It’s September and suddenly life has sped up again and become stressful. Time for some SteamTherapy tips to help you deal with Stresstember!
We know, you’re wondering – what happened to those lazy days of summer? Wasn’t it just yesterday that you were hiking in the mountains or lying on the beach, the kids were catching fireflies or laughing in the water park? What happened to that feeling that there was enough time for everything you wanted to do?
Now the kids are back to school and every morning is a struggle. They have to get the bus on time; they hate their packed lunches and really despise the so-called healthy choices served at the cafeteria. Every late afternoon and evening is fraught with extracurricular activities – fall sports, clubs, music lessons and dance, enrichment classes – and getting their homework done well and on time means nagging and arguing. How many times do they have to forget about something they need until the morning they need it? When do you get to sit down to a meal like a family again, without someone having to rush out the door?
Even if you don’t have kids, this time of year can be stressful. Suddenly the uncongested roadways are crammed with impatient drivers, all of whom seem to be dangerously talking or texting on their cell phones. The phone at work is ringing off the hook. Some of this busyness may be welcome – everyone’s getting back to work again – but why does everyone seem to want something from you all at the same time?
The days will start to get shorter and the darkness closes in. The holidays, which seemed like a distant memory back in July, are suddenly blaring their messages of “buy now” in catalogs that pile up on your doorstep or in-box. There doesn’t seem to be time to catch a breath.
No wonder some pundits have labeled this month “Stresstember.” But the effects of stress on you and your family can be devastating. Tempers flare over nothing. You feel exhausted all the time.
It’s time to combat the stress and retake control of your life. Here are some tried-and-true methods to keep in mind.
There’s nothing like pre-planning to get your arms around stress. Use a calendar app to keep control of everyone’s schedule. Make sure the important dates are recorded the moment you hear about them. Set a time and place for homework to be done – and don’t let the kids talk you into letting them play a video game or text their friends first. In fact, you might want to make sure the kids are focused on one thing at a time, and not juggling music, video games, texting, and their homework. Studies show that such multitasking is detrimental to getting tasks done efficiently and well.
Style at Home has some great back-to-school organizing tips, which include setting up a homework station and planning the kids’ clothes the night before.
>> Read more about fall home organizing tips.
This focus goes for you as well. You will feel like you’re sinking if you try to do too much all at the same time. Make sure you know what’s important – and what you can let slide. Use your priorities to help you say no to unplanned demands. The myth of being supermom or super dad is just that – a myth. You’ll feel better doing a few things well than many things poorly.
>> See How To Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle For You and Your Home
It’s tempting to order pizza three nights a week, but there are lots of great meals you can prepare in advance so you can nourish your family well rather than filling them up with empty calories. Stress can be triggered by too much sugar and too many carbs. Eating healthy will help your family guard against illness too.
Here are some links for quick and healthy family meals:
Whether it’s an hour at the gym or just parking your car at the farthest point in the parking lot, it’s important to keep up your fitness goals, now more than ever. The endorphins you release are great for deflating those feelings of anxiety and stress.
>> See How to Feel Good: Yoga, Steam Therapy and Living Well
>> See How To Make Your Workouts Leverage The Benefits Of Steam
Getting enough sleep will help you cope with any disasters the day may throw your way. And keeping a regular sleep schedule will help regulate your body so you don’t feel dragged out and exhausted all the time. It will help the kids do better in school, too.
>> See 14 Sleep Benefits and 8 Steam Therapy Tips for Better Sleep
You can’t take responsibility for everyone and everything in your life. Sometimes the hardest thing is to let the kids fail – because they didn’t do their homework or study for the test. But, as these articles show, it’s important to their growth and development to allow them to face failure:
Helping your kids bounce back after a failure is an important life lesson for them – and you’ll be a better (and potentially less stressed) parent if you don’t do their science project or write that essay for them.
>> See Be Grateful and Become Stress-Free: 7 SteamTherapy Tips
It’s critical to find time to relax – every single day. Sometimes it’s something as simple as a walk with a friend or a cup of tea, a good book or spending time with nature. One daily indulgence which has a multitude of benefits, is steam bathing in your own home spa. There’s nothing quite like shutting the door on the world and luxuriating in a steam shower, which promotes relaxation, a good night’s sleep, and so much more. Learn more about the benefits of steambathing on the MrSteam website.
>> See Steam Bathing 101: Seven Steps For an Effective Steam Bath
It may not be easy to fight off Stresstember, but remembering what is important to you and your family will help. These SteamTherapy tips are also well worth remembering as we head into the next stressful period of the year – the holidays!