Your home is supposed to be a haven away from stress. But that’s not always the case.
Sometimes, your house can cause or add to your stress. Stress at home happens due to numerous reasons – an unhappy spouse, a noisy environment, financial concerns, or mundane household chores such as mowing the lawn or doing the laundry.
Like other forms of stress, home stress should not be taken lightly since it can cause a range of physical and psychological disorders. If you’re experiencing the following symptoms, don’t ignore them.
What are the Symptoms of Stress?
Admitting that you’re in a lot of stress (to the point you want to hire a certified massage therapistto help you) is the first step of effective stress management. The following are some of the common physical, behavioral, and emotional symptoms associated with stress:
- Physical symptoms. Feelings of tiredness, light-headedness, headaches, sweaty palms, rapid heartbeats and breathing, trouble concentrating or sleeping, and stomachaches.
- Emotional symptoms. Anxiety, depressions, nightmares, struggling with coping at home, or crying spells.
- Behavioral symptoms. Impatience, irritability, aggression, anger, lack of energy, social isolation, lost if interest in activities previously enjoyed, significant alcohol or drug use, changes in appetite, and diminished sex drive.
What Could Cause Stress at Home?
One of the most significant sources of stress at home is your finances. Managing a household budget involves plenty of headache-inducing details: mortgage, insurance, utilities, taxes, food, etc. Without a budget plan, most homeowners feel stressed due to the lack of control.
A messy home can also cause stress. Clutter around the house can distract you from focusing on one task. Should you work, or should you fix the mess in your child’s room?
Preparing food for the family is another stressor. When you have a lot on your plate for the day (work and household chores), who’s going to cook? If you’re in charge of food preparation, you need time to prepare the ingredients and cook. But what if you don’t have time?
How You Can Make Your Home a Haven
Stress is inevitable, but fortunately, there are some actions you can take to minimize the stresses of running a home. Here are some of the best ways to relieve home stress:
- Slim down your schedule. An overflowing to-do list inevitably leads to stress. If you are working from home, don’t take too many commitments or projects all at once. Learn to prioritize and say ‘no.’
- Express yourself. If you feel that members of your home are contributing to your stress, speak up. Diplomatically express what’s bothering you: if someone’s leaving unwashed plates or piles of laundry. Doing so will encourage the rest of the family to address the situation, as well as lower your stress levels.
- Take action. For financial-related stresses, address the issue as soon as you can so you’ll feel more in control of the situation. Possible action steps include increasing your savings, creating a budget, and exploring new ways to earn more income.
- Get organized. Living in an organized and tidy home – coupled with a prioritized home to-do list – brings a sense of control, which can decrease your stress levels. Also, develop a system that groups household items you often lose (such as sunglasses, keys, and phones) to avoid expressing a frazzled feeling that comes with searching for
- Start a stress-relieving activity. Find a stress-management activity and integrate it into your daily schedule. You can do the following: yoga, meditating, listening to music, knitting, or gardening.
- Make time for fun. Simple activities can promote happiness instead of stress. Consider these simple but enjoyable pastimes: playing with a pet, reading to your child, or cooking a meal for your family and friends.
- Integrate a sense of calm in your house. Your house’s physical surroundings contribute to your environment’s sense of calm. Quiet down your home by integrating natural elements such as wood, stone, and plants. You can also paint your walls in cool and calming colors, such as soft blues and light greens. Another suggestion is to integrate soothing lighting with dimmer lamps.
- Create a personal space. Everyone needs a personal area where they can spend time away from the others. It doesn’t have to be a formal space; it could be a couch in the basement or a lounge chair in the garden – any area that helps you relax and quiet your thoughts.
While stress is an inevitable uninvited guest, you can still keep the sweet in your home, sweet home by managing your stress in your haven. Keep the suggestions in mind whenever you feel stress creeping back into your home.
