I thought it was interesting that Crystal from Money Saving Mom talked about ways to take care of yourself and not stress this morning. I’ve been stressed out for some reason over the last week. At this point, I still haven’t been able to pinpoint the source of my stress, but I did try to do a few things this weekend that help me to de-stress.
There are a few things that I will do to help myself stop stressing and relax.
1. Take a Walk
If it isn’t too cold out, I got out and take a walk. It really helps to get active and release endorphins. The neighborhood I live in isn’t much fun to walk around, but it does still help me to relieve tension.
I’ve been riding an exercise bike most days that has helped me to release some of the pent-up energy and stress.
Admittedly, I do not enjoy riding the bike the way I do walking, so if I’m tired, it can actually stress me out to ride it. If that’s the case, I usually have a short ride or skip it altogether.
2. Dance Dance Dance!
Dancing is something that I’ve loved to do since I was a kid. I’ve always been known to bounce around and move in rhythm to a beat.
I took square dancing for a few years when I was growing up. As a college student, I took one year of tap and jazz. Austin and I took a ballroom class, which was a lot of fun!
Those few years of dance were a lot of fun and showed me that I really can relax when I dance around. I just put on a beat I can move to, depending on my mood, and put in the headset.
Sometimes, we’ll cut on the wireless speaker and get the party lights going to dance around with the kids. We’ve found that this motivates them to do their chores without complaining, or burn off some excess energy that they have.
3. Pencil and Charcoal Sketch
All forms of art are near and dear to my heart. I like to find a picture that I want to create my own rendition of, and then sketch it out with pencil and charcoal. I’m not the best painter, but I’ve been known to do a bit here and there over the years.
Since I’m naturally good at sketching, I can feel accomplished with it, unlike painting, which requires a lot of time and attention. When I’m trying to de-stress, I stick with the things that I know best.
4. Leave The House
Recently, I took a personality test through 16 Personalities, and it told me that I’m 99% extroverted. That is not at all a shock to me. I’m re-charged by getting out and being around civilization.
Staying home all day every day really wears me out. Every couple of days, I have to leave my house, even if it’s to do something small like getting a gallon of milk.
We do not have a ton of commitments that take us away from the house most days, so I have to come up with things to get out and do. Having a limited budget and living in a small town really makes this tough for me. My hope is that one day, I’ll have the ability to get out more, because I know that it is best for me to do that.
Since I’m a work-from-home mom, SAHM, and homeschool mom, everything I’m responsible for is wrapped up here in this house. If I stay here, there is no way for me to shut down my workflow. I just work and never quit, so leaving is the best thing for me.
5. Take Time For Intimacy
Having sex is a natural stress reliever. It also relieves stress and relaxes me to spend time with Austin talking
Of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–
Of cabbages–and kings–
And why the sea is boiling hot–
And whether pigs have wings….
Being with the ones I love fills my heart and helps me to enjoy life more.
These are my top ways of de-stressing and relaxing.
What kinds of things do you do that helps you to relax and de-stress? I encourage you take some time to do that this week or weekend, even if it seems like you don’t have the time.
