We all know the drill: rush to get the kids up, fed, dressed, and out to school, rush to get to work, rush back to the school for pick-up, rush to get dinner ready. Plus, there are parent-teacher conferences, doctor’s appointments, and never-ending piles of laundry.
In short, being a parent is busy, exhausting work, and it can often feel like you are giving so much of yourself that you wind up empty by the end of the day. Here are some ways to lower your stress levels that won’t add to your already busy schedule.
At-home yoga and meditation
It’s no secret that yoga and meditation practices can work wonders for lowering your stress levels—both mentally and physically—and help you become calmer and feel more grounded. Many busy parents, however, can only dream of finding the time to get to their local yoga class—and who’s going to watch the kids in the meantime?
Thankfully, there are some great yoga and meditation videos out there, some as short as seven minutes, which you can easily follow at home, perhaps once the kids are asleep and just before you go to bed yourself. Just make sure you avoid falling into the trap of cultural appropriation—here’s an article on how to decolonize your yoga practice.
Essential oil diffusers
Inhaling certain scents has been shown to have a beneficial effect on our mood and to help us achieve more restful sleep. A great way to lower your stress levels is to diffuse the right essential oils in your home—according to Healthline, clary sage oil is the best choice for de-stressing, as it has been proven to decrease cortisol levels. If your kids are too young to be around flames safely, choose a reed diffuser or an electronic vaporizer rather than an oil burner.
Naturally de-stressing food supplements
Similar to essential oils, certain roots, herbs, and fruits can help you become less stressed without the need for any human-made drugs. One of them is ashwagandha powder, which is made from the root of an evergreen shrub originating from certain parts of South Asia, West Asia, and Africa. Ashwagandha powder has been shown to lower cortisol levels, enhance focus and mental stamina, and reduce irritability and stress-related cravings. Honestly, what parent doesn’t need a dose of that?
A weighted blanket
This one may sound a little strange, as you’re probably more likely to have heard of weighted blankets as a sensory aid for people with sensory processing issues than as a de-stressing tool. More and more people, however, are finding that weighted blankets—also known as gravity blankets—are a great way to decompress after a busy day.
A weighted blanket is essentially a fabric sack filled with tiny glass beads, and lying under one is an extremely calming experience. You can get single, double, and even king-sized ones if you want to sleep under your weighted blanket—just make sure to choose one which weighs approximately ten percent of your body weight.
I hope these ideas help to de-stress this holiday season! Consider them a gift to yourself or loved ones. It’s a gift that keeps on giving!
p.s. MamaSmiles has instructions on how to make your own weighted blanket.
p.s.s. Related posts:
Yoga for Kids: Rachel’s Day in the Garden
Yoga for Kids Bedtime Picture Book of the Day
Exercise Motivation to YogaBox
Great Ways to Encourage Your Kids to Exercise
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Great de stressing ideas, I love a weighted blanket to help calm and de stress.