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Welcome to Day 25 of 31 Days of Mom Mojo – Tackling Time Management

Many people look for natural ways to deal with daily stress. It’s probably a good idea to deal with it each day, too, so that the stress does not get “held in” and therefore is allowed to wreak havoc on your health.

Here are some tips for dealing with everyday stress the natural way.

Consider What You Eat

Practicing good nutrition is important for stress management. Taking a good vitamin supplement – preferably food-based and formulated for your age and gender – is a good idea. Eating healthfully every day is also important, and varying the foods you eat helps ensure you are getting the nutrients you need. Whole foods are a good idea – whole grains, fresh produce, and lean meats are a good basis around which to build your stress-protective diet.  Adding in nuts and seeds also is beneficial.

Give Yourself a Break

So many of us, me included –  create their own stress by self-criticism and negative self talk.   Try to combat those negative thoughts about yourself and eliminate the words, “shoulda” and “woulda” from your vocabulary.  Instead train yourself to focus on the positive things you do and not the negative. We all make mistakes, so by allowing yourself some grace, you will decrease the stress that will build up inside.

Prepare for Little Things

As you work to reduce and deal with everyday stress, it helps to prevent those little stressors that can add up to make a very bad day – those triggers that really get under your skin.

Here are some little things to remember each day (you can even make a list and post it beside the front door so you’ll see it before you leave the house, and so you don’t have to try and remember all these things):

• Have an extra car key handy, either in your purse, in a secret compartment outside of your car or in a pocket so you don’t lock your only key in the car by accident.
• Have snacks on hand in the car in case you are delayed by an appointment or if you get stuck in traffic.  There is nothing worse than kids getting cranky because they are hungry. Also, snacking on healthy foods helps keep blood sugar steady, which may help reduce stress symptoms.
• Keep water or a drink handy.  Whenever we head out for any period of time I bring a bottle of water with me, filled from the faucet with ice.  I encourage my kids to grab one too, because they know I will not be stopping for drinks if we are delayed.  This helps everyone be more responsible for their own needs.  (I do have a couple spare bottles of water kept in the car just in case of an emergency too.)
• Double check yourself before you leave the house – do you have coupons, your wallet, check book, credit cards, any papers, forms or return items with you?  Taking a minute before you leave will help you keep on task and not get stressed because you have to backtrack to get something you inadvertently left at home.

Listen to Music

Choose music that is calming and peaceful, and play it throughout the day or whenever you can. You may not even pay much attention to it after a while, but it is probably affecting your stress levels (in a good way!).

Exercise

I’ve shared about exercise and how important it is for your body and regular exercise has been shown to greatly reduce stress. The key, sources say, is to exercise daily so that your everyday stresses are “worked out,” so to speak. Exercise helps basically every body system, and gives you a much-needed energy boost that can help you handle the stressors that come your way each day.

Find Solitude

I’ve shared about the importance of disconnecting – and it is extremely important to combating stress.  It is important that you take time for yourself.  Disconnecting and taking a few minutes to do something you enjoy will significantly lower your stress level and allow you to come back more refreshed and energized..

Deep Breathing

Slow, deep, regular breaths are said to help stress. Periodically during the day, you can stop and take 5 to 10 deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathing out should be as slow as breathing in. When you breathe in, it’s recommended that you “aim” toward your belly button, as though breathing into your lower abdomen.

Drink Herbal Teas

Herbal teas can help a variety of ailments and stress is one of them. They have been shown to help relax people and lower their stress levels. Therefore, give herbal teas a shot. A few popular herbal teas for stress are catnip tea, chamomile tea, lemon balm, and passionflower. However, there are many more. You can drink these teas throughout the day, but if under a lot of stress, it’s recommended that you do it right before bed as well.

Stretch Daily

As stress builds up in the body, it’s important to find a way to release it. Stretching daily is a way to do just that as it will ease tension from your body. Stretching will not only relax muscle tension, but it can also help realign joints. Yoga and Marital Arts classes are great ways to get your daily stretching in.

Sleep

I can’t leave this topic without touching on the sleep topic – yet again!  It is such a critical element in your body function at it’s best – make sure you are not forgetting it!

What your favorite stress buster?

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