Are you stressing? I know as a single mom stress often creeps on me and lingers for longer than I want it to. It gets so bad at times that I just want to crawl under my covers and never come out. When I was younger I handled stress better, meaning it did not take such a physical toll on my body. These days it’s a different story.

Lately when I get stressed I get insomnia. I either go right off to sleep then wake up at 3am or have trouble falling asleep then waking up at 2am. My mind rolls on endlessly about all the things I have to do or problems that are happening at the time.

The other physical effects of stress for me are loss of appetite, stomach ache, and if it’s really serious I completely miss my monthly cycle. Some would cheer over that last symptom, but it’s not fun (especially if you’re not active if you know what I mean). A couple years ago my doctor announced that I was pre-menopausal or had prematurely entered menopause. I was having all the symptoms of a woman going through “the change”.

So I’ve had to find ways to cope that don’t involve drugs. I tend to be pretty health conscious and am always looking for a natural alternative. There are several things I do to relieve the stress but the most effective thing I do is incorporate lavender in my life. Some of you may have seen the baby wash commercials a while back that claim to soothe your baby to sleep. Well let me tell you that it works for adults too. Since I have been using lavender I fall asleep and stay asleep. I feel rested and much better.

You can read more about it on my Squidoo lens. When you finish reading it please rate it and leave a comment. If you’d like to know more about the other natural alternatives I use let me know so we can get you to a peaceful place.

Samantha Gregory

Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.

Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.

She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.