Any mother

could appreciate some time for herself.

"The

women that I work with often tell me that they feel overwhelmed that there's

too much to do and not enough time to do it," said Pam Solberg-Tapper,

a certified life coach from Hermantown, Minn. "What happens is that

they try to be everything to everybody, and they end up selling themselves

short."

Juggling multiple

obligations involving family, friends and career can make even the healthiest

person feel out of balance.

"It zaps

your energy, which in turn affects how you eat, how you sleep and how

you care for your physical self," said Solberg-Tapper. "That's

why it's essential for women to find some balance."

While there

is no single recipe for achieving life balance, the experts recommend

starting with self-care. According to Solberg-Tapper, women often are

busy attending to everyone else's needs and not their own.

"If we

don't take care of ourselves, we are actually less able to take care of

others," she said.

"As mothers,

we need to care first about who we are we must honor our own values and

needs," said life coach Chere Bork of Eden Prairie, Minn., who owns

a small business owner and has two teenage children.

"Happiness

is liking who you are, what you do and how you do it. But it all starts

with who you are," she said.

Bork and Solberg-Tapper

offered these additional tips for restoring life balance:

· Decide

which parts of your life are most important and which parts require less

of your attention. Then learn to say no. If necessary, cut back on some

of your commitments.

· Delegate

chores, and accept the results of the finished product. It's OK if it's

not done perfectly.

· Each

day, think of five things you are thankful for. This offers a positive

shift for your mindset.

· Stop

trying to be perfect in all things. Do your best in the time that you

have.

· Be active

in any way you can. When you exercise, your body releases "feel good"

hormones, called endorphins. Physical activity also redirects your attention,

and helps you to gain a better perspective.

· Get

adequate rest. A healthy sleep cycle makes it easier to cope with life

in general.

· Do one

nice thing for yourself each day. Choose something that brings you joy.

Back

to Healthwise Home Page |