1.Have regularly scheduled routines. Everyone in the family needs a regular bedtime and getup time, not just the kids. It may take time to get used to this if you have not had a regular schedule. Plan meals at regularly scheduled times. Help everyone in your family "reset" their body clocks.
2.Slow down and give others a break. If there are ten things on your "TO DO" list, cross off five. Reduce the pace in your life and let your body recuperate.
3.Lighten your social engagements. Make few outside commitments. Only go out one night a week. Say NO more often. Let someone else cook the holiday meal.
4.Postpone making changes in your home. Don't rearrange the furniture. Don't paint. Allow things to stay the same, until you can make changes peacefully.
5.Reduce the number of hours at work or school. Make it a policy not to routinely work more than forty hours a week. Take a day off. Leave early for a change.
6.Eat balanced meals. Keep your blood sugar steady. It's hard on our bodies to have sugar highs and lows. Avoid high sugar food. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables along with whole grains.
7.Reduce the use of artificial "Pick Me Ups." Using sugar, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol to relieve stress works great...for a short time. Continued use leads to health problems and can lead to family problems.
8.Enjoy exercise. Get your family moving at least three times a week for at least twenty minutes. Join the YMCA or YWCA and go swimming together. Take a family walk or bike ride. Play basketball. When is the last time you went roller skating? Turn on the radio and have a dancing contest. Show the kids how to twist.
9.Laugh more. Share jokes at dinner. Rent funny movies. Listen to comediennes on TV or on tape. Life is short. Lighten up and find good in the life you have been given.
10.Have more fun times together. Plan a trip somewhere you haven't been. Go fishing or bowling or try a concert. Try a new craft project, play a musical instrument, read a book. Spend less time worrying and more time relaxing and enjoying the people in your life.
Source: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu
