Calm Home, Calm Mind – Tips for Less Stress at Home

by Teresa Siqueira |  View Bio

Teresa Siqueira

Teresa is passionate about Digital Media, traveling, comedy, and writing. She explores her love for those topics by developing content about culture, lifestyle, and the digital trends impacting society. She works as a Content Marketing Specialist at Porch.com, where she creates articles with insights on how to improve the lives of everyone at home. Teresa dedicates a special focus on creating educational content to support parents and families in managing the everyday challenges regarding children’s environment. Seattle-based is a home services platform that helps homeowners and renters everywhere make the home simple. Porch connects homeowners with local home improvement contractors and partners with world-class companies to offer their services nationwide.

Having stressors in our lives is something that has become practically unavoidable. Unless you happen to live a storybook-like life in a remote mountain meadow where it’s always sunny and work doesn’t exist, you probably have things in your life that cause you stress. But creating a calm home is possible for everyone. Some stressors can be eliminated altogether, but more likely, you’re going to have to be disciplined about finding ways to care for yourself and your loved ones to help ease stress. One of the best ways we can do that is by being intentional about our home environments.

Stress causes all kinds of negatives in our lives that impact us and our relationships. You’re not your best self when your brain is expending a ton of energy in survival mode, which means that you’re not showing your best for your partner, friends, and family.

Schoolwork, busy schedules, even playdates and other factors can cause anxiety and stress for children.

Tips to help kids learn to relax:

• Practice slow breathing techniques – Just like us, kids benefit from mindful breathing, and we can teach them to be aware of their breathing by doing breathing exercises with them.


• Supervise content consumption in children – It can be easy to lose track of kids’ screen time but knowing how much is healthy for their age and being disciplined about enforcing limits is key to helping them relax at home. Keep an eye on the type of content that seems to be connected to unrest, whether that shows up in behavior, sleep patterns, etc. If limiting screen time is a trouble spot, try to find a non-screen-related activity that gets them excited and use that as a way of ending screen time positively.


• Importance of creating a routine – Routines are as crucial for kids as they are for us. Having a routine makes their minds feel more secure, and they focus less on day-to-day tasks as new events require energy, which frees up mental space to put more effort into bigger-picture ideas and growth. The routine should involve positive things that they love as well as practicalities, that way you’re teaching them that it’s equally important to make time to do things you love as it is the things you need to do.


• Playing Outdoors – Playing outdoors is a key way kids learn about the world and their capabilities and limits. It lets them be free of the constraints of the indoors and channel effort they might be putting elsewhere into being silly and free. Free play is a concept that allows our kids to develop and fine-tune motor skills, learn body awareness, and build strength. Introducing kids to new outdoor spaces will also help them be less stressed at home.

Tips to relax at home as family:

• Reading – Swap a movie night for a book night! Whether your genre of choice is wild fantasy, historical biographies or comic books, reading is essential for your brain. It takes you out of your day-to-day and lets your mind escape. If you or your child is not yet a reader, open a book and give it few pages. Your kids will follow your lead!


• Painting – Regardless of skill or aptitude, painting is a terrific way to let your mind unwind and wander. Take your kids on a trip to the dollar store for a canvas, paint, and brushes for under $10. Find a space that can get a bit messy, put on some fun music, and find your inner Van Gogh (just keep both of your ears).


• Yoga – The benefits of yoga are extolled far and wide. Even better, online platforms are more plentiful than ever. If you’re just starting, all you need is a yoga mat and a quiet space. Practices vary in length, so you don’t have to commit to a more extended session. Try searching for a free online program so that both you and your kids can give it a test run.


• Gardening – Gardening is one of those things that can quickly become a healthy obsession. It helps to connect you and your child with nature while providing an opportunity to learn new things. Gardening and being outdoors gives your mind something to focus on in the foreground while the back of your mind quietly sifts through other thoughts.


• Puzzles – Puzzles are a great way to practice mindfulness while also pulling in others. The artwork you can find on puzzles is endless, and not only that, but you can also have a puzzle printed with your favorite artwork! That way, when you’re done, you can put it in a frame and have a unique piece to hang. Puzzles are also tactile, meaning that part of the experience is the feeling of the pieces. They are also an exciting group activity – start doing a puzzle quietly and see how long it takes for anyone who walks by to join in.


• Exercise – From walking to dancing and everything in between, physical activity can help lower your overall stress levels and improve your quality of life, both mentally and physically – at any age. Exercising regularly can have a positive effect on your mood by relieving the tension, anxiety, anger, and mild depression that often go hand-in-hand with stress.

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