Stress Relief Tips from Moms of Preschoolers

There are days that I can feel lost, overwhelmed, like I haven’t talked or thought in full sentences.   I am looking forward to unwinding some of that stress with a great deal from Dallas where I got a certificate for a massage – for under ten bucks!   Woot!   I can almost feel the knots disappearing in anticipation.   Till then I am stuck at home with four kiddos underfoot, and here are some relaxation tips from you, my loved readers.   Thanks for sharing your “Works for me” ideas! . “One day when the kids just started screaming and yelling uncontrollably in the car. My sister was about to loose it. We rolled down all the windows and my sister and I just started screaming as loud as we could too. The kids were shocked and stopped yelling, and we felt so much better after getting a yell out!!” – Holly . I take power naps~just in the afternoon if I’m really exhausted I’ll tell the kids I need to lay down for about 15 minutes!  It’s awesome & gets me through till bedtime! – Stephanie . “I save up all of my thinking about my favorite subject for that moment.   I absolutely LOVE to nerd around different ideas in my head about the characters (of Lost) and theories I have going with the plot. Any time over the last few days when I wanted to think about it, I put my thoughts on ice so I could really get into a day dream zone, during [moments of unpleasantness].   Hahahah!!! How’s that for tuning out life’s troubles? “Zone into your TV place”.   – Jenna . “I started running. Its free and gets me some fresh air too.”   – Melissa . “Bath with a glass of wine and my iphone on which to surf youtube? My own private nirvana” – Shannon .   I soak in the whirlpool tub; with the jets running I usually can’t hear the chaos unfolding.   It’s even better if I have a good book to take in with me to read, one that has more than 12 pages and no pictures…. – Christina   “Going to Grandma’s house!” – Lana . “I get her content and busy, even in “mid-blowup mode” I just get her in bathtub, or coloring a page… etc. That way she is busy and “happy” for a minute, lol. Then I call someone or go sit out back.   My fav: go into my room, lay on my bed, in the dark and just be me!” – Tiffany . “Lower my expectations” – Christie . “Read.   I love a good legal thriller!” – Deirdre . “When my kids (4 of them under 7) are acting snotty I mirror their actions in a silly, exaggerated way. Makes us both laugh, puts the moment in perspective, and they listen much better if the tone is happy as opposed to mom screaming at everyone.” – Britta . “If it’s been a long day, I’ll have my hubby do the bedtime routine with Parker & I’ll go take a hot shower. For as long as I want – with the door all the way closed and exhaust fan actually on, because it’s ok if I don’t hear anything 🙂 It’s amazing how refreshing that is!” – Claire . “Dinner with just girlfriends is the best medicine. Lots of laughs, advice giving, and having 2 hours of not being mom or wife is great stress relief.” – Jen . “A cup of coffee and a game of hide-n-seek where I count very, very slowly to 50” – Me, Quirky . “I turn up the dancing music–changes the mood for kiddos and me, and healthier than chocolate!” – Laura . I LOVE to take a brisk walk.   My brain seems to open up and I  am able to come up with some logical thinking that is always  KEY to relaxing. – Patrish . Whenever the clock charms we run around and give each other hugs and kisses.   This way, even if the day has been rough we still have regular reminders that we love each other. – Julieanne . Thanks Weekly Plus Deals in Dallas for sponsoring Quirky Momma.     I can’t wait to use the deal I discovered and relax at a massage.   Do you want to find a great deal?   Check them out! . Thanks again to the facebook fans, twitter followers and MomLoopers who participated to create this great go-to list of suggestions to help get rid of stress. Do you have a tip you’d like to add or do you have a link you want me to attribute your “tip” to?   Leave a comment and I’ll update the post later this week.   This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.