5 Common Physical Reasons Moms Are Stressed

There are some reasons mom feel stressed that are medical. Here are 5 things common to moms that can cause feelings of stress and worry. 

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Pregnancy has done a number on my body.

Not just in the ole tummy region. 

Because I had 5 babies in 5 years, my “normal” became all jacked up. Bloating, headaches, and fatigue were par for the course—pregnant, nursing, or not.

It wasn’t until a few months ago, months after my last birth and decidedly not pregnant, that I began to unravel some trends I was seeing in my moods and behaviors. Here are some things I was experiencing that it took a while for me to isolate:

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Heart and thoughts racing
• Afternoon crashing

While there are many things that can cause these symptoms, I’ve figured out how they occurred in my life and am working hard to eliminate them. I feel sure there are many of you out there who are feeling similar things, so I hope this helps.

5 Common Reasons Moms Feel Stressed

Here are some issues common to moms when you’re feeling stressed. It’s crummy to feel stressed and have to try to stay calm and present, as we mothers want to do!

Eye Strain

With the amount we are on devices, laptops, etc. sometimes eye strain can really affect our heads.

Headaches, blurred vision, and even moods. My friend recently started wearing eye block glasses throughout her days while working and said the After Screen Hangover is much much less.

If you wear contacts or glasses and your prescription isn’t up to date this can also affect you. You think it isn’t such a big deal, but it is. Don’t miss regular appointments like this, even as a busy mom.

On another medical note, if you are currently on medication, be sure not to miss pills, and get evaluated regularly to be sure you’re on the right dosage. Why? Because pregnancy and birth can wreak havoc on your body, and on hormones—which leads me to my next point…

Hormone Disturbance

A dear friend told me recently that she started experiencing stress and anxiety out of nowhere. Not because of any particular situation—there was no event that brought it on.

She just started getting super anxious.

After a few months of meeting with a doctor, getting referred, and finding a specialist, come to find out that her hormone levels were bottomed out. She was put on a strict vitamin regimen and, after a few short weeks, the anxiety went away.

Don’t assume your new emotions are *you*, because they might be your *hormones.*

Dehydration

There are competing schools of thought, but you should generally try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day or 1/2 oz. for every pound you weigh. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you’d want to drink 75 oz. of water daily.

Nursing mothers are particularly prone to dehydration. They spend all day making milk, and if they aren’t careful can find themselves dehydrated.

Symptoms of dehydration that lead to stress include sluggishness, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, and even heart palpitations that can feel like anxiety. You feel worn out, tired, and over it.

How to Drink More:

• Get a cup that tracks the number of glasses you’ve had in a day.
• Make yourself drink a cup of water before or after your preferred drink (ahem, coffee or Coke).
• Add ice and a squirt of lemon or lime juice to give your water flavor.

Diet

We like to think we can eat what we want and still feel good.

And you know what? This may have worked for us in our youth. But if you are not as young as you used to be (just like me!), now is the time to evaluate our diets.

We often tend towards extremes: eating too much or not eating enough. I find I don’t eat enough, and it makes my metabolism sluggish. I’m not as hungry as I used to be, so I forget to eat meals. Then I feel like I’m starving, and eat whatever I can get my hands on.

Bad idea.

Here are some easy ways to have a better diet:

• Plan your meals.
• Don’t keep anything in the house that you shouldn’t eat.
• Prep some snacks in Ziploc bags a week ahead so you have a go-to healthy snack.
• Find a few staples and always keep the pantry and fridge stocked with these.

Cup Fill vs. Empty Ratio

There are activities that give us energy and activities that drain us. If we fill our days with activities that drain us, we feel defeated, fatigued, and discouraged. If we make sure to add in activities or habits that make us feel good, we strike a balance.

Here are some ways to add in things you love without much effort:

• Do something in the morning (before the kids wake up) that you love.
• Have good fiction books on hand to read as an escape instead of escaping into your phone.
• Go outside!
• Make a list of things that make you happy and try to do one or two every day.

In Conclusion

If you are feeling stressed, look below the surface to find the reasons. Instead of managing the symptoms, dig deeper.

Mind your health. 

Mind your heart. 

Watch your daily habits. 

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