When you’ve got a family and a business to run – often simultaneously! – “stress” seems like just a part of your everyday life. But by making a few small changes to your day, you can reduce the amount of stress in your day, allowing you to create a life you love even more. Here’s how:

1. Plan for the worst. Don’t assume every day is going to proceed without emergency or problem. Murphy’s law seems to hit work at home moms particularly hard: The minute you’ve got a big deadline, the kids get sick, the dog runs away, and your husband goes out of town. Plan ahead for things to go wrong. Set up back-up systems, create a “sick day” plan, and build extra time into your schedule so you aren’t planning everything down to the minute. Turning down that assignment with the crazy deadline may mean less income, but it also means you won’t have to cut corners everywhere to make it happen.

2. Ask for help. Know who’s available for an emergency carpool run, or to drop off the kids at the pool for swim lessons – and then ask for help if you need it! Other moms are often happy to help out on occasion. You can return the favor when your schedule lightens up a little bit.

3. Stay calm. Freaking out doesn’t really help when things are falling apart. Train yourself to respond to the problems at hand, responding to the real priorities and getting it done. You can have a meltdown later, when the kids and your clients aren’t looking. But you may find that you don’t need to blow up, after the excitement has passed. Distance has a way of minimizing calamity, and you think more clearly when your emotions are in check.

4. Use the 10-10-10 rule. When something goes wrong – and you know it will! – ask yourself, “Will this matter in 10 minutes? 10 days? 10 years?” Usually, it takes only a few minutes before you’re on to the next thing on your list. If something really is critical, reorganize your priorities so you can take care of it. Otherwise, move on. Dwelling on things that go wrong won’t help you fix the past. Learn from your mistakes, and chalk it all up to experience.

5. Remind yourself of the good parts. When you’re eyeball-deep in deadlines, and up to your ears in book reports, sick kids, and bake sale responsibilities, remind yourself why you chose this life. The flexibility, the ability to be around your kids more, the fact you can set your own schedule – these are the best parts of being a work at home mom. And sometimes, you have to take the tough with the good. Over time, it will even out!

Working from home can be the best decision you’ve ever made. Set yourself up for success by making a few critical decisions beforehand – so you can enjoy the good parts and minimize the bad.

Author Bio: Lain Ehmann is the founder of Multitasking-Moms.com , where she helps women take their families, their businesses, and their lives to the next level. She is the author of two books and over 5000 articles.

Category: Womens Interest
Keywords: parenting, WAHM, work at home moms, work at home mom, stress, business stress, mom stress