Natural Stress Relievers

Summer for moms (or any work at home/stay at home parent!) is STRESSFUL. Here are some ways I'm managing the summer chaos…

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Stressballs at Walmart. This shop has been compensated by P&G and its advertiser. The opinions and text are all mine.

It's June so that means just about all of us are in full out summer mode! Sure, the weather is nicer. There are pool days. Cookouts in the backyard. But if you're a work at home, stay at home or just employed part time, you know that summer also means your kiddos are around a whole lot more... And that means added stress, less time for your to-do list, and a much bigger grocery bill! Even if you're not one of the parents I mentioned, you still have the stress of finding additional childcare in the summer. Prior to having kids, it was the most relaxing season to enjoy, but now that I'm a mom, it's hands-down the most stressful season because there's so much more on my plate to manage. Which is exactly why I want to share some natural stress reliever ideas with you.

Stressballs is an amazing new herbal supplement available only at Walmart and Walmart.com. They're gummies in two different formulas to help you destress day or night. Best of all, they're drug free and non-habit forming*. Stressballs Day helps you focus to keep you on track to get that to-do list checked off. If you're one of those people whose mind loves to wander and you realize you've wasted hours without really accomplishing anything, this is for you! It's energizing without any caffeine because of the naturally energizing citrus flavor. They're so yummy, I have to make sure I just have two (am I the only one who LOVES gummies? Just give me all my vitamins in gummy form, please).

Have you ever laid awake, either thinking about what happened that day, or running through your to-do list for the next day - or maybe both?! Stressballs Night helps calm your mind so that you can SLEEP. It has melatonin in it to help you relax and your body-destress. Have you ever noticed when you don't sleep well, you're even more stressed just from the lack of sleep? That's how I work, anyway. It's like a compounding effect. Stressballs Night is great because it helps me relax and sleep without any next day grogginess. Interested in giving this new product a try? Click here to learn more and to purchase Stressballs.

One of my favorite ways to de-stress is yoga. Not only does it provide a physical outlet to "work off" some stressors, savasana at the end is a wonderful five minutes to have some quiet and refocus your mind. I've found that having just a few minutes of solitude (yes, even just a few minutes!) is crucial to being happier, more focused and less stressed overall. But what about those kids, you ask? Find a yoga studio with childcare and bring them! In my city, we have access to both full service gyms that offer yoga on their class schedule as well as smaller yoga studios, both of which offer childcare at a ridiculously low cost. Run a google search for your area and give it a try! You'll be amazed at what that hour will do for your stress levels.

Another big stress reliever? A hobby! Cooking and gardening are two of my favorites. I love making and trying new recipes. Now, I do this on the weekends when I have time to make a meal, and my husband is around to both a) help me eat it and b) can watch the kids so that I can cook in peace. Weeknight meals are never very elaborate and aren't the best time for me to try something new. The key is having the time (or, more accurately, MAKING the time) for me to spend some time trying new flavors or cooking methods and having fun. Gardening is my second, and fairly new, hobby. This one is fun to involve my kids in! We all love to spend time outside, getting our hands dirty and learning about how food grows in our vegetable garden. The kids love to look for worms and bugs (which I scream and run away from... And they find that hilarious) and I love to watch our produce grow, take note of things that work and make sure I don't do the things that don't work again.

Hobbies are great because they switch up your daily tasks and to do lists, making room for fun things. Yes, you usually have to MAKE time for them. But if you bump them up on the priority list as necessary to de-stress, even 15 minutes can make a big improvement in your happiness and overall stress levels. Not sure what you like to do? Give something new a try! Get a drawing pad and some new pencils and sit outside and draw what's around you; google wine tasting classes in your area to refine your wine palette; sign up for a 5k and begin training for it. The options are endless, so try different activities until you find something that really brings you joy and you find your mind more rested after doing it.

Stress is inevitable in life, and you have to focus on managing it so that it doesn't overwhelm you. I'm a big fan of natural stress relievers. I've found that taking time to practice yoga (or even just getting five minutes in a day to just sit quietly and BE), having time to play around with my personal hobbies and taking an herbal supplement formulated to help me be my best self and live my best life (thank you Stressballs!) have all contributed to me more effectively and naturally managing my stress.

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*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.