How to Reduce Stress at Home

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By rewrite810
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Reduce Stress at Home

If your family is constantly squabbling, feeling tense or rushing from activity to activity, it’s time to reduce stress at home. Use these methods to reduce stress by increasing closeness and communication.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Reduce stress by keeping one central family calendar. Have each family member write down school and work holidays, lesson and game times, appointments and test dates, for example. You’ll be able to reduce stress at home by planning ahead. Coordinating rides, babysitters and study time will eliminate last-minute scrambling.
Step 2

Cut your activities to reduce stress. Although signing the kids up for sports, music and tutoring can make them well-rounded, the schedule may also make them more agitated. Consider cutting back to one or two activities a week to reduce stress at home by increasing restorative downtime.
Step 3

Sit down to meals together. Grabbing a bite between activities or eating in different “shifts” means you’re missing opportunities to communicate. Enjoying a meal (or, better yet, cooking one together) gives you time to discuss problems, share accomplishments and reduce stress as a family.
Step 4

Straighten your home to reduce stress. A cluttered home can contribute to the stress. Reduce stress at home by organizing to simplify your environment. (Purge with less stress by putting unwanted items in a box in the garage. If you haven’t retrieved them in a few months, it’s safe to donate them to charity.)
Step 5

Be open and honest with one another—to a point. Be available to discuss stressful or worrisome topics with your kids, but reduce stress by having arguments with your spouse about topics like family finances when your kids are out of earshot.

Comments

FrazzledNanny said

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on 3/22/2009 Great tips for reducing stress. I think I can put several of them to work in our family. 5*

Bluewingz said

on 1/26/2009 Great tips, especially about the family meals and clutter. Visual clutter can cause a lot of stress, and a lot of people don't realize that.