When Mom needs rest

For young mothers recreation is essential - in between simply having time to do nothing. This is important for physical health, as well as for the psyche. With the help of targeted relaxation techniques, you can recover the mind and body to be fit and happy.





Studies by the Gallup Institute show that especially women with a child under the age of five suffer from rest and sleep deficit. It is therefore all the more important to have regular resting periods, which mothers should prescribe themselves for recreation. Too little sleep can harm the health: from more harmless consequences such as acne to weight gain to panic attacks, sleep deprivation can have a lasting effect on well-being. So, high time to change something - even if you now say "I have no time to rest!"

Let the mind wander

Purple Davachi from the New York University of Neuroscience has found that only eight minutes of eye-closure and "letting the mind wander" bring about significantly increased brain activity in the field of long-term memory. Although this does not prove that the resting phases improve mental abilities by the day, the researcher concludes that the sleep times affect the memory capacity. So instead of activating Facebook or doing the laundry, lie down and close your eyes for ten minutes when your child sleeps. In the work you use the lunch break to simply switch off - put on headphones and relax with classical music.

Purple Davachi himself tries to relax every night consciously for a few minutes as soon as she has put her children (1 and 3 years) to sleep. It uses this time as a transition from "working mother mode" to "regenerating self". During the day she walks more often for 30 to 40 minutes along a river to get her head free. "I also find relaxation when I just put my feet up and look out the window," says Davachi.

Remove the plug

A study by the prestigious Harvard Business School showed that hard-working business consultants can achieve more by pulling out and unplugging the plug during their 65-hour week. Although this study looked at the full-time working of the economic sector, it also shows the importance of enjoying a full-time job - and nothing else is a newborn - to regularly enjoy rest periods to recover from the stress.

Planned time-outs from motherhood can be quite uncomplicated things like a relaxing bath for half an hour on weekends. Make sure that your partner or a sibling takes care of the little one, block the door and take time for itself - consistently. No mobile phones, no laptops, just you and your relaxation.

Relaxing does not mean watching TV

Many think that television is relaxing. In reality, television is tired, but the brain can not properly relax. Everything that the mind's attention needs makes him tired, even when the effort is pleasant. On the other hand, it has been recognized that boredom also strengthens the brain. Really relaxing is to imagine calming activities like sea noise - best only in a room.

If you feel tired, go for a short round. Do not steer your steps through busy streets and alleys, but through a quiet park with many trees, shrubs and paths. The brain can be much more effective.

Redefinition: What and how?

For a young mother, it may be an advantage to consider your own standards. With suddenly a head more in the family, you have to do all hands full. In the beginning it will take enough time to keep the baby (and herself) clean, feed it and change the diapers.

If you are happy to create to-do lists, split the tasks into two lists: one is listed as a "must-list", the other as a "would-be list". Laundry, shopping and other essential things put you on the "must-list". Less important things like lawn mowing or documents can write on the "would-be list". But do not forget yourself with these lists: after every point which serves the whole family, one who is only to you is to come.

The maximum of sleep

Of course, you can recover with night sleep best. With a small child, however, this usually does not correspond to your own ideas. Fortunately, our body does not need to catch up every hour of sleep that we miss. However, our organism has built an internal mechanism that will keep us awake when we need to protect our offspring. If a crying baby awakens in the middle of the night, it can sometimes be difficult to fall asleep immediately.

Sometimes you get a little nervous when you notice how many hours of sleep you miss. On the other hand, this strategy helps:

1. Turn the alarm clock toward the wall so you can not see the time.
2. Set it up in bed as comfortable as it is possible.
3. Breathe in and count up to four.
4. Hold your breath and count up to seven.
5. When breathing out, count to eight.

If you exercise this exercise for a few minutes (and then continue breathing normally), you can lower the heart rate and soothe the body. Also make sure that the babyphone is not set too loud. You should only listen if your child really needs help, not when there is a few sounds in the dream. And think long term: after nine months most babies sleep the night completely.