Top Tips for Moms to get relief from Stress

Moms have a big role to play in managing the home, bringing up the kids, manage financial requirements of home, take care of family members and maintaining harmony at home.

Most home managements tasks can get accomplished when you plan your work and then work your plan.  A big step in making this happen is to do today’s work today.

The cornerstone in each home is the mother. It’s the cornerstone that keeps the structure on the square, and this is what mothers do for the home. In order to be fit for the family, however, you first have to be fit by taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. With several responsibilities and multi tasking in the role of a mom, you need to get relief from stress

The top 30 Proven tips for Stress relief

1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning.  The unavoidable morning mishaps will be less stressful. You will also get time to do scripture reading and thank God with a prayer. Your day will be blessed and you will get direction to proceed with your tasks.
2. Prepare for the morning the evening before.  Tidy up before retiring for the night.  We refer to this as putting the house to bed before you go to bed. This helps you get a good start the next morning.  A little twist to the old adage reminds us that “an ounce of evening is worth a pound of morning.” Eg: Chop the veggies, plan the menu, put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.
3. Don’t rely on your memory.  Write down appointment times, extra milk purchased, laundry details, date cooking gas was replaced, etc
4. Make duplicates of keys.  Keep a duplicate key set for critical doors and cupboards. This will save time in an emergency.
5. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to reach the places of appointments 15 mins in advance especially doctor visit. Arrive at the railway station or an airport one hour before domestic departures.
6. Get up and stretch periodically if your job requires that you sit for extended periods.
7. Add an ounce of love to everything you do. You will feel the positive energy flowing.
8. Take a hot bath or shower (or a cool one in hot summer) to relieve tension.
9. Do something for somebody else. Learn to share and give.
10. Focus on understanding rather than on being understood; on loving rather than on being loved.
11. Relax your standards.  The world will not end if the grass doesn’t get mowed this weekend.
12. Get enough sleep.  If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.
13. Create order out of chaos.  Organize your home and workspace so that you always know exactly where things are.  Put things away where they belong and you won’t have to go through the stress of losing things.
14. When feeling stressed, most people tend to breathe short, shallow breaths.  When you breathe like this, stale air is not expelled, oxidation of the tissues is incomplete, and muscle tension frequently results.  Check your breathing throughout the day, before, during, and after high-pressure situations.  If you find your stomach muscles knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax all your muscles and take several deep, slow breaths.
15. Writing your thoughts and feelings down (in a journal, or on paper to  be thrown away) can help you clarify things and can give you a renewed perspective
16. Try the following yoga technique whenever you feel the need to relax. Inhale deeply through your nose to the count of eight.  Then, with lips puckered, exhale very slowly through your mouth to the count of 16, or for as long as you can.  Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve.  Repeat 10 times.
17. Minimize intake of caffeine in your diet
18. Talk it out.  Discussing your problems with a trusted friend can help clear your mind of confusion so you can concentrate on problem solving.
19. Learn to live one day at a time.
20. Every day, do something you really enjoy. Enjoy the work you do
21. Use your weekend time for a change of pace. Plan for an outing with family and have a get together. Keep away from the same activities you do in the week.
22. Plan ahead. Always set up contingency plans. Avoid stock out position at home. Keep a watch of your surroundings and plan for ‘ just in case’
23. Simplify your work. Make life easy. Ensure preventive maintenance for all electrical and electronic gadgets.
24. Eliminate destructive self-talk:  “I’m too old to. . .,”  “I’m too fat to. . .,” etc.
25. Say “No!”  Saying “no” to extra projects, social activities, and invitations you know you don’t have the time or energy. You can instead spend quality time with family.
26. One of the most obvious ways to avoid unnecessary stress is to select an environment (work, home, leisure) which is in line with your personal needs and desires.
27. Allow yourself time – everyday – for privacy, quiet, and introspection. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
28. Learn to delegate responsibility to capable others. Encourages caring and communication among family members.
29. Have a forgiving view of events and people.  Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world.
30. Have an optimistic view of the world.  Believe that most people are doing the best they can.

In summary it’s when you as mother are strong that you can lend strength to your family.  It’s when the house is first stabilized by doing today’s work today that progress can be made in other areas of home management. Therefore it’s at this point that family and personal projects and activities are most likely to bring enjoyment and satisfaction. It’s all about the cornerstone, foundation, and structure concept in doing today’s work today.

Follow these top tips to get relief from Stress .Enjoy life. Give your inputs in the comments section. You can also follow us on our facebook page and Google plus page.

Great tips to save LPG in your kitchen

There is a lot of discussion and news these days on LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) price hike. With the norm implemented of one connection per house hold and the number of cylinders restricted per connection it has become all the more critical to save fuel and avoid over spending by procuring additional cylinders.  In fact you need to be careful with the way you use your LPG and make sure your cylinder last longer.

Commonly observed during peak times in the kitchen, moms run around to collect curry leaves from the kitchen garden or pick the pack in the refrigerator during the process of cooking. At times due to delay the ingredients in the oil placed on the stove will start turning brown to black and the dish will have a burnt smell. Need for planning?

Great tips to save LPG in your kitchen

• First and foremost: Light the stove only when you have everything in your reach. Before you start cooking plan for the menu, collect all vegetables / ingredients that would be needed. Chop vegetables and keep the masalas ready to avoid wastage to time and gas once you put on flame.
• Ensure the base of the vessel is dry before placing on the burner. You can save a minute or two of gas that will be required to evaporate the water inside and out. The savings altogether will be huge.
• Preferably use pans that have a wide bottom, because when the flames extend beyond the pan, it is wasted.

Remember the popular saying : ”Tiny drops of water makes a mighty ocean” or in Hindi: Boondh, Boondh se gada barta hain”

• Use of pressure cooker will save time and fuel. Soak dhals for 15 mins at least prior to cooking. Saves cooking time, only 1 whistle will be required to cook the dhal in the cooker.
• Avoid spilling of any cooking items on the stove mainly on the burner. This will block all the pores and the flame will not be not uniform. Clean it periodically to improve efficiency.
• Minimize water addition while cooking as more LPG will be consumed to evaporate excess water.
• Avoid open vessel cooking as much as possible, Placing a lid will ensure the energy is used most efficiently and you save on gas.
• Once the cookware is sufficiently heated up, reduce the flame and cook on less heat. In fact food cooked on low flame tends to have better nutritional value and will taste great.
• Thaw frozen foods prior to cooking, the heat energy that will be required to bring down the foods to room temperature will be saved.
• Cook in larger quantities and store what you do not need for another time, this will lessen your work and save gas.
• Try and get all family members to eat meals at the same time, so that you do not have to heat food every time someone comes to the table. This problem is severe during winter and rainy seasons when the food becomes cold quickly.
• If there is a requirement for hot water frequently in the home, boil it and preserve it in a thermos flask, rather than heat water every time it is necessary.
• Avoid spillage of any cooking items on the stove mainly on the burner. This will block all the pores and the flame will not be not uniform. Clean it periodically.
• Check the regulator, pipes, burner for leaks and also ensure that regulator is switched off after cooking to eliminate any chance of wastage due to small leaks.
• Before leaving the house / going to bed or do not forget to turn off the cylinder knob. You need to off the cylinder knob first and then when the flame is exhausted, switch off the stove. This way you use the gas that remains in the pipe too.

Avoid all this hurry and wastage of gas. Follow these suggestions which can save LPG gas and in turn benefit you with money. With a few changes to your cooking habits, you can save even more gas.

Become a wonderful Home Manager, an additional feather in your cap!