10 Cheap Ways to reduce your stress

Let's be frank, life comes with stressors. That doesn't mean that you can't find cheap ways to reduce that stress. Here are 10 cheap ways you can reduce your stress, one of which pays you to relax!

Create a calming atmosphere

Keep on top of the dishes and laundry. Work with your kids to tidy up throughout the day. Diffuse two drops of lavender or chamomile essential oils. Lavender costs 0.09 per drop and chamomile costs 0.40 per drop.

Mediate for a few minutes

I like to use Stop, Breathe, Mediate App and have hooked it up to my Achievement Fitness Rewards App so I get paid for mediating once a day, along with tracking my steps, tracking my sleeping, tracking my weight, tracking my water intake, and tracking my food (through FitBit). The meditation app is free to use certain meditations, but also offers a paid subscription upgrade, I just use the free meditations. These are great for what I need. Getting paid to relax by syncing my meditations? Now that's soothing!

Be in the moment

This is one I'm still working on. I remind myself to plan for the future, but I need to focus on what's going on right now. Mindfulness meditation on the app above helps as does forgiving others to move forward.

The best way to be in the moment though is to stop and focus on the details of what you are doing. "I'm emptying the vacuum cleaner. I'm using the cleaning tool to remove the hair and dust."

"I'm walking to the other room and I feel the carpet compressing under my feet. I'm kneeling to hug my toddler's hurt away", and so on.

Have your kids help out

I'm definitely still learning how to do this, but teaching my kids how to help relieves my stress. My girls are 2 and 5, but they can help out plenty. Because they're so little, they love to help too. They unload the dishwasher with me.

UG1 hangs diapers and UG3 picks up movies, crayons, and toys. My oldest has been doing the Kids Cook Real Food class, and I get scolded if I dare to not use her cooking skills. Recently I was peeling zucchini to try out making baked mac and cheese with zoodles, and UG1 told me on no certain terms that it is her job and I better hand the zucchini over.

You know what? It was great, she nearly finished the job and I was able to relax a bit. This also gives you a positive way to show them attention (praising them for a job well done), and to tackle boredom. "Oh, are you bugging your sister because you're bored? Here are some vinegar and junk mail to clean the bathroom mirror." So I highly recommend getting your kids on board.

Track your emotions

When you’re feeling low or anxious, it’s hard to know what’s causing those feelings — sometimes the causes are things you can control, sometimes not.

Intentionally tracking your moods with an app makes it a lot easier to pinpoint triggers (like work, the weather, being around certain people, etc.) and determine if any of those triggers are things you can control. I use my fertility tracking app to also keep track of emotions, this helps you see if your cycles affect your mood, as well as just seeing your triggers. This is not a pass to blame ill-behavior on hormonal shifts.

I've found for example, that my mood is powerfully influenced by caffeine and caffeine-withdrawal. I'm more irritable when I have chocolate, so I try to avoid eating it and substitute carob powder instead in homemade treats.  I'm Mormon, so I already don't drink coffee or non-herbal teas. I'm also a bit of a health nut, so I don't drink soda either.

Turn your phone and computer off

Take time out of your day to unplug.  Too much time on social media can lead to overstimulation and the comparison trap. You are awesome, so stop seeing only the best parts people want to show off.

Do something else for a few hours. Read a book. Go for a walk around the block. Play with your kids!

Pamper yourself

I'm sure I'm not the only mom who puts herself last at times. Try to take 10-minute breaks throughout the day where you do something for yourself. I don't mean be self-absorbed, I mean to do something small to show yourself and your kids that you're important too. Stop to put makeup on, if you are going nowhere today. Sneak off and go to the bathroom ALONE.

Read positive affirmations

Positive affirmations seem rather silly at first glance, but you'll be surprised how much better your day goes. It’s a simple way to inject a little extra positivity into your day. Your affirmations help you see your goals as attainable.

Try positive affirmations that focus on what you're missing in your life, whether you want a child (fertility affirmations), you want to get out of debt (debt affirmations), or if you want to lose some extra pounds (weight loss/health affirmations).

 Get a little exercise

Exercise increases endorphins, helps you sleep better, relieves stress, can help you heal and improves your appearance. How many other things in your life offer that many benefits in one package? Be sure to leave your phone behind, in another room, or on Do Not Disturb mode. It would also help if you can find a way to exercise without your kids or to incorporate them into your exercise in a fun way for you.

Have gratitude

Keeping a gratitude journal offers relief from recognizing everything you have to be thankful for. Another simple way to way to destress is to see the positive in the hard things. Pollyanna is known for playing the glad game, where you see what blessings to be grateful for in every circumstance.

Examples: Your kids are bouncing off the walls, so you are grateful that they are healthy enough to play. You burn dinner, so you are grateful that you have a working stove.

Live more in the moment, enjoy a calmer atmosphere, mediate a little, work with your kids, and be more self-aware of your emotions. Unplug from social media, pamper yourself a little, feel more positive, get moving, and have more gratitude. As you calm down, you will be a better parent, a better steward, and be happier. It doesn't need to cost much.

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