INSIDE: Trying to lead a stress-free life is almost comical for us busy moms. Fortunately, these 12 tips provide practical ways to enjoy less stress and more peace even in the midst of our crazy lives!
Gone are the days when we could enjoy a leisurely Sunday with our families.
How often do we sit around the dinner table and chat about our day without having to scarf down our food and run off to the next activity?
And when do we put our head down on the pillow at night without a swarm of stressful thoughts hanging over us as we try to push them aside and get some shut-eye?
Stress seems to be a plague these days.
Our lives seem to be speeding up, and we haven’t found a way to catch up without it costing our health.
As computers get faster and faster, and instead of it saving us time, we are expected to be able to accomplish even more, which only leads to more stress.
We keep seeing inventions come out that are meant to save us time; nevertheless, there is never enough time in a day to accomplish what we want to achieve.
12 Tips for Less Stress & More Peace
If we don’t learn to slow down, I am convinced something is going to force us to slow down.
Instead of letting that happen, let’s be proactive.
Here are 12 tips that can set you on the path to less stress and more peace...
Practice Smiling at Others
A smile is a magical thing because it can completely transform your energy and your relationships. Someone who might otherwise have responded to you rudely or miserably will often find themselves smiling back at you with kindness if you are smiling at them.
You’ll find yourself having less stress in dealing with people, and your interactions will be more enjoyable if you practice this simple technique.
Look at the Big Picture
Sometimes it is necessary to stop the frustration, or the anticipation, or whatever you would describe your feeling as, and look at the bigger picture.
When we try to force things to happen according to what we want, we are missing the full picture. Sometimes we just need to surrender, let go, and know that all is as it should be. When the time is right, it will happen, and if it doesn’t, that is also right. That is not an easy thing to accept, but when you do embrace this concept, you will experience a sense of peace.
Doing so also allows you to get in a flow so that you are no longer fighting an uphill battle, and are instead flowing along the beautiful stream of life.
Make Time For Inner Peace (i.e., Learn to Stop & Be Calm)
If you find yourself struggling in any way, whether it be struggling to make ends meet, struggling to get everything done, struggling to maintain good relationships, or struggling to make something happen, that is your reminder to stop!
Stop what you are doing, step back and take a deep breath. Let go of the tension you are holding in your body because of the struggle, and let yourself find the still calm that exists within you.
What is the quiet place within you?
Do something every day that brings you to that quiet place within you. I realize there is never time for these types of things, but the fact is, we need to make the time. The benefits are enormous and the repercussions of not taking the time for it, are even worse.
What do you love to do that makes you feel peaceful inside? It could be reading, writing, journaling drawing, cooking, gardening, walking, singing, dancing, meditating, etc.
Whatever it is, build it into your life because the more you set aside time to do something that makes you feel peaceful, the more often you will feel peaceful on a regular basis.Try some of these simple pleasures for lasting happiness!
Let it Bounce!
Let things bounce off of you more often. When we are stressed on a regular basis, we are in a constant state of feeling uptight. In that state, it is easy to get bent out of shape over something someone says or over someone pulling out in front of you while driving.
By practicing what I suggested in tip #1, you will feel more peaceful on a daily basis, and you will be able to deal with frustrations better. Take a deep breath and ask yourself if what just happened really matters in the scheme of things. Learn to find your inner calm.
Make Your Environment Peaceful & Happy
If you are surrounded by clutter and disorganization, you are going to feel cluttered and disorganized inside.
By creating a peaceful environment full of things that make you feel good, you’ll transform the energy in the environment, and you’ll experience less stress and anxiety as a result.
Here are some ways you can transform your environment:
- Add plants and pops of color that make you feel peaceful and happy.
- Use drawers and cabinets instead of open shelves, so you don’t see lots of clutter.
- Get organized! Put similar objects together, so you always know where to find things.
- Make the things you need access to on a regular basis easy to get to but in an organized way (for example, you could have a magazine rack where you can put all papers that pertain to each child).
- Put things that inspire you on display, such as certain books or photos.
Remember What is Important
If you find yourself running like crazy, without any time to breathe and without having any quality time to spend with the ones you love, it is time to slow down.
Do what you can to find a balance. You can’t continue to run yourself that hard and not expect your body to put itself out of commission and your loved ones to not feel resentful.
You’ll find that when you “make time” to slow down and enjoy time with those you love, your work will then become easier and less stressful anyway.
Learn to Flow
The truth is that when we are struggling to make something happen, we are making things harder for ourselves. We are going against the natural flow of life and are trying to push a boulder up a mountain instead. We might even be trying to pound a square peg into a round hole.
Struggle and flow are opposing forces. When you are struggling, you are most certainly not flowing. And fortunately, when you are flowing, you are definitely not struggling. Therefore, in order to flow, you need to release the struggle.
How to release struggle:
Start by releasing the tensions in your body. It is amazing how much tension we hold in our bodies on a regular basis, and in many cases, any pain we feel is a result of that tension.
Let your body go soft. Feel how that feels. Then, take a deep breath, filling up your stomach with air when you inhale and emptying it when you exhale. Notice how that feels.
Once you have gotten your body into a less tense state, think about the word flow. Flow is one of my favorite words because it means that everything is happening easily and effortlessly. It feels whimsical and light to me. How does it feel to you? Allow yourself to bask in the feeling of flow for a moment.
Then remind yourself that flow and struggle cannot exist together and make your choice.
When we stop struggling and instead let ourselves flow, then the thing you wanted to happen so badly shifts. It might come about in a completely different way than you thought, or it might simply become less important altogether. No matter what happens, it will certainly take place with more ease, more fun, and less effort.
For more info on flow, check out my book: Letting Go: Get in the Flow to Stress Less, Fear Less & Struggle Less.
Choose a Peaceful Mindset
Stress management comes from gaining control of your mindset. When you are feeling stress, it is because you are allowing yourself to react to the stressful situations and people around you.
Stress isn’t a given in stressful situations. It is a choice that is determined by mindset.
If you don’t believe me, look at the following examples:
- Look at Wayne Dyer, who was in and out of foster homes as a child, but who became a huge inspiration to so many people. He could have chosen to feel resentful and unhappy, but he chose to have a growth mindset and not to let his circumstances hold him back.
- Look at Miranda Harvey, one of America’s Got Talent’s 2017 finalists, who sings beautifully even though she lost her hearing. She spoke about how she gave up signing when she lost her hearing but found her way back to it by changing her mindset.
- And did you know that Jim Carrey came from a low-income family who at one point lived out of a van? He certainly didn’t let a little adversity stop him.
These stories could have ended much differently if each of these people’s mindset about the stress they were going through was different.
What are you focusing on?
When we are feeling stressed, we are probably focusing on how things aren’t going our way or on how difficult things are or how we don’t want to deal something that makes us feel stressed.
From that mindset, stress often spins out of control. This is because you are creating a vicious cycle: your mind perceives something as stressful, so you respond in a stressed manner, this causes the situation to worsen, and that creates even more stress.
Peace is the anti-stress, and peace also comes from mindset. When stressful situations arise, you can choose to have a peaceful mindset, which will cause you to feel peaceful, and that will melt away the stress.
What we focus on expands, therefore when we can have a peaceful mindset, problems are naturally dissolved and are replaced with peaceful solutions. Alternately, when we choose to focus on how stressful the situation is, we end up increasing the problem and the stress.
Notice the Beauty Around You
Do you take some time each day to “stop and smell the roses” as they say?
In this hurried world we live in, we rarely take the time to look at the beauty that surrounds us, which has a negative impact on us and leads to a more stressful life.
Noticing the beauty around us has a calming effect on us, and is, therefore, a natural stress release. Here are some ways you can do this amidst your daily life:
- As you are playing with your kids, stop and let yourself be overtaken by their innocent beauty and feel the love fill up in your heart.
- When you are working on your computer, stop for a brief moment and feel the warm sun shining in through the window.
- When you are doing yard work, feel the earth energy and experience the beauty in the flowers and trees.
Noticing the beauty around you is all about becoming mindful as you go through your day. Take the time to notice all the wonder that surrounds you, instead of just mindlessly doing each activity.
Plan For Stress-Free Mornings
If you’re a parent, it’s very likely your mornings are anything but peaceful. Getting the kids and yourself ready in time for a busy day of school and work is not an easy task. There are some tips, however, that can make your mornings smoother:
- Do as much the night before as you can – Pick out the kids clothes and your clothes. Pack the parts of everyone’s lunches that can be prepared in advance. Make sure all school papers and books are in backpacks.
- Encourage your children to be more independent – Depending on the age of your children, there are likely things you can have them do without your help like getting themselves dressed, brushing their teeth, getting their breakfast, and even packing their lunches. Not only will this help you out, but it will also help them be able to stand on their own two feet earlier and easier in life.
- Get everyone up 15-30 minutes earlier, including you – Losing a small amount of sleep is actually healthier than starting every morning in a rushed frenzy. When you can all ease into your day and enjoy time together before heading off to work and school, you are bringing peace into your life, and you will automatically have less stress as a result.
Focus on Solutions, Not Problems
Have you ever noticed that when you focus on the problems, you dig yourself deeper into overwhelm and frustration? On the other hand, when you focus on creating solutions, the problem will rectify itself much easier.
Know Your Limit
Take some time beforehand to determine your breaking point. Instead of being caught off-guard when high levels of stress hit, develop a plan to reverse that path beforehand. That way, when you feel stress coming, you can bring yourself back to center before your world crashes around you.
Give Yourself Some Extra Padding
You have a better foundation to live from when you are well rested and cared for, and you will naturally handle stress with more ease. Make it a habit of taking time to nurture and care for yourself. Steal little moments each day and then long stretches at least every couple weeks. Everything in your life will change for the better as a result.
Final Thoughts
We live in a difficult time in terms of being able to manage the stress that is all around us, but with these 12 tips, you can begin to enjoy less stress and more peace on a daily basis.
Please comment below with your favorite stress reliever!
