This may sound a little silly but my husband bought me a ROOMBA automatic carpet cleaner and I first I thought, "this is probably a piece of junk with shiny buttons...there's no way it can clean a carpet!" Well, much to my surprise ROOMBA actually does work. I love that I can turn it on, close the door (block off entries that I don't want it to go in or under) and let it do its thing. This saves me time and I think it's worth the purchase. Thiema”
Showing 181-189 of 218 Lifesavers
My favorite way to destress is to inhale, exhale and remember that I need time for me. You need to take care of YOU! No one else will.
Bringing my own lunch to work each day has been my lifesaver -- though, early on, I was sure it would just make things more stressful for me. (Another lunch to pack in the morning! No way!) But it's easy to throw leftovers, cut-up veggies and some low-cal dressing, tea bags (way better than the coffee at my office), and a small treat in a bag while I'm packing lunches and snacks for my kids. And I don't feel an urge to hit the junk-food-filled snack machines -- or even the chips-and-candy aisle at the supermarket -- at all, any more.
With a one-year-old, it is hard for me to carve out any significant lumps of time in the day to work, and my work requires some concentration. I had a hard time at first trying to balance getting my work done and not feeling like I was neglecting my daughter. My solution? I have started getting up one hour before my daughter in the morning. I feel much less stressed. In that one hour I get more done than I would in 3 or 4 distracted hours during the day. And now my day is free to take care of my home and daughter. Some mornings it is hard to wake up early, but I just need to be disciplined and go to bed on time. It is worth it because I am much less stressed.
Plastic drink cups! I bought a package of them for less than $1, and handed each of my two youngest kids15 cups. They happily stacked them into pyramids, collapsed them into piles, "decorated" them with action figures, and had tons of fun (while I was able to get dinner on the table with no fuss). It's a cheap investment, and perfect for long waits at the doctor's office or restaurants.
Pretty much the only "me time" I get is my lunch 1/2 hour at work. Take that lunch break! You deserve it (and hey, it's legally mandated!) I turn off my "oh, I have SO much work to do" state of mind and grab my book and sit at starbucks or in the parking lot in my car and read/eat. It's really the only time I get to myself until around 10 pm (and that's if the baby goes to bed on time!)
To juggle work and family the Main thing I have is my organizer......and a Mini van..:-) ...Still its not fool proof but working on it for sure!!!! Quick stress reducer is giving myself a time out (when possible) or sitting in the rocking chair on my front porch just to catch my breath! Me time....still far in betweeen.....Will def take advice on this one.
The other night I was running late and needed a quick way to feed my family before dinner. I had everything for tacos but no meat thawed out, so i swung into the store and got a $5.00 deli chicken. Boned and tossed with my taco mixn's and done! It was also cheaper to buy a pre cooked whole bird than frozed chicken breast! Had to share :)
Be aware of your own emotions and energy levels. It's nigh on impossible for many of us to take a day or even a whole hour to ourselves so make of list of small activities you can do in 10 minutes that recharge you. It could be you sit for 10 minutes reading before going into the office, go for a walk around the block at lunchtime, schedule a 10 minute chat with a friend - whatever it is that sustains and rejuvenates you. Then when you can feel yourself in need of a quick pick me up - do one of your 10 minute recharges. try and work up to fitting in 3 per day - that's 30 minutes to yourself! Find creative ways to do it - come on, we can all find 10 minutes!
I am fortunate enough to have a best friend who's been in my life since I was five. Our mothers went to nursing school together, we attended the same small neighborhood church and went to the same school from Kindergarten through high school graduation, and were in each other's weddings. She knows me better than anyone else on the planet and vice versa. The kind of soul mates who can abbreviate an entire explanation using a single word or name from the past. But she lives 90 minutes away. So, every six months we meet in the middle for dinner to celebrate our respective birthdays. Just the two of us...no husbands, no kids, no interruptions...just two best friends laughing about the good times, crying about the tough ones, and swapping secrets. No matter how broke we are or how busy we get, we make this night happen twice a year. When I know I've got that on my calendar, I can get through just about anything!
