Tag Archives: stress

My 3 Week Meditation Challenge + See What I Worry About & Tell Me What You Worry About..It’ll Be Fun!

April 9, 2014Health, Not A Perfect Parent SeriesAveeno, meditate, stressAlicia

This post is part of my Not a Perfect Parent Series.

You might have seen on my Facebook page that I have partnered with Aveeno to participate in the #AveenoDailyChallenge for the next three weeks. I was given the option of eating healthier, staying better hydrated, or de-stressing/meditating.

Despite the fact that I don’t really enjoy vegetables, I think I eat pretty healthy so I didn’t opt for the ‘eating healthier’ challenge.

I already drink a TON of water everyday so I didn’t opt for the ‘staying better hydrated’ challenge either.

What I was left with and what I really want to work on is de-stressing/meditation.

I think one reason I may get very stressed, besides just from being a parent, is that I don’t get a lot of sleep. I started experiencing a lack of getting tired when I started going through menopause about 6 years ago. I have since been diagnosed with insomnia and it is very difficult for me to fall asleep and to stay asleep. I don’t lay in bed and think about things like bills or what’s on the schedule for tomorrow, it’s just that I don’t feel tired. I mean, I FEEL tired and I just don’t want to think anymore, but my body doesn’t want to go to sleep. In hopes of naturally conquering the insomnia, I’ve revised my bedtime routine to include white noise, listening to soothing music (the Spa channel on Sirius XM is great!), reading, a warm bath, sometimes I’ll exercise close to bedtime to see if that makes me feel tired, but none of these things lull me to sleep. I just don’t get sleepy tired. BUT my mind is exhausted and I’m useless by about 3am. I either take something to help me sleep or I don’t sleep.

Does this sound familiar to you?

The upsides of not sleeping are that I get a lot done at night and as strange as it sounds I usually don’t feel tired for the next day even if I didn’t sleep. It’s an interesting phenomenon really. This has been happening for six years and you would very seldom see me yawn or complain about being tired. Mentally tired, maybe but not sleepy tired. I’m not one who looks forward to going to sleep and have often thought that sleep in a waste of time. Since learning how important getting a good night’s sleep is though, I am trying very hard to change my thoughts on sleep being a waste of time.

The point is.. I hope that by practicing meditation, which I am doing as part of Aveeno’s #AveenoDailyChallenge program, my body will relax enough so that I can fall asleep naturally and be generally less stressed.

I can’t help but think that my stress level plays a part in my insomnia. How can my mind and body relax when I’m so stressed even if I don’t feel stressed once I’m in bed?

I am the first to admit that I get stressed and worry, a lot. This is not something I am proud of or think is because I have a more difficult life than other parents. I never intended on being a mom who was on the go all of the time. I didn’t want to be busy busy busy. BUT, I have to allow my kids to participate in at least once after-school activity/sport each. It happens to work out so that my son participates in two things which between the two take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and my daughter does two things which between the two, have her doing something after school every Monday, Wednesday and then on Saturday. That leaves us with Friday to catch up on life, chores, play, and general family hangout time.

Then there are times when I get upset with myself for allowing myself to get stressed and worried when I have kids who are so happy and great!

kidscollage

Here are a few things I worry about

I worry about the kids getting hurt doing everyday things like going up and down stairs or walking outside without shoes on
I worry if I am going to have a nightmare that night
I worry about what’s on the schedule for the next day
I worry about how I am going to get both kids to their sports games that are at the same time on Saturday but two different places an hour away from each other
I worry about if the puppy eating enough
I worry about if there is laundry piling up in the laundry room
Did the dishwasher get emptied so dinner dishes can be put right in or are the dishes going to stack up?
Will my daughter be up too late on a school night because of my son’s lacrosse practice?
Is my daughter’s sniffle going to turn into a sinus infection?
Why does my son’s room look like a clothing store vomited it’s merchandise onto his floor and bed?
When is the right time to have him clean his room.. it seems like we’re gone all of the time.
Am I giving my daughter and son enough individual attention?
Am I paying enough attention to their homework and studies?
..The list goes on.

Does your worry list look like this?

What kinds of things do you worry about?

See how myself and 59 other bloggers are committing to the #AveenoDailyChallenge here.

Post by Aveeno.

Stay tuned here and on my Facebook page as I embark on this journey to de-stress!

Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant from P&G Smells Oh So Good.. and Works Great Too! | @SecretDeodorant

March 12, 2013Beauty & Skin CareSecret Deodorant, stressAlicia

I learned something new..

Did you know that sweat from stress actually smells worse than any other type of sweat? Yikes!

Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant from P&G claims to work by targeting those stressful moments in life and providing prescription strength protection. This is ideal because when I am in the middle of a stressful situation, the last thing I want to think about is my deodorant. 70% of women claim that running late is the most stressful scenario they are faced with. If you are a busy mom like me, chances are you face running late to something at least once a week. How many times have you been rushing around, trying to get yourself and your family out the door in time, only to realize when you get there that you smell like you just ran a marathon? Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant may not be able to give you that extra half hour you need every morning but maybe it can stop you from smelling like a construction worker when you do finally make it wherever you may be going.

Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant review

Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant works a little differently than your average deodorant. You apply at night and it works with your body’s chemistry to provide you with protection the next day. This is ideal for a busy mom because it’s one less thing you have to worry about in the morning. I’ve made putting on Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant before I go to bed, a habit. I brush my teeth, wash my face, and put deodorant on. Secret Clinical Strength is waterproof so it will even lasts through my morning shower.

Oh, and the serene citrus scent is absolutely delicious and lasts!

We all experience stress sweat. Secret Clinical Strength Sweat Response Deodorant’s claims sound great to every busy woman. We may be stressed on the inside but most women would rather keep that smell to themselves.

Take a minute to learn more about Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant here and click on the FAQ link to learn if it is the right deodorant for you.

I was provided with a sample for review purposes. I was not required to write about this product. All opinions are my own.

A Million Thoughts Going Through My Head, One Week From Surgery

July 27, 2012Health, New posts, Personalstress, surgeryAlicia

Beware.. this post is pretty choppy.

Like the title says, I have a million thoughts going through my head and this is a written snapshot of a few of them.

It’s late and I’m still working. I’m working at my kitchen table typing snippets of blog posts, checking emails, checking Facebook, and making sure my websites are all up to date.

I’ve been very busy the past week, with family in from out of town. We stayed at a cottage for a few nights at Callaway Gardens in west Georgia, and have been visiting local attractions like Georgia Aquarium.

While walking through the aquarium today, it hit me that tomorrow (Friday July 27th) marks one week before my surgery. I’m scared about the surgery. I’m having my tonsils removed after struggling with all sorts of illnesses since I was a child. Tonsillitis, Mononucleosis, and possibly some other illnesses that end in itis or osis as well as chronic throat pain.

I know that having my tonsils removed is a good thing and will improve my quality of life but the actual act of having them removed and the two or three weeks that follow is what scares the daylights out of me. I don’t like that I am going to be on general anesthesia and that I’m going to be in pain for some time after the surgery. I don’t like that someone will have to take care of me and my kids for at least a week. My ENT made sure to tell me how painful having tonsils taken out is for adults. Our tonsils are much larger than a child’s which is why recovery time is longer for adults than for children.

So in a nutshell, I have been scared, nervous, anxious, and stressed for the past couple of weeks which is wearing my mind and body out.

I think I’ve been working and doing more lately just to keep my mind off of the surgery. All subconsciously of course. I would never work more just for the fun of it.

On a more positive note, I was lucky enough to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico a couple of weeks ago, with a couple of friends Desiree and Stacie, which helped keep my mind off of the upcoming surgery and I am very happy that some of my family is visiting from out of town now. I don’t know what I’d do if I hadn’t been so busy the past few weeks preparing for their visit and for being out of commission for a couple of weeks after surgery.

I’ll be missing the popular blogger conference, BlogHer ’12, this year which I’m pretty bummed about but I’ll enjoy keeping up with BlogHer via posts on my friend’s Facebook pages and blogs during the conference. That’s if I’m not sleeping or too drugged up on pain meds to read after the surgery.

How will I not freak out the day before surgery? I keep asking myself, is it worth it to have my tonsils taken out or should I just deal with the health issues? I worry that if something happens to me, I’m leaving my kids and that I’m making a conscious decision to have the surgery so it would be my fault. I’m just worried.

Need a Mood Boost? 8 Instant Mood Boosters!

March 22, 2012New postsMood, stressAlicia

You are a busy mom, I know how it is. Down in the dumps? These super-quick tricks can have you beaming in no time (no prescription needed).

Your boss is piling on the work. Traffic is in gridlock mode. The kids won’t … stop … whining. And you? You could benefit from some sort of emotional pick-me-up right about now.

You’re in luck: Research shows that there are a number of simple things you can do to transform grumpiness into happiness (quickly).

“You can change habits, behavior, and attitudes one inch at a time. Just be persistent,” says Philip H. Friedman, PhD, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., who is director of the Foundation for Well Being and an adjunct assistant professor at the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology.

Got a minute? Then hug your partner, check out some artwork, and give these other smile-inducers a shot.

Here are four of my favorite of the eight instant mood boosters featured in the original article on EverydayHealth.com.

Take a Power Nap
Get Decked Out in Green (or Yellow or Pink or Blue)
Jam Out
Take a Piping-Hot Shower
See the other four instant mood boosters here.

Wordless Wednesday: How my 5 Year Old Calmed My Panic Attack Yesterday #WordlessWednesday #WW

November 2, 2011New posts, Wordless WednesdayPanic Attack, relax, stress, Wordless WednesdayAlicia

I’ve got a lot going on right now.. like most parents and small business owners do, and I had a full on panic attack yesterday. My blood pressure skyrocketed, my pulse was racing at over 110 bpm for hours and I didn’t know whether a green light meant stop or go for a little while there. Don’t worry, I wasn’t driving.

Yesterday evening, the kids and I were at my mother’s house while I was in full on panic mode and I stepped outside to find my 5 year old daughter gracefully pulling seeds off of a butterfly weed my mother had given her to play with. She spent about 30 minutes plucking the seeds off of this butterfly weed then she took them one by one to a spot in my mom’s yard and gently blew the seed off her hand. It really was the most beautiful thing.

Just watching her do this for 30 minutes (I usually don’t sit still for that long) lowered my bp and pulse considerably and while I was thinking of 5 million things I ‘should have been doing’, I am so glad I just sat there with her and enjoyed the moment.