• Be the first one to wake up every morning. Check
• Rush to make breakfast and pack lunch for kids and spouse. Check
• Get kids ready and make sure they have everything ready for that day. Check.
• Rush out to drop off the kids to school, munching toast while driving so that you get to work on time. Check
• Hustle at work- meetings, deadlines, and unexpected extra workload. Check
• Rush back home, cook dinner and drive the kids to hockey/ soccer, dance or piano lessons. Check.
• Get home, relax a bit and read a book or watch your favorite TV show. NOPE!!!

NO check this time.

It’s obvious!

You are done for the day. Period.
You are too exhausted even to sit and enjoy your favorite prime time TV show.

If you are a mom and this is your story day in and day out, then you are most likely suffering from the Exhausted Mommy Syndrome!

Well to be honest, it’s not a real term. I just made it up.

But it does summarize the situation well, isn’t it?
I used to suffer from it too few years ago, so I know how it feels.

I’ve yet to meet a mom who has said ‘Oh me? No…. I’m neverrrr tired. I have loads of energy! I enjoy my life and even have time to pursue my hobbies!”

Most people complain of being tired, as we are too wired all the time and living life at a dizzying speed.

But moms are extra special in that regard, as they also have the added responsibility of worrying about everyone and everything around them. Right?

All this running around deprives us moms of any possible time for self care. Who am I kidding!

We are eating on the run, are stressed 24/7 and perhaps not even getting quality sleep.

The result?
Exhausted Mommy Syndrome.

Let me explain what is really going on.

The continued stress causes the adrenal glands to work in an overdrive mode.

The adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol which helps us deal with stress. It helps us with our fight or flight response mode.

Being on a constant roller coaster to manage stress causes spikes and crashes in our blood sugar levels.
It’s a state called dysglycemia. You can check out my blog here to read more about dysglycemia

If your blood sugar levels are not balanced- you feel tired.

Why?
Because sugar is the fuel which gives us energy.
Blood sugar imbalance = tiredness.

In fact tiredness is one of the symptoms of diabetics.

No you don’t have to have diabetes to feel tired. Diabetes is the condition/ disease that happens when the blood sugar imbalance/ dysglycemia is completely out of control for a prolonged period of time.

Now if you just said, “I can manage stress really well, it’s not a big deal”, then think again.

You may be externally managing the stress and not panicking outwardly in the face of it.
But the body on the inside is fighting and struggling really hard to keep you functioning ‘normally’.

That is enough to make you feel tired or in severe cases exhausted.
That is why mental stress is even more tiring than physical stress.

So let’s explore some ways to balance blood sugar levels:

1. Don’t skip meals.
Skipping meals deprives the body of fuel it needs to function well.

2. Avoid foods that are high in refined sugar or carbs.
They cause spikes in blood sugar levels followed by immediate crash, making you tired.

3. Eat balanced meals to stabilize the blood sugar and bust cravings.
Here is a cheat sheet on how to bust cravings, and balance blood sugar levels.

4. Get more sleep.
Sleep helps calm the brain and the body, gives it time to rejuvenate and recover from the day’s stressors.
Yup, no smart phones in the bedroom please!

5. Make time to slow down during the day and be present.
Even if it’s for a couple of minutes every few hours. Here are some ideas to do this:
a. Take breather during your coffee break. Grab your mug, take a deep breath and just sip your beverage while looking out the window or with your eyes closed; instead of staring at the computer and tying the next email.
b. Or say you are in the shower, take a couple extra minutes and actually ‘feel’ the water droplets on your body.
c. After dropping off the kids to their next activity, just sit in your car for 5 min and practice slow breathing.

You will be amazed at how refreshing these mini breaks can be!
Plus it’s totally doable since you don’t have to set aside a chunk of time to meditate and then feel sorry that it never happened.

If you need help with eating balanced meals to stabilize the blood sugar levels, take advantage of the 50% discount on the 3 wk Diet-Free Diet program.

Sale ends tomorrow and the program starts May 13th.

So this Mother’s Day do me a favor and care about yourself for a change.

Happy Mother’s Day!!

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