Kids, husbands, Laundry, meals, Jobs, cleaning the house…regularly. All of these things can and do take an exorbitant amount of a Mom’s time. It’s the rare parent that says “oh I have plenty of time to hang out this weekend’. I would love to tell you that life is a piece of cake and you will find balance and have an un-compromised house, but I can’t nor will I blow smoke up your booty. Stress is a fact of life
But let me take a step back and describe just a few of the types of stress and a short description of each: These include:
Physical: Overwork, excess exercise, chemicals, junk food, accidents, surgery.
Environmental: Pollution, noise, temperature extremes, electromagnetic fields, toxins.
Biological: Illness, allergies, pain, chronic disease, hormone changes, aging, malnutrition.
Sociological: Marriage, moving, work, daily hassles, caring for an ill loved one, loss, financial worries, birth, death.
Psychological: Anger, fear, anxiety, frustration, negative thoughts, depression, sadness, grief.
I will not promise that you will only experience one or 2 of these at any given time, shit you may very well go through all of them at once but I want to share 5 ways to help you reduce stress. These are ideas that you can use daily regardless of stress level, and I’ll suggest maybe you share them with your kids and family as well. When everyone is in harmony it helps the household remain balanced as well.
- Listen to music- In one of the very first episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith and Christina ‘dance it out’. Dancing can turn all of those stressful feelings around. it boost the happy chemicals in our brains and if you sign to along with the song it can almost feel like you’re yelling and release the pent up anger with.
- Clean your house- This is one that I learned from my sister after I went through a friendship break up back in February. Cleaning is cathartic. I always feel better putting my energy towards something that will have a tangible outcome. And it also gives me the feeling of a ‘clean’ emotional state. I swear by this one, depending on what’s going on in my life I may end up with just a clean bathroom or whole house overhaul.
- Meditate- yeah I get it, often when we’re in the throws of stressful situations the last thing we THINK is, there’s no way I’m ever going to be able to shut my brain down. Let me be the first to tell you, that’s so not true. Yeah it may be harder to do it in the beginning but stick with it. Find a quiet place (the bathroom floor also works!) and begin by just focusing on your breath. I always keep my earbuds on me so I can log into my Spotify account, select a metronome playlist or just start this guy up which helps me focus and honestly 5 minutes is all it takes to help me get back on track. Now it doesn’t get rid of all the shit I’m going through but it’s a start and that’s all I can ask for, right!?
- Exercise- Not because you HAVE to but because you want to. I turned my dining room into a fitness center so I can work out any time day or night. There are so many benefits to this as well, my kids see and have access to the same equipment as my husband and I do and it puts exercise and wellness front and center.
- Get creative- When the Covid Pandemic hit I, like many others searched for ways to save my sanity. I started an urban garden in my yard, I took up painting and began working on my Personal Trainer Certification. I needed a healthy outlet where I could channel my pent up energy. Is there a hobby or activity you’ve always wanted to dive into? If so start. Listen I can’t draw a stick figure but I didnt let that stop me. There are so many site out there that will give you beginner tips, all you need to do is ask Google.