Reducing Stress, One Small Change at a Time

By Donna Kostiew

Life is stressful, but it can be even more so when you become a parent. From the lack of sleep with a newborn, to caring for sick children, to simply shuffling them around to all of their after-school activities as they get older, parenthood can definitely be taxing on your well-being. It is often the culprit to increased stress levels, and with stress being the root cause of so many health issues, it’s important to acknowledge how much is in your life. And then, even more importantly, to take steps to reduce as much of it as possible.

Simple Suggestions to Reduce Daily Stress

Sometimes, when the busy side of life takes over, it’s the little things that can deliver more daily stress to our week than what the big things can do. So let’s take a look at a few simple suggestions to reduce some of those stressful moments during the week.

• Stock up on essentials – Searching online for a 24-hour grocery store because you suddenly need something that you forgot to buy or ran out of? It’s not fun to run out of necessities like diapers or formula when the stores have long been closed. So take advantage of your time when you can and stock up! Then figure out a system to keep an eye on how quickly you use the product to avoid those late-night runs.
• Delegate – There is no shame in delegating household chores between every family member, especially if it helps reduce some of your stress. If your child is old enough, have them pack their own lunches or do their own laundry, or ask a family member if they could help with afterschool activity carpools or grocery shopping. Grandparents make great substitutes for these!
• Maintain a clean car – Experienced parents will tell you the secret to sanity is to keep an uncluttered car and to carry in it an extra roll of paper towels, some disinfecting wipes, and plastic bags. The towels and wipes are needed to clean up those unexpected messes or spills and the plastic bags can be used to keep the trash contained, as an impromptu diaper changing pad, or to hold those cleats covered with wet grass clippings or mud from the sports field.
• Keep healthy snacks on hand – Very few people like it when they are trying to finish the grocery shopping or hold a conversation with a screaming, fussy toddler in tow … or with a complaining teenager. Not sure which one is worse, but handing out snacks always seems to buy enough time to complete the task at hand. Avoid the temptation of fast food or sweets by packing plenty of healthy snacks from home.

Having a bad moment is sometimes all that is needed to change the course of your day, so keep your stress levels down and let these small changes make a big difference to your week.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Peoria, Ariz.