Top 5 Ways to Beat Summer Stress

The summer is for relaxing, lazy days, time splashing around in water. The truth though, is that for many people, it ends up being several months of busy schedules, keeping children entertained, and some how having even less “you” time.

So how does one decompress during the hot humid days of summer?

Here are my top five ways to beat summer stress:

1. Get on a bike. Any bike will do. The wind through your hair (or helmet) makes everything seem better.
2. Read a book.  Worried about finding five minutes to read to yourself with your kiddos circling the wagon?  Institute family reading time. Everyone sits down with their book for five, ten, fifteen minutes (depending on the age of your children).  My favorite summer read so far this year: The Help by Katheryn Stocket.  Amazing, inspiring. powerful.
3. Get out into your garden. I am not a green thumb so gardening is something that I am only just beginning to enjoy, but the relaxing feeling the soil between my fingers must be why children like playing with sand when they are younger.  Don’t have a garden? Basil grows well even in an indoor pot!
4. Find one morning weekday or weekend that you have nothing on your calendar. Stay in your pajamas, watch tv, or listen to music. pick your indulgence and go for it. You might even play music out loud for your whole family to dance to. Our personal favorite is the Mamma Mia soundtrack.  You just can’t help but dancing to Abba.
5. Get wet.  Swim some laps, jump off the diving board, play Marco Polo with your children.  No swimming pool?  Set up a sprinkler and run through it.  The neighbors may laugh, but you will be having so much fun, you won’t even notice.

The truth is that anything that makes you laugh, or smile, or feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside is good for summer decompression.  And the beauty of some stress relieving time?  Everything seems better afterwards!

By Elena
Elena is a mom. A wife. A teacher. A cancer survivor. A blogger. Life has always been a roller coaster, a bit of a magic carpet ride. There have been downs, like being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease at 23, having a bone marrow transplant, getting divorced, and suffering from depression. There have also been ups, like the birth of a  daughter, successfully running two marathons, and meeting & getting re-married to the love of her life. Get to know Elena at Ciao Mom.