Inner Spaces for Busy Moms

A lot of the stress we take on in our daily lives is self-imposed. By determining excessively high standards for ourselves, or for the people around us, we are setting ourselves up for frustration when we invariably fall short of our goals. Be realistic in your expectations!

Don't expect yourself to wash the car, mow the lawn, take care of the kids, stock up on a week's worth of groceries, cook three meals a day and pay the bills all in one day. You'll end up a nervous wreck. Though all of these are jobs that have to be done, try spreading them out over a manageable time frame and accept that you're doing the very best that you can within a given set of circumstances. Nobody has the right to expect more of you—not even you.

Delegate as many chores as possible, perhaps by involving family members and setting up a reward system linked to accomplishments. What's obvious to us may not be so obvious to our children. Take the time to spell out that help for mom around the house means you'll be more available to play and have fun!