Most of us usually think that home is our place of comfort and solace. However, just in the workplace, there are a lot of things at home that get us stressed and anxious. These include the household chores, the bills, maintenance needs, and the people we live with under the same roof.
But all these stressors are what makes up a home, and this is something you need to understand and accept. It’s all about managing them accordingly and effectively.
So how do you manage stress at home? Here are 9 practical ways that can be of help:
1. Prioritize.
A home is a place of chores. If you’re managing the household, it’s time to accept that bitter truth so that you can ease out the stress it brings. However, it is a must that you learn to prioritize which of the chores should be accommodated first, perhaps based on their urgency, your need, and how you want them done.
By prioritizing your chores, you are able to manage time, money, and effort. You then get more value from these resources, especially when you accomplish these tasks sooner than expected. And yes, the faster you finish these chores, the less stress you feel.
2. Treat your personal space as your temple of solace.
We easily get stressed because of the clutter and lack of organization of the things around the house. Indeed, you may not have full control of what’s going on at home, but you do have control over your personal space, such as your room.
You may want to let everything else take its own course, but not your room. It is recommended that you make it a habit to clean up your room regularly and decorate it in accordance with your concept of peace and tranquility. It is because your room is where you meditate and reflect on life, and you will not be able to think straight when it is full of clutter.
You’re not into bringing stress into your room, right?
3. Keep yourself from hoarding stuff into your home.
When we are stressed, it is common for us to binge on certain things, such as food and shopping items. Sure, you may feel like retail therapy is effective, but hoarding various items in your home creates a new kind of stress that’s difficult to deal with.
Hoarding stuff occupies more space at home, and once you no longer know where to store them, they will sit on the different parts of the house. You will then feel cramped on your own sooner and later and this adds to your stress.
Hence, it is better to look for other ways to relieve yourself of stress and anxiety. Find ones that allow you to feel good without taking anything home.
4. Spend time with the people you live with.
There are instances when the stress you feel at home is generated by the people you live with. These may be your family members or your housemates, and most of the time they do not realize that they are becoming stressors in their own right.
What you can do is to spend time with them, like bond over dinner or during the weekend. This way you are able to see through their actions and work on ways to live together harmoniously. By getting to know them better, the more manageable it will be for you to handle the stress at home, as they too will learn how to work with you whenever such situations arise.
5. Open the windows!
Stress at home may also be due to the gloomy aura of the place. Are your windows closed and your curtains all covered up? Then maybe it is time to open them and let the sunshine in! Natural light helps a lot in giving life to dull spaces, and they are also effective in changing one’s mood from melancholic to energetic. Perhaps it’s just all you need to alleviate the stress you feel at home.
6. Play some music in the house.
Another way to light up the stressful mood in the house is by playing some music. Choose tunes that allow you to relax and breathe freely so that you are able to feel more at ease. While the music does not directly remedy the stress, it helps you achieve a calmer sense of mind. Music also lets your senses calm down and your ideas flow in a smoother manner, and afterward, you can then think of better ways to solve your concerns and get rid of the stress you feel once and for all.
7. Make it a point to get rid of the clutter.
Clutter, as we’ve always been saying, aggravates stress. It clouds not only your mind but more importantly, your judgment. And even when you don’t have a lot to think about, seeing clutter gets you anxious and emotional as you don’t know exactly how to get rid of it.
The key to getting rid of clutter is by deciding which things to let go of and which to keep. Segregate the literal trash and throw them away instantly. Then choose which among your belongings are worth keeping and those are good to sell or give away. Doing so not only releases the tension you feel but also makes your home feel and look lighter than it usually is.
8. Have some friends over every once in a while.
Throwing a small house party is also a good way to break the routine and set aside the stress you feel at home. This is because with friends over, you see new faces in your place. You also get different perspectives on various topics, and you may use these in handling the same issues you feel at home. With these issues addressed, the stress you feel at home is reduced as well.
9. Have fun!
Your home is your place where you can immediately do your “me-time”. As mentioned earlier, your home (or parts of it) is your personal space, so better make the most out of it. Treat your home as the place where you work on your aspirations, from chilling out to working out, to reading the books you’ve missed out on and of course, to sleep. Let yourself free when at home, and from there you are able to feel less emotionally drained.
Stress can be effectively managed using the right mindset. So yes, whenever you’re at home, you may want to look at your stressors in a more positive light. From there you can find ways to get rid of them one by one, step by step. You may not realize it right away but you’re already enjoying your life at home in a stress-free manner.
ALSO READ:
11 Smart Ways to Manage Stress at Work
12 Smart Ways to Manage Stress at School
15 Stress Management Tips to Live a Happy Life
