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There are many ways we are stressed in our daily lives.

• news
• social media
• work
• homework
• after school activities
• clutter

Just to name a few.

Why having a daily routine can help you stress less.

You should have a daily routine so you don’t forget appointments, practice or important meetings. The night before school or work look at your calendar and write down everything that needs to be done, lay out your clothes for tomorrow, pack lunches, put book bags and brief cases by the door.  Decide what is for dinner the next day, if you need to pull something out of the freezer. Your morning routine will go much smoother with everything ready to go out the door.

Have an afternoon routine as well.  When kids get home from school have them do their homework. They will have time to play or hang out with friends and not stress about doing homework before bed.  While kids do homework you can get dinner ready. After dinner clean up the kitchen so you don’t wake up to a sink full of dirty dishes.

Make a schedule to declutter and clean in fifteen minute time blocks. Don’t do it all in one day. While waiting for pasta water to boil, clean out the microwave or wipe down the kitchen counters. Get a little toning in as well. While cutting veggies for a salad, do leg lifts or squeeze your glutes, abs and legs for fifteen seconds then release. Do a few wall push-ups. You’ll get a few minutes of toning each day if you stick with it.

Why is self-care important to relieve stress?

You need to take time each weekend to pamper yourself. You need to schedule self- care. Find an activity or hobby you enjoy.

1. buy a bath bomb with your favorite scent, a gourmet bubble bath and some candles and lock yourself in the bathroom for an hour.
2. Go for a run or walk, sign up for a 5K with friends, find a new walking path, buy a new pair of  running/walking shoes.
3. Meditate. There a few meditation apps out there, sit in your room, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing, try not to think about anything but your breathing, start out for 10 minutes a day and add 2 minutes each day.
4. Go out and buy a daring nail polish color and treat yourself to a mani/pedi.
5. Spend time with friends and family. Have them over for wine and cheese, fondue night, appetizers, popcorn and a movie, go out for a canvas painting party, go to a comedy club, have coffee, take a bike ride together.
6. Do a few yoga poses or stretching before bed to relieve tension and for deeper relaxation. Try child’s pose, legs up the wall, or reclined goddess. Light stretches can also help with symptoms of restless leg syndrome. Try to hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds to give muscles a chance to release tension. Listen to your body. You should feel gentle pressure, never pain. Don’t do a stretch if it hurts!

“To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real.” – Winston Churchill

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