Stress and Health

  I was actually going to blog about a different topic today, but last night, while watching the news, I half heard a report about women and stress (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/stressed-us-middle-age-women-lowest-study-finds/story?id=14174138#.T1gE8IcgeYs).  Sure the report was actually about women ages 45-65, but I can definitely relate with the topic.  The woman in the article talks about always feeling as though she needs to make time for her kids or for her mother or for her husband.  She's always on the go and never has time for herself.  I think so many women suffer from this syndrome.  I feel as though I am always hurrying, trying to make sure I have enough time to do the things on my schedule.  I constantly feel as though if the kids don't have their lessons then they'll get behind developmentally.  Or if I don't do the laundry now, it will pile up so that I'll never have enough time to get it done.  I'm such a type A, schedule oriented person that it seems as if I've missed the big picture.  I get physically ill if I get too far behind and I actually have panic attacks.  This is life for me and while I'm busy rushing through my day, getting to the next task, I'm toting more poor kids along, too stressed out to enjoy being with them.
  Yesterday I had a breakthrough.  I had a horrible day; I'm still having issues with Charli Kate waking up at night, the kids were in a horrible mood, I couldn't get anything done, and Tali woke up early from her nap.  After seeing this report, it dawned on me.  What good is life if you're not enjoying it?  How am I helping my kids when I'm so stressed out?  Sure everything that I do for them is good for them, but they are responding to my stress and acting out because of it.
  Keeping this in mind, I tried something different today.  We kept the schedule (I believe that kids absolutely need structure), but we took the stress out of it.  Everything is timed and before today I would be very precise.  A diaper change scheduled at 10am better happen at 10am or I would start having panic attacks.  Today I knew what had to be done and I just didn't go by the clock.  I did everything on my schedule, but for instance, it took me a little longer to get their food prepared for lunch so they ate late.  I didn't worry about it or hurry to try to make up the time.  I just went on with my day.  A few wonderful things happened when I changed my approach to the schedule.  My kids were completely happy.  Even when Jenya came home tonight he asked why they were in such a great moods.  I felt good and relaxed.  I got to spend time with my kids and we enjoyed the things we did together.  And most surprising of all, I ended up on schedule...with time to spare.  I had been rushing so much, that I wouldn't take the time to put the dishes in the washer after I prepared the kids' lunches, or I wouldn't put their dirty clothes in the laundry because I needed to move on to the next task.  With taking this new approach, I slowed down, completed everything that needed to be done and because I did this when it came time for the last nap of the day, I had some time to myself instead of trying to get everything cleaned.  We will definitely keep up with this point of view.  Life is too short to take it so seriously.  If I kept going the way I was, I would have completely missed my kids' childhood.