Do I Take Stress Out On My Family?

Kelli DesRochers — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:43:15 +0000

Some people operate in a high-stress environment in many aspects of their life. These are the high-powered business executives with three toddlers and two Labradoodle puppies running around the house. They pride themselves on being quick and busy all the time. Then there is the other end where people purposefully choose a life that allows for a low-stress lifestyle. Even if you feel that your life is completely stress-free and you are uber-calm and collected at all times, there are probably moments where you are experiencing pressure. These occurrences might be troublesome if you don’t perceive yourself as having stress in your life because there is a chance that you are unknowingly releasing stress on your family and close friends.

I bring up this issue because we live in a stress-inducing world! There are a million tiny occurrences everyday that could build up to create unwanted feelings of a lack of self-control and being overwhelmed. Think about traffic, parking, grocery stores, lines, bills, pets, emails, text messages, and the list goes on and on. You might feel that you have it all under control, but maybe you have been releasing stress in ways that you haven’t noticed.

Take some time to talk to the people in your life who you spend the most time with and ask them if they have noticed that you have been under a lot of stress. Every American’s life has changed over the last couple years, so it’s possible that you have had to face some of the new challenges that have developed. Dig deep and talk openly to each other about the possibilities of new stresses that might be surfacing.

Regardless of how calm your life is, it is extremely healthy to develop regular outlets for relieving stress. Find what works for you and helps you let out your steam so you can come home to your family and feel relaxed. There are a million different independent hobbies that you can pursue that will help you to relieve stress. Try running, yoga, cooking, biking, sudoku, yardwork, or anything else that you might enjoy. Incorporate one of these activities into your daily routine so you can have a healthy and balanced life and to ensure that you are also creating a loving and comfortable environment for those that you are closest to.