Life can be totally crazy in the Nelson home and anyone that has children can understand this. Brett and I have three very active kiddos and have at least one thing going on every night of the week! It is a busy life but I love every bit of it. Over the years, after battling depression and anxiety, I have picked up a few tricks on how to reduce stress. Knowing that i’m not the only one in the world that deals with stress, I decided to share my 5 ways to reduce stress. I hope these help you like they have me!
5 Ways to Reduce Stress:
- Start the day quietly by yourself- This right here is so beneficial but can be a big challenge when you are a parent. Some of you are probably thinking,”I’m lucky if I can get 2 minutes to myself!” Trust me, there is always time in the day for you to be alone. You may have to do it before kids wake up, after they fall asleep, or during nap time but it can be possible. My kids are a little older so I like to have quiet time after I drop them off from school. For me, I like to pull out my Bible and journal and give all my stresses to God. For you it could look the same, taking a bubble bath, or sitting outside reading a book.
- Stretching- Stretching is so good for you! When we have a lot of stress, we tend to keep our bodies all tense. So, by stretching you are able to relax your muscles and melt away stress. One of my favorite de-stress stretches is called the Leg up the Wall Pose. This pose gives your heart a rest from pumping which allows your heart rate to slow down and your body relax. Do this for 5-20 minutes and you will see the difference!
- Take a deep breath- So simple, yet so powerful! When people are stressed they tend to hold their breath not giving their body oxygen which makes them more stressed. Not very fun. What you can do is inhale for 7 seconds, hold for 5, and then exhale for 7 seconds. Do this for about a minute and it calms your body may down.
- Do something you love- We all know that doing something we enjoy makes us happy but many people now a days fill their lives with business and never give themselves a break. Our bodies and minds NEED to do things we enjoy. Just like a car needs to be filled up with gas our bodies need to be filled up. Every couple of weeks i’ll go out and get my hair or nails done. I love getting to do stuff like this and just a little pampering lets my body and mind get refreshed. This could be going to a movie, reading a book, building something or whatever you love most!
- Exercise- Last and definitely not least…Exercise! When you get your body moving, it produces endorphins, chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers, and also improve the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress. Umm, yes please!! For me I love to pop in one of my Beachbody workout videos for 30 minutes and sweat away all my cares. Other great things are riding a bike, going for a walk or jog, swimming, and yoga. There are so many forms of exercise to pick from and all of them are great stress reducers.
I hope these 5 ways to reduce stress are helpful! As always, I am here to help with your Health, Fitness & Wellness goals! Checkout our latest fitness & nutrition products today!