You will hear many parents say that being a stay at home parent is the hardest job in the world.
Only parents who have kids can understand how true the statement is. When you are a stay at home parent, you are a chef, housekeeper, teacher, referee, chauffeur, nurse, waste management engineer and coach (did I miss any?).
You care for your children, clean up their messes, and cook dinner. After dinner you change your hat and help your children with their homework, prepare them for another day, and put them to bed. By the time you slip into your own bed, you are so exhausted; all you want to do is sleep. You get up the next morning and do it all over again. While professionals get at least a weekend, stay-at-home parents work seven days a week, with EXTRA effort put in on the weekend.
Do all these frantic caring, cleaning, cooking activities have an effect on your health and well-being? The answer is simple: YES!
Stress causes plenty of problems which include teeth grinding. If you have ever experienced a constant headache from clenching your jaw while you sleep, you know how it can take a toll on your daily activities.
If you don’t take time to slow down and care for your personal needs, your health suffers. During National Headache Awareness week (June 1-7), Delta Dental of Colorado offers up 5 suggestions to help you relax:
1) Go to a bookstore, find an interesting book and sit down and read. You can stay in a quiet bookstore all afternoon and nobody will bother you. You might even learn something new!
2) Learn yoga. Yoga includes multiple meditation techniques that you can use in other areas of your life when you are feeling stressed. It will even get you into shape if practiced regularly.
3) Visit a spa or a health club. Soaking in a hot tub and getting a massage is a popular relaxation choice for a reason.
4) Write. You can write about your feelings, about a fictitious character or simple poems. Writing is a simple avenue you can take to explain your stress or put the things you are worried about into perspective.
5) Go for a drive. Here in Colorado, we are blessed with beautiful views that can have a great effect on your mood. For suggestions, look back at the blog we published on May 24.
Do yourself a favor and relax. Everything always works out in the end. The good news is you still have your health!