by Brittany Spragins
As a mom and accountant, I sometimes come home from work tired only to find more work at home in the form of a rambunctious child, loads of unwashed laundry, and a hungry husband. So I use some of these stress relieving tricks. I hope you find these helpful too.
- For a limited amount of time, talk about your day. When I get home, I often want to talk with my husband about the highs and lows of my day. This helps to release the burden I feel like I am under and allows me to feel appreciated by him for my efforts. This being said, we have a time limit for “work talk” and after that I am not allowed to talk about it again. This allows you to say what you need or want to, but prevents you from focusing your whole life on work.
- Enjoy the company of those around you. If you walk in from work only to see the undone chores around your house, then you are missing the best part. When I come home, I make it a point to greet my husband and son. The greatest stress reliever that I have experienced is the love that they have to offer.
- Go exercise. Exercise does not have to be a 3 mile run, just a stroll around the block will work. The important thing to remember is that when you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which is a neurotransmitter from your brain that helps to decrease stress and increase happiness. This is where the “runner’s high” comes from. A little bit of movement can go a long way in stress reduction.
- Think of some corny jokes or turn on your favorite radio comedian and just laugh for a few minutes.
- Take a few minutes for yourself. Sometimes I have to put myself into time out. It may be a bad time for you to step out, but sometimes it will be worse if you stay put, so remove yourself from a stressful situation for a few minutes so you do not say something you will regret later.
- Take a bath. Soaking in water provides you with that weightless and relaxed feeling. This may help you refocus on the important priorities in your life.
- Finally, if all else fails… eat dark chocolate! It’s delicious!
Langdon & Company LLP may not be able to draw your bath, however, we will do what we can to take the stress off of you. Call our office to get additional information about ways in which, we can help.
Brittany [email protected] is a staff member of the tax department working on various projects from individuals to organizations’ tax return preparation.