It’s no secret that this year has been quite a roller coaster, particularly for single-parent families. This past month has seen many children returning to schools but remaining at home for at least part of the week. While it’s a joy to have more time with you children, it creates more stress for single-parent families that now have to juggle teaching their children at home, finding adequate childcare, and maintaining their “normal” work schedule. It’s no wonder that single parents are stressed to the max!
So how can you slow down, relax, and recharge? We’ve put together a list of some easy-to-implement ideas to help you destress!
- Take five minutes to yourself (in the bathroom or even in a closet, hidden away) and breathe deeply. Practice closing your eyes, slowly breathe in for a count of five, and then slowly breathe out for another count of five. Repeat a minimum of five times.
- Draw yourself a bubble bath and relax! Don’t have time for a bubble bath? Try just splashing some water on your face or just letting the water run over your hands for a minute or two. Water can help to melt away the stress in your life.
- Listen to your favorite music! Music helps to release endorphins and make us smile, which in turn, helps to destress your life one song at a time.
- Find a close friend, pet, or even one of your children and wrap them up for a nice long hug! Research shows that a hug lasting at least 15 seconds (this is longer than your realize) releases oxytocin which makes you feel calmer and happier.
- Laugh! And then laugh some more! Have your kiddos find some cheesy jokes to share with you (this is a bonus because it will keep them busy for awhile!) or watch your favorite comedy movie. Again, get those endorphins flowing!
- Get some sunshine and fresh air! The vitamin D and crisp fall air will help to relax your mind. Outside also a great place to practice the breathing mentioned above!
- Let it all out with a good scream! Sometimes we just need to release our stress by yelling it out. If you don’t have a place where you can scream, grab a pillow and belt it out!
- Chocolate. Your new best friend. Research has shown that eating dark chocolate (with a minimum of 70% cacao can help to destress your life and increase your mood. So go grab yourself a bar!
Ideas compiled from: https://livingwellmom.com/simple-ways-to-destress and https://redtri.com/easy-ways-to-destress-in-60-seconds/slide/11
