Is guilt the 'new' stress?

Women have pretty much made guilt a way of life.  As a busy Mum struggling with work and family commitments, who hasn't wrestled with not being 'good enough' or leaving a toddler crying at childcare, or for eating the entire contents of the choc biscuit packet straight from the kitchen cupboard, or (heaven forbid) taking time out for yourself!

While the big MG (affectionately known as 'mother's guilt') has probably always been around, it's really one huge cause of stress we could all live without - especially when you consider that your body's stress hormone (cortisol) is already working overtime while you adjust to life as a busy Mum surviving on very little sleep!

And guess what? Abdominal fat cells have four times as many receptors for cortisol than anywhere else in your body. So if you're continually stressed-out, your abdominal fat cells will be calling out for cortisol and encouraging your body to store more fat around your belly. Now who needs that!!!???

So what you really need is to stop stressing and starting ditching the guilt! How? Here's my top three tips:

1. Be a sane Mum, not a 'Super Mum' and cut yourself some slack. Don't waste energy beating yourself up over something you did or didn't do, just forgive yourself and move on. So what if you ate a whole block of chocolate - just face facts and move on.
   
2. Allow yourself to dream. All Mums need a life beyond 'being a Mum'. What have you been putting off? It's time to act - take whatever small steps are necessary to fulfill those dreams. A personally fulfilled woman makes an amazing Mum.
   
3. Remember that small acts can have big pay offs for you and your family. The key is consistency: instead of working out one hour every fourth day, try 10 minutes three times a day, on most days of the week. The smaller acts are more likely to become a routine. And when fitness becomes a part of your life, your children want to be involved too. When I returned to running after pregnancy (in between breastfeeding and sleepless nights), my then Miss Toddler would greet me at the front door on my return with a water bottle in hand and then proceed to do her own 'running races'.

So next time you feel the tugs of mother's guilt as you're out kicking goals for your own health and happiness - push that thought aside. What you're REALLY doing is passing on all the benefits to your family: good nutrition and exercise habits to last a lifetime, protection against certain lifestyle diseases, positive self-esteem and above all, a happy, healthy Mum - bring it on!