Too Busy for Your Own Good (50 page)

Your smells
. Pollutants such as smoke, traffic, and animal dander can add to stress. Use air purifiers, fans, and anti-allergen sprays to counteract those stress-producing odors and impurities.

Your taxi service
. Are you ferrying everyone around everywhere? Explore the option of sharing carpooling duties, utilizing public transportation, or combining errands with dropping the kids off for lacrosse practice.

Your duties
. If you've complained that you're the only one doing household chores, divide shopping, cleaning, and laundry among family members.

Let's look at ten steps I recommend to get dramatic results from your efforts to eliminate stress at home.

Exercise is one of the most potent antidotes to stress. Everyone knows that in theory, if not in practice. The main reason is that it decreases cortisol, a main stress hormone in your body, and increases endorphins, your “feel good” chemicals. Besides giving you a healthy glow, exercise can also provide a distraction to take your mind off your problems along with strengthening your immune system. If these aren't reasons enough, research suggests that by lowering your physiological reactivity to stress
today
, exercise may give you some immunity to
future
stress.

Your job outside the home may be physically demanding, and perhaps the thought of being
more
physical at home is enough to stress you out. But to receive nature's stress-busters, endorphins, you need to get your heart rate up three times a week for at least twenty minutes. Experts disagree somewhat on the rate, length, and frequency of exercise, but they all agree that you have to get out there and do it.

To start your regimen, begin with simple activities such as taking a brisk walk. The key to getting enough exercise to de-stress is to make it a priority. Do not wait until the end of the day to exercise, when you may not feel like it. Most people report that getting up one half hour earlier and getting their exercise out of the way first thing in the morning creates a positive spin to their day. Figure out which part of your day is better for working out and make it a part of your routine
today
.

Turn chores into games
. Put on music and boogie as you do your cleaning, give yourself a reward if you “win” (get it done) within a certain time, or go for your personal best time for cleaning and organizing.

Learn a new sport or take a class
. When you've got that beginner's excitement, it doesn't feel so much like exercise with a capital E. There are many different sports and classes that working parents can fit in their schedule. You can set up activities parallel to your children's schedules, such as learning tai chi when they are at karate or shooting hoops during their basketball teams' practices. The whole family could join a race team for a charity walk/run, go to the batting cages, or take lessons in golf, scuba diving, horseback riding, or kayaking.

You can also de-stress your body through repetitive activities. Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School has confirmed the benefits of the “relaxation response” since the late seventies. These activities include walking, playing a musical instrument, knitting, and any other hobby that doesn't take serious concentration. Repetition can bring you a state of mental calm that lowers your blood pressure and releases tension.

A stressed body is a demanding machine that needs the proper balance of fluids, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Unfortunately, we sometimes eat what makes us feel better—that's why it's called comfort food—or try some new supplement because it promises quick results. The straight scoop on nutrition
does not
come from a celebrity, infomercial spokesperson, or pills. The truth will come from science—research, double-blind studies, and peer reviews—not stories, advertising,
and sound bites. Proper nourishment requires that you make an effort to do the following:

Be skeptical of miracle supplements sold online or on television—“Lose a pound a day without diet or exercise!”

Look to the real story behind sensational headlines like “Miracle Juice Curbs Appetite!”

Consult a registered dietician (R.D.) or your doctor before you start a weight-loss program.

Watch sweet and salty foods, because high intakes of sugar can lead to diabetes, and salt affects heart health.

Slow down and enjoy meals instead of eating on the go. If you eat slower, your appetite will be satisfied faster and you'll consume less and experience fewer mood swings from blood sugar rushes.