Being a mother is a demanding task and being a single mother is exponentially more challenging. Stress in single moms runs high because of constant demands and mom having to play dual roles in the lives of their children. What are the effects and what can be done about them?
There is a very demanding daily cycle in the life of the single mom that starts with getting the kids ready for school, getting herself ready for work, working all day long, kids' homework, their aches and pains, their needs, cleaning the house, groceries, fixing things around the house, the list just goes on and on.
Fitting all these things into twelve to sixteen hours every day causes a lot of immediate and short term stress.
There is probably not a single day without stress for the single mom.
In addition to all this, there is also the longer term stress for the single mom that comes from dealing with the emotional aftermath of a divorce or break-up.
What are the effects of this stress on the single mom?
Emotionally the single mom usually suffers because it is very tough maintaining a bright and positive attitude with all these pressure bearing down on you.
There are also the physical effects of stress. These typically include a change in the single mom's weight by either gaining weight or losing weight. Most women tend to experience the effects on the weight gain side.
Unchecked stress levels increase one's appetite that results in either a gain in weight or a real difficulty losing weight.
What can the single mom do to combat this stress?
The most important thing to do is to recognize that you have high stress levels and to take care of yourself with that in mind.
You need to make time for yourself where you can break out of the routine and just simply relax.
This can include something as elaborate as taking a vacation without the children, to something as small as spending an hour at a salon or at the gym.
Stress levels in women are also reduced by getting support from friends and family. Just talking to people and having a good laugh goes a long way towards breaking the constant cycle of stress piling on top of more stress.
Stress in single moms is a very real threat to the health and wellbeing of the single mom and it must be recognized and dealt with stress reducing and relaxation activities on a daily basis.
