Need tips to relax? WTF has time for that? You do. It’s really important to learn how to relieve stress even when you are busy AF. Not taking time for yourself, and thinking you are too busy to build in stress management tools, is going to lead to a very unhappy you! If it’s bad enough, you might even cause health issues because you are so burnt out. (Yeah, that’s really a thing)
Not sure when the martyred mom that has frazzled hair and big bags under her eyes became cool, but it’s so not. Taking me time is the new “cool” for moms.
More and more people are beginning to check out of the mommy wars, the rat race, and the beauty competition to find more bad ass lives that make them happier than ever than before.
The number one way to start down this path of bad assness is to learn how to relieve stress.
Being on this planet, you are going to come up against stress at least sometime in your life, so it’s really important you now how to deal with stress and rock on with your awesomeness.
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Stop with the eye rolling, and listen to the crazy lady with the blog for a minute. I used to be the QUEEN of stressed and busy, still working on the stressed part, but hey I’m a work in progress. With three kids, working from home, and homeschooling all of those three kids you would think I was insanely busy, gray haired, and stressed beyond all measure. There was a time where I was.
I’ve been naturally anxious my whole life, I was probably anxious in the womb, no joke. My anxiety and stress was so ingrained that my back would start to ache and knot up even before I consciously realized that I was stressed. My body felt like it was at war 24/7. My stomach hurt, my back hurt, and I was irritable to boot. There were very few days, that I could look back and say that I was happy, and I definitely couldn’t say “I know how to relieve stress!” Stress and anxiety were just a part of me.
It wasn’t until I realized these habits were passing down to my kids, that I realized that enough was enough. My body was crying out for me to learn to deal with the stress better, and it was a decision between finding me rocking in the corner or finally deciding to unload things off my plate in order to learn how to relieve stress.
It was really scary at first. Taking care of myself was not something that I was used to doing. In my first marriage, I always put everyone else first. My ex used to make me decide between taking care of me or buying him a new video game (bet you can guess which one won most of the time) Rarely did I get a hair cut, let alone take time for myself to help me deal with the never ending busy, busy, busy and stress, stress, stress of my life. So, HTH was I supposed to figure out how to relieve stress when I was busy AF????
You know how you do it? It’s a super magical secret. You just say “fuck it” and dive in with two feet, because it’s much better than the other option. (Though I hear the looney bin has really good pumpkin spice lattes this time of the year. )
That’s why I am sharing 10 ways to learn how to relieve stress when you are busy AF. You don’t live in a bubble, so there’s no reason stress relieving techniques should be fluffy bunny and crap you really can’t do anyway. So, take a leap of faith with me and pick ONE of these tips to learn how to break that stress cycle of craziness you have going on right now!
How to Relieve Stress When You Are Busy AF
1. Meditation: Take 10 minutes out of your day when you first wake up to clear your head. Grab some headphones and listen to some relaxing music. Set the tone for the day. Seriously, this shit works! I love an app called Buddhify. When I’m wicked stressed, I lock myself in a closet give myself a time out even if it’s just for ten minutes.
2. Exercise: No, I am not talking about killing it at the gym so you look killer in that bikini. Take a walk every day. Do yoga or pilates. Spend 20 minutes or so just moving your body and concentrating on kicking stress in the butt. If you are a spoonie like me, this could mean just some gentle stretching or ten minutes of household chores.
3. Bubble Baths: Draw an amazingly warm bath, light some candles, and put on some great music. Doesn’t have to be a long one, just make sure to lock the door and let the family know you want some time alone. Don’t think you can? Ask your spouse/significant other to watch the kids. Single mom? Put the kids’ favorite video on. Normally TV shouldn’t babysit the kids, but for 15 minutes for yourself it can be a sanity saver.
4. Read a Book: Find a great book and get lost in it. Escape from reality for a bit. Even if it’s only 15 minutes before bed every night, it’s something to show yourself you deserve some fun time. Not a reader, I’m in LOVE with Audible. (Psst, Click that link and you can get 2 FREE audiobooks) Didn’t think I was an audiobooks person until I found Audible, now we are besties.
5. Unschedule Your Day: Try really hard once a week where you don’t put ANYTHING on your schedule. No doctor’s appointments, no play dates, not a single thing! Make this day about relaxing at home with your family. Just having one day “off” from the crazy schedule might lift your mood all by itself.
6. Be a Kid Again: When I was getting divorced, one of the best pieces of advice my therapist gave me was to get on the floor and play with the kids. Be a kid again! Forget all the “adult stress” and just enjoy being silly, playing games, and being a kid. To this day it’s my favorite ways to de-stress.
7. Find your jam: Music is one of the quickest ways to get out of a bad mood and unwind. Pandora is one of my favorite places to create unique radio stations that you can take with you anywhere you can access the Internet. Find your jam and dance like a fool. (You know, dance like nobody is watching!)
8. Unplug: One of my major stresses is the Internet and all of the electronic gizmos. Take some time every day and unplug! No cell phone, no TV, no computer. Just unwind doing something you love. We are all so wired nowadays we don’t realize we never take the time to disconnect from the rest of the world. It’s information overload!
9. Have a cooking day: If you enjoy cooking, make a day of it. Turn on some music (see number 7), and enjoy some time in the kitchen. Cooking was something that I used to loathe, but now I am finding I actually enjoy it. Bake your favorite brownies or muffins. Make some freezer meals and kick the family out of the kitchen. Do it because you want to not because you feel you “have to”.
10. Journaling: Get it all out on paper! I usually do this when I am taking my 15 minutes in the morning. It’s a great way to express your feelings and gain a little bit more focus.
What are some of your favorite ways to learn how to relieve stress? Share Your Favorites in the Comments
ashley says
Great article! I am also participating in the Feel Good Moment
Theek @ Laotian Commotion says
I must admit I have to remind myself to actually play with my kids when we go and “play.” TO me that has meant to intentionally leave the house without my smart phone to go to our playground. I had to come up with other unique ideas to be more mindful with my family!