A New Year is almost upon us all.

A New Year of possibilities, dreams and wishes to come true.

Stress. It’s not something that is healthy or that many people talk about (for that matter) in their own life. Especially being around so many busy, working mothers day in and day out online and offline, it’s amazing how we all just sort of “get it all done” every single day. We’re working/running businesses. We’re managing our schedules and daily appointments. We’re in charge of our kids’ schedules and everything that they have going on in their lives. There’s our households and our relationships that we need to keep on top of, too. There’s a lot on our plates and stress can most definitely be a factor in all of our trying-to-get-everything-done.

When I look back on 2015, I have to say – it was a good year. I committed to running a ½ marathon and completed it. I wanted to carve out more time for me and my family this year without electronics present, and the weekends became that special time. I wanted to keep myself updated on doctor appointments, so I made sure to do that for myself (and my family). I wanted to read more, so I made sure to always have a book by my bed. I wanted to eat healthier, so I made sure I had lots of fruits and vegetables in my house at all times. Professionally, it was a great year, too. My business has grown this year and more opportunities became present to me. I knew that I couldn’t keep running my business on my own, so I started to develop and create a team of people around me that I trust.

But my year was definitely filled with stress and lots of it.

So it was well-timed when Aetna asked me what caused the most stress for me in 2015, because stress levels have damaging effects on health and reducing stress can boost well-being.

My answer to this question is easy, it’s trying to balance it all and realizing that I don’t have a consistent outlet to let the “stress” out of my body, mind and soul. I wear many hats – mom, wife, daughter, business owner, business partner, CEO of the home, scheduler of all appointments/practices and friend.

I try to be the best I can at all these things, every single day… but that doesn’t always happen and it absolutely causes me stress. I find myself getting the most stressed when my house is chaotic – laundry piles on the bed, bathrooms that need to be cleaned, my office unorganized, dishes in the sink and my house just out of order. There’s always something that needs to be done and the consistent to-do list of maintaining and managing my home and business can get stressful. We don’t have any outside help (no nannies, sitters, cleaners – just us), so many times it can get a little crazy trying to get it all done in a 24 hour period and then starting all over the next day, too. Usually I deal with this stress by trying to just get it all done before I head to bed, which isn’t good because there are many nights I’m exhausted and just want to fall head first into bed!

I really would like 2016 to be different for me. I want to find better ways to manage it all and also make time for me to keep myself active consistently. I always feel better about things after a good run or a brisk walk or some laps in the pool. Problem is I don’t find the time to do that for myself regularly and this is something I really want to work hard on changing in 2016.

I’d love for you to join me throughout this journey! We’re all in this together and I think being honest with ourselves as to what kind of stress we hone and how we can reduce it is something that’s so important for ourselves and our families, too.

Let’s make 2016 a year of less stress!

Disclosure:
This post was sponsored by Aetna, who believes health is about the body and the mind. Stress can affect emotional and physical health, and reducing stress can boost wellbeing. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own and do not necessarily represent the views of Aetna. To learn more about stress reduction, visit aetnamindfulness.com