6 quick unwinding techniques for moms

Putting our family’s needs before us comes naturally to us. It also means that we ignore ourselves to the point where we feel haggard and old every, single day.

It doesn’t need to be that way. We can take a few minutes to destress and feel good about ourselves. Our children will benefit from it.

Here are a few quick ways you can unwind and relax.

Pamper yourself

You don’t need to spend a day at a spa to feel pampered. Something as simple as painting your toes can lift your mood. Even if you have as little as 20 minute you can find ways to relax. Take a bath, do your hair, wear lipstick. Anything that lifts your mood as long as it has something to do with making you feel good.

To be honest, facing the morning madness of breakfast, lunch preparation and the mad dash for school with freshly brushed hair and a little lipstick makes one more equipped to handling it than without.

Read/Watch TV

The easiest thing to do when wanting to relax is to read or watch TV. Do it with the aim of relaxing and you’ll reach your goal. Avoid depressing books and news channels. Watch your favourite soap, read a new book or reread an old favourite.

There’s something about curling up on a couch with a book or to watch TV that just screams relaxation. Add tea to the mix and you have your perfect setting for unwinding.

Blog

Blogging is one of the most rewarding experiences out there. Not because people read what you have to say and comment – that’s just a bonus. But because you have an outlet for your opinions and thoughts.

A blog doesn’t need to be a personal diary, though that’s also quite therapeutic. It can be about any or all of your interests. If you’re an avid blogger you’ll know how exciting it can be. How good it feels to put down your thoughts and hit publish. And that’s what we’re after. Feeling good.

If you haven’t tried blogging, give it a chance. Yes, you can blog about your kids. Preferably about the goofy, wonderful and cute things they do and say instead of how they’re running you ragged. It’ll help serve as a reminder of all the joy they bring to your life.

A tip: Avoid blogging about how stressed you are. If you feel you can’t get past it then blog about it, get it out of your system and move on to blogging about things that hold your interest.

Visualize

Some days there just isn’t any time to take for ourselves. We can if we tried hard enough, but we’re mothers. We don’t as a general rule put ourselves first when time is lacking.

So for days when you absolutely can’t justify (not that you need to!) making time for yourself, do the next best thing: Visualize.

Think of where you would like to go on a vacation sans children. Think of what you will do there and how you’ll spend your day. Or how would you spend your day at home if you had it to yourself for the entire day. Think of anything that relaxes you. If it’s a picture of the mountains, put it up on your fridge so you can look at it during the day.

And when you’re doing dishes, visualize that thing, activity or place that relaxes you. Because on days when it’s total madness, doing the dishes is the only time you’ll get for yourself. Use is wisely!

Nap

You know how everyone told us to nap when the baby does during the first few weeks of her arrival? Well, that advise is excellent for later too. If you’re stressed out and can’t find the time to relax or can’t figure out how to, take a nap with your kids.

Forget about the laundry and the dishes and the messy house. Just slide in bed and close your eyes. A nap goes a long way in rejuvenating one’s self!

Stretch yourself

Are you so stressed out that your muscles feel stiff and sore? Do a few stretch exercises and you’ll feel better in a few minutes. Stand on your toes for a few seconds and feel the back of your legs stretching. Try to touch your toes. Unless you’ve kept yourself in shape, chances are you won’t be able to. Don’t worry about that. Just go as far as you can. Same goes for neck, arms and torso!

Stretching feels good and loosens your muscles and reduces stress. It doesn’t require any extra time too. You can do it while doing your chores.

What do you do to feel good when you’re stressed out? How do you relax?