6 Natural and Simple Stress Relievers

To say that February was a stressful month for our family might be a bit of an understatement. It was one of those months where Murphy’s Law came true. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and all around the same time! I’ll spare you all the details, but here’s a little rundown:

• The drain in our basement flooded so we were unable to do laundry
• At the same time our family got hit with the stomach flu so there was extra laundry to be done
• We thought we fixed the drain, but then it really wasn’t fixed
• So we had a wonderful 5 hour visit from the plumber
• Which ended with even more water in our basement
• And a trip to the laundry mat to catch up on laundry
• We also decided to dive into a DIY bathroom remodel
• Doing your own remodeling projects always takes longer than expected and creates a little a lot of chaos in the home.

Let’s just say I’m thankful that February is behind us; our drain is fixed, but our bathroom has yet to be finished!

You know what though? The reality is that stressful things will happen in our lives, and they don’t usually have the best timing. We can’t avoid stress altogether. So, the best thing we can do is take steps to manage and deal with our stress in healthy and positive ways.

6 Tips to Easily and Naturally Relieve Stress

1. Take a Cleansing Breath (or three!)

Deep breath in, deep breath out. Repeat.

Ahhhhh, you feel better don’t you?

Especially in the heat of a stressful moment – if I’m about to lose my cool with my kiddos, my husband has just made a hole in our bathroom ceiling, or I got distracted and burned dinner – a couple deep cleansing breaths can help calm me down immediately. It lowers my blood-pressure, and helps me respond to the situation instead of reacting in anger. I’ll usually also say a quick, or even not-so-quick, prayer after taking my deep breaths which always helps me to refocus and remove the stress I’m feeling.

2.  Turn on Music

Sometimes we just need something to help change our mood. Music can be a total stress reliever, whether it’s calming classical music or upbeat music that just makes you want to get up dance!

One of my favorite things to do when my kids are fighting and stressing me out is to turn on some loud music. It gets their attention and then I start dancing around all crazy. We all end up laughing and dancing together. Total stress relief, and fun too!

3. Get Outside

Finally the weather has turned a little warmer here in Northern Indiana, so we went for our first family walk of the spring over the weekend. My kids were SO excited to get outside again after such a long and cold winter cooped up inside. Spending time outside is a great way to help yourself feel better if you’re stressed!

If you don’t have time for a walk or going to the park with your kids, you can even just stand outside with the sun on your face and take a few deep cleansing breaths (#1). The fresh air will naturally calm you and lift your spirits.

4. Use RESCUE natural stress-relief products

I had heard about how amazing RESCUE products were for relieving stress from other natural living bloggers, but I had never had the chance to try them myself. When I learned RESCUE products are available at places like Walgreens, CVS, and Whole Foods, I went right out and picked some up. I got the RESCUE pastilles and tried one later that night during a bedtime routine that was not going well. I could tell a difference in my mood right away.

If I use the RESCUE pastilles when I’m feeling stressed, I can tell an immediate difference. I feel more calm and in-control. I am better able to handle my emotions and respond appropriately. I love that they are a completely natural and homeopathic product, and are gentle, safe, and non-habit forming. I will definitely be keeping RESCUE pastilles on hand for when I’m feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. You can get a coupon to try RESCUE products for yourself!

5. Make Yourself a Drink

A refreshing drink can also be a big stress reliever. When I’m feeling stressed sometimes just stopping to drink a glass of ice water is enough of a pick-me-up, while other times I need something a little stronger. Some of my favorite stress-relieving drinks are chamomile tea, a homemade chai tea latte, or my favorite energy-boosting drink.

6. Laugh a Little

I will admit that I don’t always remember to do this as often as I should, but laughing is a great way to naturally relieve stress. Laughing can release endorphins, helping to boost your mood and decrease your feelings of stress.

We have tickle fights that always lead to lots of laughing with our kids. Or if we’re really desperate we’ll find a YouTube video of animal fails, which always gets all of us laughing together. If it’s just hubs and I, we’ll often watch comedy videos on YouTube – Jim Gaffigan is one of our favorites.

I’d love to hear from you too, what are your best tips for easily and naturally relieving stress?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.