6 Ways to Beat Stress

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Every new year, I start seeing resolutions fill up my news feeds. I see people starting new jobs, new diets, new exercise plans – all with the sole purpose of overcoming something or improving themselves in some way. Goals are great! Bettering your self is wonderful! What’s even better is seeing people achieving their goals a few months later. Each stage of life has many stresses and I have seen so many people going through a hard time or putting a lot of pressure on themselves to do it all. It messes with a lot of people. It messes with me sometimes when my expectations become the expectations I think others have for me. When I start trying to please everyone else is when I lose focus and become very stresses.

I still consider myself a newish mom. I have two kids, yes, but I’ve only been a mom for 2 1/2 years. I still learn new things every day. My kids teach me. My parents teach me. My in-laws and friends and cousins teach me – constantly. I have so much to learn, and I’ve been told it is a process that will never end. I tend to put a lot of stress on myself by being a stay at home mom, working as much as I possibly can to earn an income from home, participating in everything at church, going to every play date, getting all the errands run and still having time to cook a healthy meal every night. It’s a lot. Let me tell you, there really isn’t enough time in the day to be successful at everything, but I’ve been trying to be and it has made me fail. It has caused a lot of unnecessary stress that has caused me to slip in every area of my life. I think we all go through these moments at times. Here are a few ways I try to beat the stress:

How to Beat Stress:

Exercise – I love putting in headphones and going for a run when I am super stressed out. I did this a couple of days last week and it did wonders for me! It improved my mood and the way I felt which helped me be more productive.

Coloring – I love the new fad of adult coloring! I never really quit coloring because I use my son’s coloring books as an excuse to sneak in some color time, but I received a couple of coloring books for Christmas and I have loved coloring at night when I need to unwind or clear my head a little bit.

Listening to music – This has always done wonders for my soul. Hearing a good beat makes me want to get up and dance – and most of the time, I do! Dance will always be my passion and that starts with a beat. Whether it’s in your head or on your radio/iPod, listen to that music and let it lift your spirits.

Take a Deep Breath – This is something that has always helped me. I concentrated on deep breathing backstage before every dance competition and I still do it to this day! Releasing old oxygen and replacing it with fresh air is very helpful in giving your more energy in a workout and it’s good to clear your mind and slow down your heart rate in a stressful situation.

Chew Gum – I love chewing gum. It helps me let out some of that nervous energy and it gives you fresh breath which is a bonus! I recently saw the new Extra® 35-stick pack while I was checking out at Target and I had to grab a pack in Extra® Gum Spearmint and Extra® Gum Polar Ice® Because these 35-stick packs feature more gum, there is more to go around. Now I don’t feel so stingy when my husband or friends ask for gum. Get Extra, Give Extra and everyone is happy, right? These are so convenient to split up and put half in your purse while stashing half in your car or diaper bag!

Read a book – If you’ve been around here for a while, you know how much I love to read. During my spare time or late at night, you will normally finding me reading my latest novel! I love to “escape” into a good book! Living someone else’s life for a little while is a great way to get the stress off your mind. Reading instead of watching T.V. late at night also helps me sleep better because I grow so tired when I have been reading for a while.

Don’t forget to save on Extra® Gum Spearmint at Target with the Cartwheel app coupon! Have you tried the new Extra® 35-stick pack?