When you watch your children all day, you may wish you could live their stress-free lives. It almost seems like they don’t have a care in the world. This is the perfect time to think about things they do that could help you feel less stressed. This doesn’t mean you ignore all your responsibilities but take time to connect with your inner child.
Parents – take notes from your kids to find ease this year.
Make Time for Stress-Reducing Activities
Stress is a condition that everyone has to deal with in life. You can do activities with your little one that helps you feel better while spending time with them. These activities can bring ease to your life without even realizing it.
As an adult, it is easy to get wrapped up in responsibilities. Engaging in fun or self-care can help your overall well-beingwithout even realizing it. The strategies will help you and your little one remain as stress-free as possible. Try some of these things to ease your stress this year.
Watching your children aggressively scribble on paper or carefully color between the lines can seem therapeutic. Next time they have an art session, get involved. The coloring can help bring your attention to the current moment rather than stressing about other situations.
You can take it a step further and include other crafts as well. Creating something with your child helps you get in touch with your imagination and bringing something to life with your child will feel like an accomplishment. Grab some glitter and googly eyes and start working on something fun.
Before bedtime or after school, it is usually a tradition to ask your kids how their day went and you let them ramble on about their day. This is a great way to allow your children to get anything off their chest, whether it’s excitement or worries.
Although not all topics are appropriate to discuss with children, contact another loved one to discuss your day. This will benefit both of you as you get to talk through any concerns or reminisce on the good moments. It is essential to find some positive things that occurred in the day too, so the negative doesn’t overwhelm the mind.
After a long day or work playing with your children may not seem like the first thing you want to do. School districts have reduced recess time by 40%, which could be harming the necessary playtime for their development.
Before you decide to play games and activities with your children, you should consider these tips.
● Make sure you respond to their actions with encouragement and in an age-appropriate way.
● Let your child play alone unless invited.
● If invited, let your child take the direction of their play.
● Listen to what they say, build on their ideas or encourage more creativity by asking questions.
Play is just as important for adults as it is for kids. This does not mean you must play the games your child makes up daily. Finding something that you genuinely enjoy is a great way to reduce stress. There are many ways to play, like participating in sports, arts and crafts, storytelling, collecting, etc. You don’t need to justify anything that seems fun to you. Choose a type of play to nourish the soul.
Music is a great way to tap into emotions and feels like someone else understands life situations you are going through. When you listen to music, it can help boost your mood or make you feel better. Music is an excellent tool for reducing stress and getting your mind off the stress throughout the day.
Children typically have a set time they go to bed and have traditional times of the day when they can nap. Naps might not be an option every day of the week but setting a sleep schedule is a great idea to feel more energized during the day and wind down at night.
If your mind tends to run right before bed, you can set a night tie routine to help your brain prepare to go to bed. Stress is the main reason many people cannot fall asleep at night. It is best to put your phone away and find other ways that prepare for a whole night’s rest.
There’s a reason children love to play outside. The sunlight and fresh air are great ways to clear the mind of anything that makes you feel on edge. Taking a walk with your kids or playing outdoor games with them can help relieve stress in both of you while getting physical activity.
If there is one thing kids know how to do, it is to live a carefree lifestyle. Adopting some of those traits for yourself may just make your year feel a little less stressful.
