Tuesday 9 April 2013

Ways to Relieve Stress Through Chores

..And other day to day activities.

It's no secret that we all get stressed out at times. Whether we show it or not is another story. One thing is for sure: it's important to deal with it.

Our lives can get so busy that sometimes we don't have time to set aside for ourselves. Here are some ways to deal with stress through chores and other daily activities.

Note: unless otherwise stated, if able, it's good to do these alone, with no children crying, no husband whining talking to you, etc.

1. Fold Laundry


We all hate doing laundry. Trust me, I know. I used to drag my laundry three blocks, in the middle of winter, to a laundry mat just so I could save a few bucks.

It's hard to believe but folding laundry can actually be relaxing. Don't think of it as a chore. Let yourself relax while doing it. It's a great time to think about the things you're going through and remind yourself that you'll get through them.

2. Cook

If you like cooking, you already know how relaxing this can be. That is, when you don't have anyone in the background disturbing you.

Find a dish that YOU want to eat. Make that. The chopping of the vegetables, the aroma of a dish you're making, what's not to love?

Not a good cook? Hate cooking? Try an easy recipe. Or move on to #3.

3. Bake


Baking can be even more relaxing than cooking. I'm pretty sure that chocolate chip cookie dough is the solution to most of life's problem's, so what better way to deal with your own than by making a batch! Don't forget to lick the bowl after. I won't tell anyone.

4. Scrub, scrub, scrub

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I hate cleaning. Seriously, I hate it. But I do it because it needs to be done. When I really get into a cleaning spree, I manage to work up a sweat.

Scrub the bathtub, the sinks, the floor! Scrub the crap out of it. With each scrub, release your stress and any anger you're holding in. Not only will you feel better after but the house will be clean too!

5. Walk. Don't drive.

Have to do an errand? If it's close enough, walk there. The fresh air will help relax you. The walk will give you some clarity.

6. Go play!

Grab the kids and go play tag. Take them to the park and go down the slides after them. Be a kid with them!

Crappy weather out? Play board games or hide and seek.

Do you have a dog? Take the dog out for a good game of fetch or tug-of-war.

No kids? Then what are you stressing about? I'm kidding. Call up some friends for board games, laser tag, go-karting or even just to have a drink shoot some hoops.

7. Take a shower


When we get really busy, we don't have time for a nice relaxing bubble bath, but we all make time for showers. Make your shower a little longer than usual and just relax!

8. Set out your clothes for the rest of the week

I kid you not. Waking up early in the morning and having to decide what I'm going to wear the day is not an easy task. Especially when I have to leave in the next 5 minutes and I'm still not awake. I know I'm not the only one out there like this either. Make life a little easier and plan ahead (you can even do this while folding that laundry).

When you're getting out the door on time, you'll thank yourself.

When your morning is off to a good start, usually the rest of the day is too!

9. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day

This sounds a bit far fetched, but they (whoever "they" are. For arguments sake, we'll call them Google) say that drinking water makes you less stressed out. Simple reason? Your brain needs water to function. When you're dehydrated, you become stressed because your brain is trying to knock some sense into you. Plus, water is good for you in lots of other ways.

There's also no way you can't find the time to drink water - so drink up!

10. Look in the mirror, smile and repeat after yourself

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You're going to come across some mirrors throughout your day. When you do, stop, look in that mirror, smile and remind yourself that you're beautiful. Remind yourself that you will get through this. Repeat something important to yourself 10 times. For example, if you're going through a tough breakup and you're afraid of going back to that person that hurt you, tell yourself, 10 times, "I deserve better." Keep doing this every time you see a mirror. You'll start to believe it. Before you know it, you'll start to feel less stressed out and back to your normal self!

Stay happy, everyone!

linking up with Northern Belle Diaries 

19 comments:

  1. I definitely cook to relax... it is my favorite thing to do! I also like to "play" with my students and my husband. Throwing a football or a little game of tag is always an awesome way to de-stress. Thanks for linking up such a great post!

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  2. This is definitely me! If I'm stressed or Randy and I get into an argument, I'm cooking or wiping down the counters! It truly is a stress reliever!

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  3. I love this post! Folding laundry and cooking are two of my favorite "relaxing" chores. I wish I could walk to do my errands - I've always dreamed of living in a cute small town where I can walk to the convenient store or the library or a coffee shop or something. One day I will absolutely be making that happen!

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  4. I love this! I like doing all these things..laundry in particular. It actually is relaxing. The mere fact of having to actually do it is sometimes the issue. I find that s good TV show while folding is perfect relaxation. The added bonus is that i dont even pay attention to folding which makes it easier. My question is: whats the cure when you have a boy who naked doing this stuff difficult? For example, isnt the point to clean or something to relive stress? What happens when cleaning causes stress because a certain male doesnt know how to pick up after himself. just throwing that out there:)

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  5. I love these tips! Cooking definitely relaxes me, even when I'm not stressed out. I agree about cleaning. Once I get started I don't want to stop!

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  6. this was an awesome post, alex!! so funny, because i just did two loads of laundry and had piper in her baby papysan chair. it felt so good to get a few loads done and put away. i love the kitty pics, of course! drinking lots of water has definitely made a difference in the way i feel this past year.
    thanks for making me smile!
    have a wonderful day!
    xoxo
    maria

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  7. I cleaned for 2 hours last night! Complete scrub down of the bathroom and kitchen! Lets see how long it stays nice and clean!O h and butter does solve all problems. I've been told this is very American of me! ;)

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  8. I used to always pick out my clothes for the week but I fell out of the habit. Maybe it's time to pick it up again xx

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  9. When in doubt, more butter! That's my life motto (and why I'm a fatass).

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  10. This is so great! and funny. I agree with Kat - "When in doubt, more butter!" My husband makes fun of me for that :) I'm so sharing this on twitter.

    Patricia
    The DIY Frenchie

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  11. Girl what an ingenious post! It is so true though. I hate cleaning, but then once I start cleaning I CAN'T STOP. And I always feel so accomplished afterwards. There's nothing better than relaxing in a clean house!

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  12. We're only a couple blocks from some great shopping and try to walk there when we can. Now that it's getting nice out, I can't wait to walk more to meals and stores!

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  13. I always want to plan my outfits for the workweek! I even want to get one of those clothes racks. But ugh, i get lazy :(

    i love the Consuela picture! No....no....

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  14. I really do enjoy folding laundry to de-stress, especially if I get to watch a good period drama while doing it. I do NOT, however, ever do the socks. After a serious overdose of sock pairing, I swore off the stuff, and refuse to do it. Andrew does the socks. I've been wearing mismatched socks since I was 15. Andrew still even does my socks- he just makes sure that they are cutely mismatched. I have trained him well.

    Cheers!
    Natashya

    thoseweirdheims.blogspot.com

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  15. Love all of these! Except the laundry...that's just not my thing, haha! But I started picking out my weeks clothes a while ago and it's the best to not have to worry about what to wear every morning! Oh, and the water...I know it's important, but it's so hard for me to drink that much! I did it once last week though...I was proud. :)

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  16. Haha! These are all so funny. Thank you for sharing, lovely blog! :) xx

    www.ahitofsarah.net

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  17. i love these!! I always gravitate towards cleaning or working out when I am stressed out!

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  18. These are all great tips, I love all the little pictures you put with each one. Thanks for making me laugh today!

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  19. Music is the best therapy for me. It really relieves stress but sometime taking soothing masage with stress relief oil is also effective.

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I love comments. Thanks for making me smile!