The pursuit of stress free days...

My husband and I are overachievers struggling to build a legacy from ground zero, so we have our plates full. My husband is a full time student with a full time job. I on the other hand have a part time job and both of us take turns babysitting our two "young'uns" who are two overwhelming balls of energy. My son and daughter are two and one respectively and they are exactly a year apart so by no means am I exaggerating when I say that we have our hands full. It can get pretty hectic and stressful in my home, so I have decided to share some of the things I do to "de-stress". Some of my ideas are probably unorthodox but hey, sometimes we just have to throw care to the wind to preserve our sanity.

The first thing on my list is:

Writing/Blogging

This is definitely one of my favorite ways to unload, vent, regroup and relax. I find that writing poetry, a novel, or simply to indulge in private writing about my experiences and feelings relaxes my mind. Channeling my focus on my writing is akin to meditation and it allows me to empty my mind and emotions without unwanted feedback in the case of private writings.Blogging also gives me a sense of purpose where my writing is concerned and also helps to foster peace of mind.

Listening To Music

On crazy days when both my children are feeling energetic, I would increase the volume of the radio and listen, sing and dance with my children. They love music too and so for about fifteen minutes, we behave as if there is no one for miles around and have a party of three by blasting the radio and doing crazy dances. It is relaxing for me and fun for my children. However, there are days when I would go on you-tube and select my favorite songs in a random fashion. For example, I would go from Bruno Mars to Pink to Whitney Houston in my selection.

Sleep

This is also one of my favorite things to do since it is near to impossible to get any sleep with two energetic toddlers.I try to stretch my sleep when the situation allows it. I especially try to get some sleep when both my toddlers are asleep or napping which during the days, their sleeping schedule is rarely in sync so I am always waiting for the golden opportunity.

Long Baths

I especially love long baths. This might be old fashion but my husband actually made me aware that Epsom salt and rubbing alcohol in a bath tub filled with warm water is a good way of relieving achy muscles so I try to do that once in a while. However, I do indulge in long warm baths regularly because there is just something about soaking in warm water that soothes the body and pacifies the soul.

Request Days Off

I absolutely recommend requesting off days from your job once in a while because it can definitely become overwhelming to juggle work and children as in my case. Since my husband and I alternately babysit our babies as a way of cutting back on expenses, we both pretty much have full time jobs as parents, in addition to our professions. It eventually takes a toll on us and we are often times worn out trying to fulfill both these obligations. We therefore request days off in addition to our scheduled days off to relax, regroup and refocus our energy.

Cleaning The House 

My children get into everything. They scamper around the apartment like little imps trying to find a way to create some kind of mess. So I am constantly trying to maintain a clean apartment. However, once the house is completely clean from top to bottom, I feel a sense of serenity and peace.In the words of my husband "once the house is clean our feng shui will be right". It certainly helps to relieve the stress.

Sending The Kids To Grandma

Need I say more. I absolutely endorse sending the kid to spend time with grandma for a few hours, a day or even two days. It is a sure fire way of reducing stress. By no means am I saying that my children are the reason for my stress because I absolutely love my children and love being around them, but sharing the responsibility of child care with a family member outside of the home certainly goes a long way in terms of maintaining peace of mind. With the children away visiting grandma, one can either catch up on sleep, get romantic with their significant other, or partake in some alone time with themselves. Either way, it is a good way to take a breather and relax.

Last but not least"

Long Drives With The family/Outings

My babies love long drives. There is something hypnotic about being mobile in a car and watching images flash by outside the car window that puts them to sleep. It relaxes them which ultimately relaxes us (my husband and I). I also like going to restaurants or theme parks with the family. It's fun and it helps to take the world off my shoulders even if it is only for a moment.In those moments of fun we forget that we have responsibilities, stress and problems and we emit and receive positive energy from each other as well as the surroundings which reduces stress.

These are a few of the ways I deal with stress so I can maintain a healthy state of mind and state of emotions which makes me functional and ready to take on the world.I hope others can take away some useful tips for themselves from this post.