Always looking for new ideas with 3 kids and the mayhem that can occur, what do you do to reduce or deal with stress?

-read a book
-take a walk (serves 2 needs)
-nap
-take 20 min alone at starbucks
-photography


Share your stress busters.

I just try to get my 3 out of the house as much as possible. Well actually it is just my 3 year old that is really stressful when we are cooped up, but generally I have to take them all then. I just got a special needs jogging stroller for my almost 10 year old. I push her, wear the baby on my back and the 3 yo rides his bike.

If I get a chance to get out by myself then I love to play tennis with my good friend Mike. We try to play 2-3 times a week after the kids go to bed at 8. I am not so good at it, but I believe it is a better work out then!!

If I can get out with DH then we try to go for a motorcycle ride, we both have our own bikes.

Other than that I am usually way too tired to do anything and I just veg out on the couch

I'm new to running and have found it to be a HUGE stress reducer - to the point of being overly cathartic.

When we're cooped up we turn on my iPod running mix and dance to hip hop & pop music I never dreamed I'd be listening to! I probably need to buy less explicit music from iTunes in the future but it works for now.

More sedentary? Playing word games on Facebook!

browsing the forums, (TBW, DSLR community and now this one, lol)
eating, I'm a terrible stress eater and need to find something else to do
getting outside
yoga

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*Heather*

ohh me too. when I get nervous or stressed out. that was my downfall when preg with #3. was hard preg, so ate and ate and....

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Browsing forums is my big one too, mainly TBW and now here I love to go out for walks with my girls, but as I mentioned in another thread it's not really exercise because my 3yo likes to stop and smell the roses.

I love to bake- also not very fitness-friendly.

Embroidery is another hobby, and it keeps me from snacking because my hands are occupied- but it's hard to do while nursing!

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Leigh
Mommy to Allison and Elizabeth

Trying to think of the stress reducers I try when with Satori...

• Driving aimlessly around the mountains while listening to XM AudioVisions
• Surfing forums
• Any kind of cardio exercise

I tried mama/baby yoga and I had someone crawling all over me so it wasn't as relaxing as it could have been. I do intend to try again now that she's 3, got some kids yoga videos to play with.

Eating. Then I feel guilty.... Workout.

Oh, this is a GREAT topic for mamas! I've enjoyed reading everyone else's replies. For me, some top stress reducers would be:

1. Laughing! (Especially on a girl's night out with my friends)
2. Kickboxing (Especially if I imagine the punching bag is the cause of my stress.)
3. Laying in the hammock I got for Mother's Day. (Okay, the kids have used it more than me so far, but the IDEA of using it is very soothing.)

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H. Bowne

http://buzz.prevention.com/community/holly-mom
www.hollybowne.com