Feel Better By Implementing These Five Stress Busters

Stress can hurt you emotionally and physically make you sick.  You may sleep too little, or maybe you find yourself sleeping too much.  If you are feeling stressed, you probably aren’t eating correctly.  You are eating foods that are not healthy and too much of any food.  You may be using alcohol or drugs to relieve stress.  Stress can cause problems in family and relationships, create problems at work, and make you life in general miserable.  Here are five tried and true stress busters.

1. Take a long weekend or it would be even better if you could take a vacation.  Even getting away for just a few days is a good start on reducing the stress in your life.  If you can afford it, go for a hotel for even one night.  That is a great get-away, and you don’t have to leave town!  One couple I know takes a hotel break every year after the holidays and they only go to the other side of town.  It gives them a rest after the stress of family activities and holiday events.

2. If your source of stress is home, plan on getting away for at least an hour or two a week.  If you are a caregiver, it’s especially important for you to have a respite from the constant stress of caring for a loved one.  Go window-shopping at the mall, go to the public library, or go sit in a park and watch the children play and enjoy the fresh air.  There may be resources in your area to help you with caring for your loved one, someone who will come in and allow you a break from your duties.

3. If you have chores that are time-consuming or unnecessary, replace them with activities that you enjoy.  You may find it isn’t necessary to run the vacuum every day and replace it with taking time to read a book, or enjoy some time with your children or spouse.  If you find you are spending too much time weeding your garden or flowerbed and it has become a chore, find someone who will help you with that chore.  It may be a relaxation technique for that person and free you to do other things that are more enjoyable.

4. Make time for play.  I know, you are an adult and playing is for children right?  Wrong!  Recreation is just as important as buying groceries, cleaning house, and paying bills.  You can play games free on many Internet sites, or spend some time playing with your kids or grandkids.  I know it has been great stress relievers for me to have my grandkids come over to spend the night.  When they are here, I don’t work, I play Barbie dolls, read books, and splash in their little pool.  Stress is relieved and when they are gone I am refreshed and ready to start working again.

5. Get moving!  Exercise is one of the best stress busters around.  Take a walk, do a yoga routine, or join an aerobics class.  Exercise will help you reduce stress, make you feel better, and improve your health.

Take time for yourself and reduce the stress from your life.