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| MOMS Club� of Loganville, Georgia |
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| Here are ten great ways to weave stress relief into the fabric of your everyday life. They are fundamental principles, with one or more examples for each one
1. Remember That You Matter Throughout the day, remember that you are entitled to stress relief for two important reasons: your inner experience matters in its own right, plus nurturing yourself is the absolute foundation of caring for your children. For example: � Carry a picture of yourself as a child next to your driver�s license, so that you�ll see that precious child is just as deserving of love and care as your own children. 2. Let Go Of Stress Lots Of Times A Day Since little moments of stress add up to wear and tear on your body, mind, and relationships, do small things every day to prevent or lower stress, like: � Taking a big breath each time the phone rings � Washing your hands or face lovingly in warm water whenever you use the restroom � Staying mindful of the tension in your shoulders and letting them relax if they start climbing up toward your ears 3. Deeply Relax At Least Once A Day Going to sleep is a great time for this, since it�s the body and brain�s way of wiping the slate clean of stress and getting ready for the next day, so: � When you�re lying in bed, imagine that your body is very heavy, and sinking down into the welcoming earth � Try to get a sense that your hands are warm (a particularly good trick if you have insomnia) 4. Have Realistic Expectations For Yourself Much stress comes from pressuring ourselves to live up to unrealistic or impossible standards, like comparing ourselves to mothers in advertisements who never have a hair out of place. Instead: � Notice it when you�re getting hard on yourself, when �judging mind� is in full swing. � Remember that you can�t compare yourself to your own mother since she lived in a very different time, plus your memories are distorted by the rose-colored glasses through which a child views her mother. � Focus on all of the positive things you are already doing. 5. Deal With The Childhood �Turbocharger� Thoughts and feelings carried over from everyone�s childhood increase stress today. They lead us to misinterpret events or fasten on just one part of the total picture, get unmet (and today, unmeet-able, alas) childhood needs mixed in with realistic, adult, and meet-able needs, and amplify our emotional reactions. � Bring compassion to the young parts of yourself. � Sort apart the intensified �young� reactions from the more moderate, here-and-now ones. � Try to let go of the deepest, youngest level of your distress, like making sure you pull out the tip of the dandelion�s root to prevent it from growing back. Go to the next page for 5 more tips! |