Mommy stress is different than other kinds of stress

I've spent most of my Mommyhood as a working Mom. I know the pain of leaving your baby with virtual strangers at a daycare, the difficulties in working from home with a sick child and letting go of your work self to transform back into Super Mom. But I've also enjoyed the benefits of a job I love and am good at, and the social niceties of life with my work family.

At various times, I've also been between jobs and been a stay at home Mom. I've felt the angst of hearing too many children's songs and not enough adult conversation and the boredom/guilt cycle that happens when you want more from your life than Candy Land. But I've also enjoyed special activities with my son and watching him grow and learn new skills on a daily basis.

Both of these states of being are stressful in their own way. And it turns out that this parent/work/life balance stress affects women more than it does men. The Holland and Barrett Good Life study found that women experienced two stressful days per week while men only experienced one. (I wonder which days of the week were the ones women felt the most amount of stress. Tuesdays? Fridays?)

Both men and women in the study claimed that money issues, work and health were a stress trigger, but women who were surveyed were more likely to also list stresses related to the home and family life, too.

So, that is kind of a bummer. 

Let's look for some good news: Evidently, as we age ordinary activities make us happy. When I type "ordinary activities" I don't mean things like taking out the garbage or driving to the grocery store. It turns out that things like having meaningful conversations with our friends or having a water gun fight with your family (thanks, Mom!) can all have the potential to become long-term happy memories.

Let's focus on that: What made you happy today? Share with me in the comments.