Stress

Stress is something that I am sure that we all face. Many of us wear different hats throughtout the day: mom, wife, friend, employee, boss, artist, marketer, and the list could go on and on. Sometimes we are so busy taking care of others or business that I think we forget to take care of ourselves and that can lead to us feeling stressed and irritable. So for today I thought I would talk a bit about what we could do to help relieve stress and pamper ourselves a bit.

First up is exercise. Did I hear a collective groan and sigh here? Seriously, exercise is a great stress reducer and I'm going to spend a little time on it because it's something that I know a bit about. I used to be an avid exerciser, operative word here used to be, I've let it slip to the wayside since I've become involved in opening and promoting my studio. I've been thinking lately that I really need to get back into it because when I was doing it regularly my mood was improved, I had more energy, slept better and it did help relieve stress. I've somehow convinced myself that I don't have time for it but deep down I know that's not true, I have to make time for it. There's always time for a short walk or after working at our desks or computers take a few a minutes to do some yoga poses or simple stretches, we just have to have make the time.

So what are our options as far as exercise goes? I've already mentioned taking a walk and doing some stretches or yoga and of course there's the gym but I know many of us don't want to take the time out of our busy days to go to the gym so what else is there? One option that we have is to exercise at home, if you have cable that offers FitTV there are some great exercise programs available throughout the day or Fit on Demand offers a wide array of exercise shows at your fingertips at your convenience. There's also a great variety of exercise dvds on the market and this is something I know a bit about because my collection extends to well, let's just say, a lot of them. There's something for everyone from yoga to kickboxing, beginner to advanced, weight training to pilates, you name it and there's probably a video or dvd for it. Too rainy to walk outside, try a walking video! You can find exercise dvds at almost any brick and mortar store but the variety can be limited, particularly for advanced exercisers. For some great online resources that I've personally bought from and had great customer service try Collage Video, Total Fitness DVDS, or Advanced Workouts. All of these sites offer clips and reviews so you can really check them out before you buy. A great consumer site for home exercise is Video Fitness. I've been a member there for several years and it's a great place to find reviews written by consumers and the forums are filled with great ladies and gentlemen who are always willing to offer advice and help someone out.

Sorry if all that came across as an advertisement but it's something I was once very passionate about and have come to realize that I miss it in my life but enough about exercise and back to the topic on hand which is ways to reduce stress. What are some other ways that we can relieve stress in our lives? A quick rundown would include getting enough rest, laughing with friends and family, doing something you really enjoy, learning to say no to others, prioritize your time, set up a home spa, treat yourself to something sweet, keep a gratitude journal. Of course a few of our Artfire Cafemom Team members have some wonderful products to help you reduce stress.


Please check out our other Artfire shops for more great items and feel free to post any comments or suggestions for your favorite ways to reduce stress.