Hi, my name is Jaymee and I am a mum of 3 boys, Jack (8), Oliver (6) and Arthur (4). My blog The Mum Diaries started in 2016 as a way of documenting our memories. I now write about things to do during the holidays, activities and crafts on a budget. My goal is to be able to earn enough from my blog to be able to pay for the little luxuries in life.
1.) Do you suffer with stress frequently or occasionally?
I suffer from stress every so often, most of the time I am okay but more often than not I find the world is spinning so fast and I just want to get off.
2.) What sort of things cause you stress?
There isn’t one particular thing that causes my stress, more a mixture. The main factor though is money (isn’t everybody’s?) We are a single income family and I am trying to make blogging work for me as a way to bring in extra money. With my husbands job he works early in the morning and he doesn’t necessarily have a finish time, so me finding employment isn’t easy. Childcare is just to expensive and not to mention what I would do during the school holidays! I recently went Self-employed so I could start accepting paid posts but I am no £150 a month down, and no where near earning that much. I really want it to work but at what cost?
My sister suffers really bad anxiety, she has had to overcome so much with having a disabled child, being mugged at knife point and recently a few health scares. I try to be a shoulder for her (and all my siblings) and be there when she needs too. I do worry for them all though.
Arthur is starting school this year and I have over mothered him to the point he doesn’t like to leave my side. He is such a shy dude and I have no idea how school will affect him. He isn’t like the other 2, but everyone keeps telling me he will be fine. I don’t know though, I can’t help worry and that is stressful enough as it is.
3.) Does anything in particular make stress worse for you?
I don’t really talk about my stress/anxiety to anyone. Other than my sisters I don’t actually have friends. There are people I say hi too and I meet with one of the mums from school so the boys can play with her children, but when it comes to actual friends there isn’t anyone I can talk too.
I struggle with sleeping and the only thing I can think of is the stress causing me sleep problems.
4.) Does stress have an impact on your physical health?
In a way it does, the lack of sleep means I am tired during the day and can become rather grouchy and short tempered.
5.) What do you do to alleviate stress?
I have tried all sorts, writing helps me to look at things in certain perspectives, which in turn helps with the stress. I try to make me time once a week by having a bath and reading a book.
6.) Do you think more needs to be done to raise awareness of what causes stress and the impact it has on us and those around us? If yes, what would you do or like to see done?
I think any awareness would be a good thing. Maybe more about how to deal with stress and understand it more.
7.) Do you have any tips for anyone dealing with stress?
I don’t think I am in much of a position to help anyone else with stress. I would love to learn some tips though on how to help with mine.
