7 Quick Ways To Relax For Stressed Food Allergy Moms
7 Quick Ways To Relax For Stressed Food Allergy Moms
If you’ve followed me for a while you might know my story about getting shingles. When the diagnosis first happened I didn’t really understand why a healthy, active 30 something would get that disease. I mean, usually, it was older people with frail immune systems, right?
Maybe so, but looking back I can now point a finger at why this might have happened to me. Even though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was stressed. But it wasn’t that I was doing a whole lot of extra tasks or taking on too much, it’s just that I wasn’t realizing how much my REGULAR tasks as a food allergy mom were adding to my day.
I don’t say this to say that food allergy moms are hard done by or that I’m resentful of doing these things. No way. But I do want to point it out so you can see the pitfalls sooner than I did and hopefully accommodate in your own schedule. It’s just a fact of life that food allergy tasks take longer. For example:
Grocery shopping takes much longer because we have to read every label every time. Sourcing safe food is also time-consuming. Often we drive to several stores to find that one safe item. Thank goodness that since then I’ve streamlined my grocery shopping, meal planning and prepping process to make this MUCH easier and less time-consuming).
Eating out is not easy with food allergies. Sometimes it's easier to just cook at home. Which means more time in the kitchen for food allergy moms. If we do go out to eat, we have to research the restaurant first to make sure they can accommodate our child’s allergies.
Social get-togethers can be time-consuming whether we’re hosting or not. We’re rarely able to go to any social gathering without 1-2 dishes (even a get-together that isn’t potluck). If we don’t go out, we have people over and usually, the cooking is up to us to avoid cross-contact. This can be especially taxing during holiday seasons.
School food celebrations are a huge cause of stress for us, so we are usually baking for every celebration to make sure our child is safe and included.
Keeping in touch with teachers, schools and coaches or leaders is required throughout the year. This ranges from emails or phone calls to extra meetings at the school.
Kid’s birthday party & playdate invites can be complicated. We need to discuss diagnosis, safe food options, cross-contact, label reading, emergency plan, and epinephrine use with each parent. Multiply this by several invites a year and it really ads up!
Family vacations or weekends away take much more time to plan and prepare for. Researching destinations, restaurants, hotels, planning meals, and safe food on flights, as well as packing food & medications is much more time-consuming than normal vacation planning.
It wasn’t until I thought about my food allergy tasks in detail that I realized; I don’t have as much free time as I thought. Because my child’s safety is the number one priority, food allergy tasks will always come first. If I want to be healthy and make good choices for both my child AND me, I need to keep my obligations to a minimum and prioritize self-care. It doesn’t have to be hard, either.
Watch this quick video for my personal stories about this blog:
Seven Easy Ways to Relax and Prioritize Self-Care for Food Allergy Moms:
Exercise.
I know, you hear about this all the time. But it doesn’t have to mean a gym membership. Try going for a quick walk during the kid’s hockey practice or even taking quick breaks and walking a few flights of stairs a few times a day. Getting the heart pumping in intervals is a great way to decrease stress.
Read a good book.
Focus on fiction so you can forget about the tensions you’re dealing with. Let the story take you away.
Listen to a podcast.
There are so many to choose from these days, just head over to the Apple or Google podcast apps and search for almost anything and you’ll find it (I’ve even been on a few like: Caring for EOE, Feed Your Family Tonight and Build A Family You Love). If you can find a funny one, great, but if home organizing relaxes you, you can find that too! The sky is the limit!
Laugh.
Time to book a coffee date! If you haven’t been prioritizing your adult relationships (yep, guilty), now is the time to do it! Getting out and enjoying your friends or hubby can make a world of difference!
Start a hobby.
Have you always wanted to take up knitting? Or do you find photography exciting? Check out the local library for free or low-cost classes. In our area Michael’s Craft stores has low-cost classes too. Having a creative outlet can help you find calm in almost any circumstance!
Go somewhere new.
Try igniting your sense of adventure by going to a library across town or visiting that indoor garden you heard about. Try adventuring by yourself if you need a mom-break or invite hubs or a friend!
Have a free make-over done at the drugstore counter.
There’s nothing like having someone do your make up. It’s an inexpensive way to feel relaxed and pampered. You never know, you might find a new shade of lipstick!
Conclusion
Have you thought about how much time food allergies take? How will you start creating balance and relaxation in your life? Please comment below and take a moment to like this post using the like button; share this post with friends and family on social media or pin on Pinterest.
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