the world out? Days where your bed and duvet are much more inviting than the day ahead? Days where despite loving and adoring your children you would like to be sat in a relaxing spa miles away? Days, when going to work is the last thing you want to do? Don’t get me wrong, I do actually really love my job, but there are days when that can get too much as well.

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Am I normal? It is just being human? Being female? Being a mum to two small children? Or being a wife? Is it just to much stress and pressure?

Wives, mum’s, women many of us seem to carry the world on our shoulder’s. Some of us do it better than others. Me, maybe not so well. I have days in the car where I will scream and cry. Then compose myself when I meet people, I’m alright really!

I have a family I love, I have a job I enjoy. So, why stress? Life’s challenges, it would be boring without them. The need for more, the need to prove to myself that I’m actually worth something. Quite often I feel worthless. I’m mum, I cry, stress and nag. I’m mum, quite often ignored. Also, I’m mum organising bills, presents, birthdays, Christmas, Mothers day, Father’s day, Easter. Insurance, doctors appointments, washing, shopping, the list goes on.

As a mum, I often forget to look after me. Me who holds up everyone else. They say if a plane is going too crash then you should breathe into the mask first before passing it to your dependents. I’m sure I heard that somewhere. So, maybe us mum’s, women, home financial officers, do need to put ourselves first more. Our families need us!

So what can we do to relax, look after ourselves and ease the stress?
1. Put you feet up and relax with a mug of Herbal tea

2.  Watch your favourite  DVD

3. Listen to an audible book

4.  Cuddle up with your favourite author book or Kindle US  and   Kindle UK

5. Listen to your favourite music

6. Walking in the woods or by the sea.

7. Gardening– taking your stress out on the weeds

8. Relax with Bath oils

9. Relax with a Bubble bath

10. I started my blog due to stress. Writing for me is a good stress reliever.

11. Breathing exercises

  12. Trying to believe in yourself. Right now I am writing my first novel. Trying to keep positive and motivated as I type. 34300 words today.  I am not half way yet!

We all know that stress is not good for us, though many of us feel it. Many of us continue to work on through it. The “I wants” from the children carry on and we do our best. I took my children to B and M this afternoon to buy a garden broom. I could have been in and out in minutes. Instead, I was chasing them up and down the aisles and explaining why I wouldn’t buy the things they wanted.

They were slightly better in Morrison’s buying some plants but not much better. So, I wanted to buy container plants. Trying to work this out, Google on my phone and the kids saying “what about this one?” Does not help to make a decision. I ended up with two Gerberas and two Hollyhocks, which now I’m home I’ve found out they grow too big for my containers. They will soon be moved to the flower bed. Yes, I love my children very much!

I’m sure many dads feel it as well. Some dad’s I’m sure do much more than others. Daddy here will get up in the morning, letting me sleep at weekends which is honestly a huge bonus, I need my sleep! The kids adore him as they have him just where they want him. Daddy often says yes to their wants, mummy is the bad guy!

So, what do you do to stay calm and relaxed? Do you feel as stressed as me? Do you ever feel the need to shut out the world? It’s not easy being a mum but so many of us do it and we do a fantastic, amazing job with it. We conduct our own appraisals. I’m sure some of us carry out our appraisals more than others.  I did mine today whilst bathing my five year old, twice as covered in mud. Black face, then mud in her hair all due to coating herself in Sun cream. I had to run a separate bath to wash her hair. Yes, mum fail, I should have made sure that I applied the sun cream.

Yes all the joys of being a parent, as I bathed her I regretted not taking a photo, it was frustrating but quite funny really. Maybe one of those times where we should have been laughing rather than me kicking myself once again.