Do you struggle with stress and anxiety and not sure how to cope? Is motherhood weighing on your emotions and you find at times you just want to sit in the corner and cry? Today I am sharing how I go about dealing with motherhood and stress. I really hope it offers you some hope and inspiration for those harder days
I often ask myself how I can possibly get anything done all day with two kiddos, a mountain of housework, AND the anxiety/depression I deal with. First, let me take you back to when it started and I’m hoping some of you can relate. I’d love to share with you the top 5 ways I combat that enemy of mine called Stress, and how some days, I just don’t. How are you dealing with motherhood and stress?
When my daughter was born six years ago, I was hit hard by a thick brick wall called PPD. It came on so suddenly and it got so bad, I became consumed by it. I tried a few different medications too but never found anything to help. Being unable to nurse my daughter and having to put her on formula the very first night home, was the worst. I see now that fed is best, but to not be able to do the one thing a mother can do for her baby, was heartbreaking.
All The Advice
Bless his heart, but I didn’t have a supportive husband at first because he just didn’t understand. Add onto that the having to share my birthday (trust me, I know) and having very overbearing in-laws and parents. And when I say overbearing, I mean it with the most love that you can. It was wonderful, but it was in my face all the time. Staying home for the first time when my husband went back to work, not being able to nurse my child and having EVERYONE’S advice piled on top of me, was way too much to handle.
Jackson James 
Brooklynn Christian
Thankfully, I have found a few ways over the years to cope with that anxiety, And because relocating your family to another state with no support or help with a very needy 3-year-old and very opinionated 6-year-old can drive anyone up the wall. I realized that I couldn’t sit in this dark place anymore. I was doing no one any good by treating myself like I was the least important person in the house. Finding balance was the goal and in turn, I found myself again. I pulled her out of that hole, brushed her off, and created a life that she can feel safe and proud of.
Here are my top 5 tips to help with stress and anxiety, and I hope you can relate to some of them.
1. Find like minded people
For the longest time, I thought I was alone. I thought the overwhelming numbing feeling was normal and that I just had to deal with it. But it’s not!! It’s ok to not be ok, and it’s ok to talk about it. Find some moms in your area that deal with it and open up about it. You’ll be no good to anyone if you don’t let your emotions out. Don’t take the example from the yeti in Small foot, and shove it down inside. Nope! Just say no. There are so many groups on Facebook that center around this and is a great way to find other mamas dealing with the same feelings.
2. Find a creative outlet
A wonderful way to feel like me again was to find a way to express myself. The reason I started this blog is to pull myself away from the loads of laundry I have and focus on something I love to do. I can sit down for a couple of hours and write out the things I’m passionate about, and in turn, offer you something tangible for your life.
3. Treat yourself like a priority
If you only stay home with your kiddos, never go out and be around other adults and only scroll Instagram, then you’ll feel worse then you did yesterday. Get together with some friends and go out!! Grab a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or go to karaoke! Spend some quality time with yourself and don’t worry about the kiddos! Think about yourself and realize that you can’t help anyone else if you don’t first help yourself. This is probably my favorite way of Dealing with Motherhood and Stress.
4. Get a daily routine together
I am in the deepest hole of depression if my house is way over my head. If the laundry is piled high, the dishes smell like rotten milk and everywhere you step, you hear a crunch and stick to the floor. I need to have some type of order in my home if I’m going to feel somewhat normal. My morning routine is really helping with this, and I hope it can help you too. I love Fly Lady Kat, A Bowl Full of Lemons, and cleaning videos on YouTube to give me ideas and inspiration. My favorite channels are:
5. Volunteer
I absolutely love to volunteer in my church coffee shop. It gives me time to myself and to know I’m serving others AND being around coffee, duh! I love being around people and helping others!
There you have it, my top 5 ways I help to fight stress and anxiety. I deal with this on a daily basis and so I needed to find ways to cope. If you deal with this and just need someone to talk to, please reach out. I’m always here to talk. Were my ways of dealing with motherhood and stress helpful? Do they resonate with you? Let me know down below which one you liked most.
Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out Kelsey Farley! If you struggle with stress and motherhood, I’d love to hear about it. Share your experience on Instagram with hashtag #kelseyfarleyblog and tag me @kelseycfarley so I can follow along and share your photos on my page/stories. Make sure you subscribe before you leave so you can snag your FREE Daily Plan Tracker. I hope it inspires you to take control of your day and make sure to tag me when you use it! I love you guys, and I’ll talk to you soon.
