EAP 58: Managing Stress, Decreasing Overwhelm, and Prioritizing Self-Care

Our guest on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is Elisha Beach, founder of TheMom-Forum.com blog and mom of 8. Elisha as 3 children of her own, 4 step-children, and 1 adopted child, so she has seen it all. Her husband travels a lot and has an unpredictable work schedule sometimes, so Elisha found herself responsible for the household more often than not. She eventually started having anxiety and realized that she couldn’t keep putting off her self-care until she “had time”. She needed to find ways to manage stress, decrease overwhelm, and prioritize her self-care. Elisha knew that she thrived in community, so she started the Mom Forum Facebook group. Before long, she pulled together the first Mom Forum event and started a personal blog focused on moms themselves rather than on their kids. She found that many other women out there could relate to her struggles with burnout and the guilt that she had felt previously when she had prioritized her self-care. Elisha says that the key to prioritizing self-care is to put it on your to-do list and actually schedule it in as a part of your routine, perhaps early in the morning, later at night, or during your lunch break. Elisha’s non-negotiable self-care practice is eating nutritious meals three times a day and she has also found that by getting up before her kids to and getting herself ready first, the mornings are much more pleasant and less chaotic. Some other helpful self-care routines are drinking plenty of water, working out, meditating, and scheduling doctor’s appointments. Most moms have trouble asking for help or being honest with their partner about their needs. A key to prioritizing self-care is to communicate with those around you before you get down the road of stress and overwhelm. Elisha has built a community on social media to this end, and she has also started a podcast as well as hosting quarterly events and annual mom retreats. For more information about The Mom Forum and to get a copy of Elisha’s self-care workbook, check her out at the links below. Topics Covered in this Episode: • Self-care for moms • Building a community of support • Reducing stress • Taking charge of your life and household