Life is stressful, there’s no way to sugarcoat it! However, once we get home and close the front door, we should be able to relax and de-stress. These simple tips will help you reduce stress at home.
Stress is something that seems unavoidable in today’s fast-paced world. While the human body is built to adapt to and handle short term stress well, it is not able to handle the effects that stress can have on someone’s body.
No one is going to be able to avoid stress. Stress comes in a variety of forms and in different areas of one’s life like relationships, health issues, and/or work. It does not matter if they have a great day in one of these areas, there could still be stress in another one.
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Reduce Stress At Home
Our home should be a sanctuary from the crazy world. But sometimes it’s hard to switch off once we get home.
There are many things that can help to reduce the amount of stress that you feel at home. Here are five of them that are considered to be the most important.
Tip 1: Relaxation Time
Everyone needs time to relax. It is important that everyone gets at least a few minutes of relaxation time each day. For parents, it might feel like there is never enough time to relax.
The problem is that if you aren’t relaxing and recharging your batteries, then it will actually take you longer to do the things that you need to get done. Regular relaxation is going to make one more efficient.
Finding time to relax can be difficult, but it’s so important to make it a priority. Check out my post about Finding Time for Self Care.
Tip 2: Get Organized
You might not see how being more organized at home will help you reduce your stress levels, but it really can help.
When we feel stressed and overwhelmed it is because things are out of our control. Even if you have a lot going on, if you are in control of the situation, then it won’t feel stressful.
By becoming more organized it will help you stay in control of your life and therefore, feel less stressed once you get home.
Tip 3: Meditation
Spending time in meditation is something that can be soothing and help you reduce stress at home.
There are many reasons for this but the main one seems to be that people who are more mindful have more hope. Having hope can give someone a sense of peace and reduce the amount of worry that they have. This all leads to less stress at home.
You might think that meditation really isn’t your thing or you just don’t have time for it. But taking five or ten minutes a day to calm your mind and focus is going to pay off more than you can imagine!
There is scientific proof that meditation can help reduce your stress, and it takes just a few minutes a day! If you don’t know where to start, then try out one of the many meditation apps are available. I like Headspace or Calm.
Another great introduction to meditation is Dan Harris’ book, 10% Happier. It was after listening to the audiobook version on Audible, that I decided to start a meditation habit… and I’m so glad I did! Try Audible for free and get 2 free audiobooks!
Tip 4: Don’t Bring Stress Home
If work has been bad and stressful then it is important to forget about that stress once you walk inside the doors at home.
For the millions who now work from home, having a time that is just for family and things that are not associated with work is so very important. Set boundaries and leave work stress behind during those times.
Focusing on the positive things about your job when talking to your family, spouse, or partner can also help you to leave the stress from the job behind. Turning the home into a sanctuary that is void of the stress that is felt outside of the home will help the home to be less stressful as a whole.
Tip 5: Do One Thing at a Time
It can be hard to honestly focus on one thing at a time. In a world where multitasking is the norm, it can be nearly impossible to start to slow down and focus completely on one task without trying to do three other things at the same time.
Now, don’t get me wrong! I’m a fan of multitasking at times. Emptying the dishwasher while the coffee maker is brewing, is a good use of your time. But for important tasks, it’s far better to focus on one thing at a time.
In Buddhism, there is a strong focus placed on mindfulness. The idea is that if you are able to focus completely on the task at hand that you will be more present in this task which means that you will do a better job, and therefore, get it done quicker with less stress as a whole.
Taking moments throughout the day to completely focus on the task at hand will really help your mind and reduce your stress. Try it next time you are brushing your teeth. Rather than thinking about what you want to get done that day, focus just on brushing your teeth, the position of your toothbrush, each tooth as you clean them.
A Fresh Mindset
Reducing stress at home isn’t as simple as taking more bubble baths (although that helps too!). It’s about changing your mindset towards stress.
If you can focus on positive thoughts then you will be more likely to be happy in life. This happiness can really carry over to helping you feel less stressed. Positive self talk can help a lot too.
Telling yourself that you can do something or always looking at what you are doing right rather than focusing on what you are doing wrong will do wonders for reducing the amount of stress that you feel in your life.
While stress is unavoidable there are so many things that you can do to help avoid the stress that you feel. These five tips will help you to be able to reduce stress at home and to reduce the amount of stress that you feel in their lives.
