From Cindy's Heart

67 Ways to Reduce Stress (NOT an Exhaustive List!) by Christie Berry

67 Ways to Reduce Stress
(NOT an exhaustive list!!)
By Christie Berry

Many of these ideas may help you reduce stress!

Sit on a swing/porch swing and swing with a vengeance.
Take a long bubble bath with candles and a good book.
Get a massage.
Chat on the phone with a friend.
Write, keep a journal, poetry, email a friend.
Go to a pool and swim laps.
Read something funny—laughter is full of endorphins.
Rock a child or baby.
Tell the dog all about your stress! He listens intently and will lick you to make it better.
Go to yard/garage sales, thrift stores, ebay!
Make a gum wrapper chain (the kids usually have lots of wrappers).
Do handwork: embroidery, crochet, tat, knit, hem something, etc.
Clean your house with all your energy!
Do laundry.
Eat jello with your toddler—or with a teen only you have to feed each other with LARGE bites!
Bake bread (kneading helps relieve stress)
Work in the garden, pull weeds, talk to your plants (they don’t talk back!!).
Sit in the quiet of your garden.
Sort papers, email, socks…
Play music or a musical instrument—match your mood to your music, if you want to change your mood, change the music.
Read email from friends, lists, message boards.
Sing—LOUDLY!
Strive for alone time.
Put yourself in ‘time-out’ (lock yourself in your room for a few minutes or have your husband send you to your room if you need a break when he gets home).
Any physical exercise: swim, jog, run, walk, hike, roller blade, yoga, join a gym, lift weights, aerobics, bike ride, running to the fridge!
Eat stress food: chocolate, chewy (tootsie rolls), more chocolate!
Go to the library.
Relax after everyone else is in bed—cup of cocoa or tea, private stash of chocolate! (have a required bedtime no matter what our children’s age…quiet time!)
Go to the card section of the store and read the funny ones.
Burn candles.
Learn about and use aromatherapy.
Play, be silly with the kids, or a friend!
Find a hobby—painting, pottery, photography, scrapbooking, writing, cooking, refinishing furniture, ceramics, sewing quilting, making jewelry, candles, soap—the art of creation relieves stress and gives the feeling of accomplishment.
Take a drive in the country—a Sunday drive (not necessarily on Sunday!).
Scream!!! (best to do this outside, or askd the kids to join you inside)
List all of the stressors in your life—see if there are any you can change or eliminate.
Declutter and organize your home—www.flylady.com
Go to the movies—a comedy or escape theme, popcorn, and chocolate!
Reconnect with old friends, family—write a letter, call or send an email.
Lay on floor and throw a temper tantrum with the kids!
Schedule in ‘ME’ time everyday at least for ½ an hour—and a couple of times a month with a friend.
Go to Walmart at night by yourself when there are no crowds and walk through all the aisles window shopping (wear comfortable shoes).
Take time away from house to do something you enjoy.
Deep breathing.
Stimulate your mind: take a class, attend a discussion, do some research.
Do something with likeminded friends “When I really need to distress, I have to talk with someone who ‘gets’ what I’m going through” Emotional support.
Go on a date with hubby, get a sitter, and work on ‘adults only relationships.’
Get enough sleep: declare a quiet time in the afternoon and take a short nap with toddlers (everyone else can read quietly in bed or watch a quiet movie on TV).
Watch mindless TV.
Find a support group (real life or on the internet).
Surf the web, look up things of interest or learn something new.
Hire help. Can’t afford it?? Check again! Cleaning help once a week or share child care with another mom to get a break!
Start a girl’s night out (or lunch).
Take a few days by yourself, a vacation, retreat, visit a friend.
Do something with one of your children that is fun for both of you and doesn’t take much planning (ice cream parlor, do a puzzle, play a game, chase each other around the house.
Find the family activities—parks, lake, camping, zoo, (away from the daily busy-ness).
Have a spa day with friends, do facials, foot soaks, manicures, (remember being a teen?).
Move, leave no forwarding address, become a hermit, join the convent, never return!
Think about choosing to have/adopt your children all over again, take comfort in knowing God makes NO MISTAKES!
Look for opportunities for respite care—churches, mom’s day out, UCP clinic.
Find a marriage retreat weekend and a sitter!
Don’t stress over the house cleaning, take time to lay on the floor and play with the kids.
Find a high school student that can come once a week and work with your special needs child or a mom whose children are in public school that wouldn’t mind earning a little extra or helping out a few hours a week.
Create a loose schedule so that when things get off track you have something to look at and try to get back on track so you don’t loose the whole day and feel that nothing got done.
Break problems into small manageable and solvable pieces.
Improve your nutrition.
Last, and of course not least, give it to God and let Him carry it. Have a quiet time each day. Include prayer, Scripture, and meditation.

ABOUT CHRISTIE BERRY...

Christie and Richard "Satch" Berry have been homeschooling their  special children since 1992. Richard is in the Army and the family has lived in many places. His soon retirement has allowed them to settle down in Hazel Green, AL. Although Christie's background is in elementary education and special education, it wasn't until the birth of their second child, Shelly, in 1992, that they truly understood the depth of need for families to reach and teach their children at home. Shelly was born with complications that finally resulted in a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. A year later their son, Ricky was diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. In the fall of 2000, Tasha (12), moved to their home as a foster child and was adopted in summer of 2001. Tasha came out of the 6th grade to be home educated with the rest of the family. She was reading at a 3rd grade level. They experienced a "loss" at each event that took them both through a grieving process and finally brought them to an acceptance of the special gifts God gave them in their precious children. They began learning everything they could about how to reach and teach their children to give them the best possible experience and opportunity in life. (To learn more about the Berry family visit : http://www.shekinah-farm.com/  )

Christie has been helping other families teach their special needs children in a home environment by empowering parents through support, mentoring, resources and education. Varied Abilities School and Training Network was created to bring this support to others and to empower all parents to help their children reach their full potential.

Contact Christie by email at: christie@vastnetwork.org or see her home(s) on the web at: http://www.vastnetwork.org  or http://www.shekinah-farm.com/