Article

For Mums Who Do It All: How to De-Stress in 3 Simple Ways

3-min read

Updated on 2026-2-27

Author: AIA Health Proposition Team

The new school year is here, and nearly a month in, many parents are already feeling overwhelmed. Between morning drop-offs, busy workdays, and evenings spent helping with homework, juggling multiple responsibilities quickly becomes stressful. In fact, a recent survey by the Lutheran Church found that 90% of mothers experience stress, with nearly a third rating their mental stress at 7 out of 10 or higher¹.

Stress doesn't just affect your emotional well-being—it can also have serious physical consequences. High stress increases levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), potentially leading to weight changes, metabolic problems, weakened immunity, and more^2-3. Fortunately, stress can be managed effectively.

Here are three evidence-based strategies to reduce cortisol levels, recharge, and regain control.

Understanding the Impact of Stress: The Role of Cortisol

Cortisol, often called the "Stress Hormone", is produced by your adrenal glands to help the body respond to stress. Generally, cortisol levels can be measured through saliva, blood, or urine tests. While cortisol temporarily boosts alertness and energy, sustained high cortisol levels can negatively affect your health, causing²⁻⁴:

Physical reactions: Rapid heartbeat and breathing, headaches, dizziness, stomach pain, and affecting weight
Mood swings: tension, anxiety, depression, frustration
Unusual behaviour: tearfulness, appetite changes, angry outbursts, fatigue, and insomnia

Stress itself isn't the problem—it's how you manage it. Taking time to mentally recharge is crucial for facing life's demands calmly and confidently.

Method 1: Take a Moment to Reset

Connect with Nature

Research suggests spending just 20 minutes outdoors daily can significantly lower cortisol, easing anxiety and fatigue⁵. A short walk in the park after breakfast is an easy way to introduce relaxation into your routine.

Music Therapy

Listening to high-frequency music (528 Hz) can effectively reduce cortisol and relieve stress⁶. Wellness program, such as the AIA Vitality^a, offer calming music selections at the Wellness module to help you unwind. For deeper relaxation, unique treatments like AIA Alta Wellness Haven's innovative Quantum Harmonic Audio Treatment helps restore both physical and emotional balance.

Meditation Before Bed

Meditation before sleep has been shown to reduce cortisol, stabilise mood, and help manage anxiety⁷. Spending 10–15 minutes meditating or visualising calming environments can ease tension and promote better sleep⁸.

Method 2: Adopt the '80% Rule'—And Prioritise 'Me Time'

Constantly striving for perfection often keeps cortisol levels high, amplifying stress and anxiety⁹. By applying the '80% rule'—accepting that not everything needs to be done perfectly—you can significantly reduce stress. For example, occasionally opting for a takeaway meal instead of cooking can be a healthy step towards self-care.

Setting aside regular 'Me Time' allows you to recharge and reconnect with yourself, whether it's through a relaxing manicure, a quiet coffee break, or any activity you genuinely enjoy. Taking this personal time to temporarily step away from responsibilities helps you recharge, enabling you to manage your daily challenges more effectively.

Method 3: Stress Relief Through Nutrition

Dietary changes can naturally reduce cortisol levels and help manage stress. Eating complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice and sweet potatoes, stabilises blood sugar and mood, effectively reducing cortisol¹⁰.

Additionally, adopting principles of the Mediterranean diet—such as salads with olives, leafy greens, and salmon—can further support stress reduction and lower cortisol¹¹.

Even 'Super Mums' Need a Break

Being a "Super Mum" isn't realistic or necessary. Instead, evidence-based stress management through effective cortisol control will significantly benefit your mental and physical health. From today onwards, prioritise your own well-being to truly care for yourself and your family.

AIA, Supporting Mums at Every Step

AIA recognises the extraordinary effort mothers put into balancing family and work life. We firmly believe that caring for your family should never come at the expense of your own health. Alongside comprehensive insurance coverage, AIA is committed to supporting your physical, mental, and emotional wellness through specialised services.

Our dedicated team at AIA Alta Wellness Haven^b offers Integrated and One-stop Wellness services, covering mental, physical, and nutritional health (A reference video, available exclusively in Chinese, can be found here). In addition, our Child and Adolescent Growth and Development Support Hotline^c provides professional parenting advice, addressing concerns around behaviour, cognition, and emotional growth, promoting healthy parent-child relationships.

When challenges arise, AIA is here to help you navigate every milestone together.

^a. AIA Vitality membership is only available for Hong Kong and Macau customers. The applicants for AIA Vitality must be 18 years old or above and must be the insured of the in-force policy of an AIA Vitality insurance product. The annual membership fee of AIA Vitality may vary at any time without prior notice. For details related to the membership fee, please refer to aia.com.hk/aiavitality.

^b. AIA Alta Wellness Haven is solely operated by Sustainable Wellness Limited ("Sustainable Wellness"), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Humansa Company Limited and independent third party of AIA. Sustainable Wellness is fully and solely responsible for the services and/or products provided in, and for, AIA Alta Wellness Haven. The use of the above services is subject to the terms and conditions of AIA Alta Wellness Haven.

^c. This service is provided in Hong Kong by the designated third-party service providers engaged by AIA and is not applicable to Macau Region, subject to change from time to time at our discretion.

^1.香港路德會服務處. 「多職媽媽精神健康狀況」問卷調查. 2023.

^2.香港大學. 認識壓力. nd.

^3.香港保健協會. 皮質醇與健康. 2023.

^4.Jeong IK. The Role of Cortisol in the Pathogenesis of the Metabolic Syndrome. 2012

^5.MaryCarol R. Hunter, Brenda W. Gillespie, Sophie Yu-Pu Chen. Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers. 2019.

^6.Lata F, Kourtesis I. 2022. Listening to music as a stress management tool. 2022.

^7.Rogerson O, Wilding S, Prudenzi A, O'Connor DB. Effectiveness of stress management interventions to change cortisol levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2024

^8.青山醫院精神健康學院. 壓力管理. n.d

^9.Michael J. Page, Andrew P. Hill, Owen Kavanagh, Susan Jones. Multidimensional perfectionism and cortisol stress response in non-clinical populations: A systematic review and evaluation. 2018.

^10.Soltani H, Keim NL, Laugero KD. Increasing Dietary Carbohydrate as Part of a Healthy Whole Food Diet Intervention Dampens Eight Week Changes in Salivary Cortisol and Cortisol Responsiveness. 2019.

^11.Alufer L. Tsaban G. Rinott E. Kaplan A. Meir A. Y. Zelicha H. Ceglarek U. Isermann B. Blüher M. Stumvoll M. Stampfer M. J. Shai I. Long-term green-Mediterranean diet may favor fasting morning cortisol stress hormone; the DIRECT-PLUS clinical trial. 2023.

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For Mums Who Do It All: How to De-Stress in 3 Simple Ways