Being a mom and experiencing stress often go together like peanut butter and jelly. But how much stress is too much? When is it time to take note and make a change? The following signs can help you know when to say, “Enough, already!”

Sign #1: You feel frustrated and cranky about the little things: how your spouse’s teeth clink against his cereal spoon, the way your child’s voice sounds when she’s excited and when you want peace and quiet(when you’re under stress, noise and pitch can seem excrutiating to our ears) , when a car cuts you off, even though it didn’t endanger you. These things can bug us under normal circumstances, but under stress, they can make us want to go after someone!

Sign #2: You feel guilty that you have too much to do and worry that you aren’t doing any part of it well. You feel like you are letting everyone down.

Sign #3: You wake up, go through your day, and then end up in bed–and basically “go through the motions” of your day without thinking about them (sort of like driving someplace and then arriving and not realizing that you had just driven 20 miles to get there!).

Sign #4: You over-do an activity repeatedly. My personal favorite? Eating sugar. I wish I could say it was over-exercising! I self-medicate with sweets when the going gets tough (something I am working on).

Sign #5: You experience repeated head-aches, back-aches, or other bodily aches.

Sign #6: You have insomnia or other sleep disturbances.

Sign #7: You feel resentful of others in your family for not doing their share.

What causes this stress? If you have even one of these signs, it’s time to take care of yourself. Check out this video and see if you can relate. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my points and/or the video, and check back for tips on what to do to overcome stress.