It’s often said,” Home is where the heart is.” and having learned psychologically that the heart is the seat of all the hopes, dreams, desires, love, and well–being, It definitely makes a lot of sense to have a stress free home.
It will be a wonderful investment to think of a stress-free home in the first place and then implement a couple of measures that promise a home that is a strictly ‘NO STRESS’ zone would be anyone’s delight. Isn’t it?
Well in that case, here goes my list of simple hacks that made my home and hearth a calmer zone:-
- A family that eats well, sleeps deep enough and shakes a leg each day, is peaceful and bubbles with goodness.
- Nothing beats the laughter that funny TV shows or movies bring in to our drawing rooms. Heard a joke recently, go on to repeat it over and over again, and continue to relive the humour.
- A family hug, a good night kiss, or a simple ritual of ‘high fives’ to your children are a delight and promote Cohesiveness and bonding. One at the end of the day smoothens all creases that chaotic existence gets along
- Ensure to initiate the round of applause, a congratulatory note for marks gone a notch up/ improvement in behaviours or a report card turning up first right and so much more. These are the small hinges on which the big door of happy families swing!!
Image Source: IFC.com
- Celebrating accomplishments and not just anniversaries and birthdays sets the tone of more competitiveness and spurs achievement focus in the family.
- Create a culture of pitching in and collaborating in times of excess workload and help each other in collating resources. This creates a support system, unburdens the caretakers alone, and most importantly creates an environment free from anxiety and such that none feels overwhelmed but supported & cared for.
- Avoid ‘Drama’ in life as a rule in the family. It builds up the nasty three C’s-confrontation, conflict, and confusion. Honestly there’s no rocket science to know the perils of the three.
Image Source: Bored Panda
- Dis-Agreements will crop up; bad times will prevail, tempers might flare up but keep your response in perspective. Practice ‘Time out’ and sleep over the conflicts. Arguments die down when families cool off with either a walk down the colony lane or playing with a pet
- Adopt alternative practices that help in releasing calmness of mind and spirit. For example, Yoga, meditation, slowing down, and just ‘Being’- Getting Bored included. Doing it as a family will initiate a culture of connecting and bonding magically over time.
Image Source :Camillestyles
- Create Quiet Times-With the young brigade used to blaring sounds and compulsive distractions all day long, creating quiet moments with reading, writing, creative pursuits can be conducive to all the goodness of endorphins. With a little negotiation, a balanced and mutually agreed upon consumption on TV, gadgets, and online pursuits can help avoid frayed nerves and temper tantrums as well. Music can be anytime can be calming.
- This one here is my favourite-Reclaim the power of dinner table conversations since dinner is the only time that today’s busy families come together.
Image Source: Pixabay
- Ensure everyone talks about anything without being judged. Things as minor as a tiff with a friend to as major as getting a ‘B’ is chemistry project or first brush with infatuation easily surfaces here. Let the conversation flow and my best-tried advice says ‘Resist any temptation to be judge-mental’. Embrace relationship overcorrection, trust me it took me time to let go and choose my battles, so suggesting patience to you dear reader is purely out of the experience.
- Encouraging social get-togethers, family meet-ups, dinners, and sleepovers add a zing to the otherwise monotonous lives of a nuclear family. Though in the current pandemic situation this has to be minimal, you can resume it once things are back to normal. The best takeaway of it is a stream of happy hormones, a lot of wellness, and a spirit so high that every family member looks forward to each day of life together.
Nothing in the above list is a difficult task to do, just being aware of these subtle ways can be initiated one at a time. It definitely needs to be present and step off the routines occasionally. It will make a life breeze and a family time that each member will cherish in long times ahead.
Shift gears of life’s struggle into pleasure and feel happy, contented, and relaxed once you achieve that. If you have more simple strategies to add to the list do pass it on in the comments.
This little piece of writing is dedicated to the memory of all the relaxed times, when time in particular and life in general, was not a battle
