Six 'Unconventional' Ways to Cope With Stress At Home

I think this article by the National Institute of Health is a worthwhile read - it delves deeper into the correlation between stress and illness, stress as a “proxy killer” (underlying and contributing cause of death) and emotional and mental stress that lingers but may not manifest outwardly via illness or may unknowingly need physical release (stop keeping those emotions bottled up causing more stress). We know that stress is just a “fact of life” and people deal with stress in different ways. The NIH says, “It is our way of reacting to the situations that makes a difference in our susceptibility to illness and our overall well-being.”

So what do you do to cope with stress, especially at home, with kids, during a global pandemic? Families who were functioning well have been thrown for a loop. Everyone’s home, everyone’s together. 24/7. AHHHHHH. Even if it’s not 24/7, other factors have come into play that have caused families to at least spend more time together. Many schools are virtual, many jobs are now remote. Practices and classes have been cancelled. Parents are now expected to be teachers, chefs, entertainers, coaches, etc. It is exhausting, frustrating and, yes, STRESSFUL, (in addition to already stressful things happening in your life).

Next time you’re feeling like you just can’t take it anymore, here are six things you can do to cope with the stress. No, I’m not going to sugar coat this with some “30 minutes of yoga” or “take a relaxing bath”. Yes, those relieve stress for many (I’m not a bath person, but I know many people are!!) and are great ideas. But, I’m going to be real with you and suggest a few things that you can do that take between 30 seconds and 10 minutes…

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​Clean Out A Drawer

• 10 minutes max (set a timer!) to purge and organize - even better if this is your junk drawer that has been collecting stuff since 1999 and you can barely close it

Drink Your Favorite Adult Beverage

• Whether this a a glass of wine, a gin and tonic or even an ice-cold Coke, I’m not suggesting to over-indulge - but yes, drink your favorite drink (if you’re pregnant, have a fancy AF mocktail - I’ve been there!)

​Scream Into A Pillow

• Kids driving you NUTS? Let it OUT and scream into a pillow as loud as you can, in a separate room, away from them; remember, they’re probably screaming too, so they won’t even hear you!

​Put on Some Music

• Music has been studied and shown to be a stress-reliever and relaxer - try for a post-dinner 20 minute “dance party” or “morning moves” for 20 minutes (something you can do with the kids daily or every few days); dancing and moving to the music is also exercise! (that you didn’t want to do, but are now doing by accident! WIN!)

Chew Gum

• It has been studied that chewing gum may help relieve stress, promoting blood flow to the brain; this is so “easy”, I’m not sure why I’m not chewing gum literally 24/7

Say "No"

• This TINY two-letter word is one of the hardest for so many people to say - it is not selfish to set a boundary and protect your mental well-being; if someone gets upset with your “no” (your kids, grandma, your best friend), that still doesn’t mean you should have said yes - depending on the upset party, try your best to let it go with a few deep breaths; if it’s the kids, consistency and routine will help prevent those tantrums (but that’s a post for another day!)

​Not everyone is going to agree with me that having a drink or cleaning out a junk drawer is the best way to relieve stress. Parental judgment is HARSH (and it absolutely shouldn’t be, Karen). But when you can’t step away, when that 30 minutes of journaling just CAN’T happen because your son needs help with his science project and your daughter is putting stickers all over the place, these six things can be that few minutes of release you need to make it to your next bubble bath.