5 Tips for Creating a Stress-Free (Or At Least LESS Stressed) Household

If you’ve been following along the past few weeks, you know that April is Stress Awareness Month.

According to the American Institute of Stress, 75-90% of all doctor visits in the United States are for stress related illnesses of some sort (Drah, 2021). Stress that is not well managed can cause headaches, digestive issues, sleep disturbances, etc.

So, what can we do with this knowledge to create a safe haven in our homes? Check out these five tips below to infuse more peace into your daily living routines…

5 Tips for a Stress-Free Household

We always have a choice on the lens we choose to use when viewing a situation. Training your mind to look for the positive can greatly reduce the amount of stress you are experiencing. Your family will then benefit from a calmer version of you.

Throughout the pandemic, my role in the classroom transitioned to a virtual one. I found that I actually had more stress due to the fact that I felt like I needed to be “on” all the time, answering every email, question, text, etc.

The availability to communicate with someone at the touch of a button is wonderful; however, it is crucial to set boundaries for yourself or you will be consumed by the stress of it. It is okay (and even encouraged) to set a time limit for how much time you will spend on technology each day and to set a cut off time for answering texts, emails, etc.

If you’d like to read further tips on managing your digital wellbeing, you might find our article Being Mentally Well Online: 7 Steps to a Healthy Media Diet to be helpful!

When I am stressed, I often find that I am reaching for the things that are readily available and cooking for convenience, not nutrition. My family benefits when I take the time to meal plan for the week over the weekend, and I make sure that we are stocked with fresh fruit and veggies at all times. You know those huge bags of apples at the grocery store? We can go through six or seven of those in a week. My kids know that they are always welcome to grab an apple from the fruit basket on the counter (usually stocked with apples, bananas, oranges, or grapefruit). 

We also have bedtime that we stick to, with the rare exception of a Friday or Saturday night. We spend plenty of time outside, and all of us are active. I am currently training for my fourth half marathon, and that time spent training is a great mental release for me!

This is one that I struggled with for the longest time, but I am slowly improving in this area. If it does not fit the goals of our family, and if it will end up causing more stress, we just say no. Say no to being scheduled every night, say no to those gatherings with toxic people that you only said yes to out of guilt, say no to make more room for the “yes’s” that will bring joy and peace to your family.

My son spent last weekend fishing with his daddy. He had a great time, and the bonding time for the two of them was important. However, he was tired after a busy weekend. Guess what he did the next evening after school was over? Absolutely nothing. It is important to leave space in your schedule for recovery time for your body. 

Having a busy few days is fine. However, sometimes those things that bring us joy can also leave us tired. If you have a busy few days, just build a night into your schedule that your family can eat something easy for dinner and just lounge around together.

More From Our Stress Awareness Series

If you found this article helpful, check out these other articles on stress and family; written in celebration of Stress Awareness Month. 

• Teaching Your Kids to Recognize Signs of Stress: 5 Practical Tips
• The Long-Term Effects of Stress on Your Family…What Can You Do About It?
• Dealing with Stressful Moments: 5 De-Escalation Techniques for Avoiding the Meltdown
• Raising Happy, Resilient Children…What Works?

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You can request to join here – looking forward to seeing you there!

Sources

Drah, H. (2021). 29 disturbing stress facts and statistics to check out in 2021. Retrieved from https://disturbmenot.co/stress-statistics/

About the Author: Brandy Browne

Brandy Browne is an early childhood educator in the United States, as well as a family coach and blogger for UnStuck (www.unstucks.com), her family coaching service aimed at helping families develop positive habits and breaking the cycle of generational trauma and poverty.

Her education is in early and elementary education, and she also has a masters degree in parenting and child/adolescent development. Brandy is a wife to her high school sweetheart of fifteen years, and together they share three children, aged ten, seven, and five. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, writing, and distance running.