Erase Your Worries: Stress Relieving Tips for the Everyday Woman

Stress abounds in the day-to-day life of your everyday woman. Many people would assume that only working mothers have issues with stress, such as balancing home and work, meeting the demands of an employer, children and husband, or cooking and cleaning versus what needs to be done for work. However, stress is a factor in any woman's life.

Your stay at home moms face unique challenges that create stress as well, such as balancing the wants and needs of a family against their own wants and needs, dealing with the financial stresses of a one job family, and living up to the expectations of being a "super mom" because they do not work outside the home.

Most stress relief articles are written with the assumption that women have plenty of time and/or money to relieve their stress, when in reality in most women's lives it is the lack of one or both of these important commodities that results in the stress to begin with. So, what I have is some stress relief tips for the women out there with a true lack of one or both of these commodities.

1. Let your imagination take flight. I know most of us automatically think of a kid's game when we think of imagination, however, that does not have to hold true. Read a good book while sitting at a soccer game, doctor's appointment or waiting to pick your kids up from school. Except don't just read for the sake of reading, truly immerse yourself in the story line, you may be pleasantly surprised at how well this small diversion from reality can reduce your stress level.
2. Enjoy some exercise with your children. Most people know that exercise is a great stress reducer.

   However, when we envision exercise most often we imagine an activity we can do alone, and for those of who this is a possibility for that is wonderful. However, there are some of for whom getting away for an hour to exercise is about as possible as us jumping over the moon. So, why not exercise with your children? If you have young children, chances are you can either get them interested in an exercise tape with you (especially if it contains lively upbeat music) or you can create your own alternative (take everyone outside, and just run free with the kids for a while).

   Why not rake the leaves in your lawn with them, and then all take turns jumping in the piles. On a hot summer night, you may try catching fireflies with them; you get plenty of exercise and create memories all at the same time.

3. When all the lights go out for the night, take a long hot bath. Once your day is winding down, all the kids are in bed and it is time to relax, take a few minutes for yourself.

   You have worked hard either at a public job, or for your family all day and deserve some quiet time. Make time before going to bed to set a romantic relaxing mood in your bathroom, set out some scented candles, play some soft music, give yourself the works at least once a week.

   Then go in and run yourself a nice hot bubble bath, climb in and relax. Just lie there and let the stresses of your day float away. Take time to caress your skin and muscles as you slowly wash away your worries. This is also the perfect place to rid yourself of any sexual frustrations that can often result from children making themselves a fixture in your bedroom. If your significant other decides to come into the bathroom, the sight of you in a hot steaming bubble bath, is sure to excite their senses as well, and may even result in some joint stress relief.

While many women are blessed with the ability to take long leisurely walks alone, get out with the girls, or just enjoy a day for themselves many of us are not. For the women like me, who must rely on stolen moments for their stress relief, my final word of advice would be taking advantage of these moments. Stress relief comes in many forms and does not have to be expensive or time consuming to be effective. For the modern woman, stress relief can be as easy as cracking open a book.