Ways to Relieve Stress

Here are some ideas to help you relieve-stress and thus be more patient, and a better mom! (This was from our meeting 10/18/11)

Exercise- To work away your tension and help fortify you against the negative physical effects of stress. Even something as simple as taking a walk.

Eat right- What you eat can promote or relieve stress and help or hinder the body in how it handles the physical stress response. Take time out for meals, eating at regular times, avoiding sugars and fats. Eating something every 2-3 hours keeps your blood-sugar level and helps your body to better deal with stress. This is good for your kids too…It helps them to better deal with stress and thus behave better.

Take time for yourself- Read a book, do a hobby you enjoy. Take a bath and use your bath fizzie or just a shower. The warm water helps to relieve tension in your muscles and doing something you enjoy helps you relieve stress.

Write your feelings down- Writing your feelings down in a journal can help you relieve emotional-stress. This is especially helpful for those who have difficulty or just don’t have the time to talk about problems. It helps you to sort through how you’re feeling and get those feelings out in a healthy way.

Slow down- Try moving, talking, and behaving in a relaxed, slower manner, and see if it doesn’t let some of the stress just ebb-away. For example, pause at the table before you eat, or let your phone ring a few times before you answer.

Practice saying “no”- That is one of the best things I have started doing is learning to say “no” more often and not feeling guilty about it. It will not only help you feel less stress, but it will help your kids to be less stressed as well. Just pick one activity on your calendar each week that really isn’t a necessisity and say “no” to it. Sometimes we think that one playdate or activity is something our kids really need, but all the rushing around from here to there is really just causing us more stress that it’s worth. I also will pray and ask for God to show me if this activity is part of his plan for our family, or just something I want to do.

So I hope some of these ideas will help you to relax, and be less stressed, and thus more patient with your kids and others in your life.