I have been having an exceptionally bad and difficult week.
Nothing that I seemed to plan was working. I wanted to scream, but in a house of toddlers that is as big a luxury as UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP and Some REST. It was frustrating to say the least with piles of laundry mounting, school work pending, my Internet business screaming for attention and the constant pressure to please family, friends and the added pressure of maintaining the Social presence – Facebook, Twitter etc. DOH (Dear Old Husband) was of no use except that he stayed out of my blazing war path and steered clear of my hormonal surges. Smart Chap! Would have served him well to warn the kids too, who bore the direct brunt of it all.
Read all in SCREAMING: Pick up the toys, NOW!
Clean the bed, NOW!
Towel off the floor, NOW!
Do not drop crumbs on the bed, take off your shoes and keep in place….., turn off the TV, NOW!
I was acting like a WITCH on the broom, showing off my 100+ pounds of sheer strength on a pair of sweethearts and acting like (I hate to admit) a BULLY. They looked at me with an expression that said- “She was someone else an hour ago, now she is someone else!” The fear in their eyes and the sheer contortion of their face as I mockingly raised my hand to hit the younger one(after he had spilled sticky, sugary, strawberry milkshake over the just changed bed covers), told me that I had to stop and learn to control my mood swings. Nothing in my life was more important than the emotional well being of my children. And if they felt abused and over worked at age 3 and 6, I was a total BUMMER.
I learnt my lessons: Here are some tips to help you in yours:
I learnt: Mood Swings are caused primarily by hormonal imbalance, menstrual cycle, menopause, pregnancy, hypothyroidism, any endocrinal abnormality or other biological problems and other factors such as stress at home and at work. Women, especially mothers experience a lot of stress due their office work as well as they manage their homes too. They look after their kids, take care of the aged parents and try their best to outperform in their jobs also. A lot of responsibilities may lead to stress.
I tried this to salvage: Yoga, some brisk morning walks, evening jogs, chill time out with close friends, a calming bath, aromatherapy, a good book read, a silent candle light with the significant someone, can help de-stress.
Do Not try this at home: Do not hit the child, do not scream or verbally abuse him because you have had an exceptionally bad day. Do not push away the child because he is coming in the way of your work and wants to show you his painting/doodling just when you are at your creative best. Do not throw, yell and shout to de-stress, he will pick up all of this as the right way to exercise his frustrations as he grows older. Tell him calmly to leave you alone for some time when you need to think and analyze your position
Definitely do this: If this is becoming a regular affair, more than twice or thrice a week, or even once every week, do definitely seek medical help, seek a doctor or a therapist to check if you are suffering from bouts of depression or Bi Polar disorder or plain old Postpartum depression raising its ugly head a few years down the drain! Yes why not! no harm in getting it checked up
Think Positive: Nobody gets out of this life…. ALIVE. Just do it decently enough to earn a grave headstone. Develop a sense of humor, laugh more often, surround yourself by people who laugh and have a good time. Worry about the future, the finances, the children…. but only for some time of the day and not the whole day.
Healthier Practices: Eat well, better, richer, fresher and greener. You will definitely look , feel and act saner!