Time to chill! 5 handy ways to de-stress in minutes

Mums, we don’t know how you do it – heck, you don’t know how you do it, but do it you do, every single day. If you’re not juggling work you’re driving children to school or Tae Kwon-Do lessons, and if you’re not doing that, you’re rushing into town to buy your mother-in-law a birthday present or trying to get the shopping done before you collect the kids from homework club.

Is it any wonder we suffer from stress? One of the quickest ways to work ourselves into a whirl of anxiety is to put too much on our plates and inevitably, when we can’t keep up, we panic.

It’s much easier to prevent an attack of anxiety than to work ourselves out of one when it takes hold. That’s why we have compiled a handy compendium of five-minute de-stress tactics for you to use when you feel it’s all getting a bit too much.

1. Go for a short walk in the fresh air. Even five minutes is enough. Take a step away from where you are and walk mindfully. Feel your legs pumping you along and breath deeply and evenly. 

2. Call your partner, a close friend or family member. Often we can feel like our worries are ‘silly’, but they’re not – if we feel stressed there’s a reason and it needs to be addressed. Calling someone we know loves us and telling them how we feel can bring a sense of security and perspective. We calm down as we realise things aren’t all that bad and someone ‘has our back’.

3. Reflect on your worries by writing down exactly what is bothering you. When we mindfully write things down, they become a lot clearer in our heads, forcing our over-stressed minds to focus and calm. 

4. Take a ‘me break’ and have a calming drink. You might scoff that you’re so stressed a cup of tea or hot chocolate will hardly be enough to help you, but trust us, taking a few minutes to yourself with a soothing hot drink can work wonders. While you slowly sip, breathe deeply and be kind to yourself – remember that you are doing your best and it's time to cut yourself some slack.

5. Visualise. Yep, it’s a bit hippy dippy, but it works a treat. Think of your family, or the holiday you have booked and are looking forward to, or a happy memory. Visualising positive things that have come before or will come in the future will remind you what’s really important in life.