Most of us are fully in the school year by the time September flashes up on the calendar. Some might be just beginning a new school year, maybe even for the first year! Since homeschool is an elective choice, we are all thankful for the opportunity to school our children. Even so, stress still occurs! With busy beginnings, new curriculum choices, and changing student needs, even the most relaxed homeschoolers might feel a little bit of stress at certain points of the year. Our children experience stress, too, related to learning, friendships, health concerns, or other issues.

Since homeschooling often focuses on living the tough and the wonderful of life together, how can we combat stress together?

One solid and proven way to help deal healthfully with stress: Exercise!

Why Exercise Helps Relieve Stress

Exercise helps relax you (after that workout!), boost self-esteem, and increases other healthy habits through experiencing encouraging success and desire to take care of oneself. (Source: American Council on Exercise.) Reducing stress and increasing one’s happiness affect each other. Exercise helps increase feelings of happiness.

God designed our bodies to move, as evidenced by the benefits of exercise and the inherent desire to move and play we have from infancy. (Take a quick look at your kids, especially if you have younger children. They love to be active!)

Ideas for Incorporating Exercise into An Already Busy Day

• Begin the day with exercise. Many ladies in the “Hello Mornings” groups can attest to the advantages of being productive in the mornings, including Bible study and exercise. Try to fit a 20-minute workout as you can in the morning before the school day starts.
• Work in short bouts of exercise. Research continues on this method, but so far, several short workouts (of 10-15 minutes each) throughout the day offer some of the same benefits as a longer workout. You might be able to fit in a 15-minute weight workout in the morning, a 10-minute interval burst by playing an active game with the kids in the afternoon, and a 20-minute power walk in the evening.
• Find an activity (or two) the whole family enjoys.If you all look forward to playing tennis together, you will set a specific time to do so. If hiking trails each weekend excites your family, hiking becomes an anticipated part of the weekend routine.

  

• Create a fitness schedule. Add exercise into your daily rhythm or your weekly curriculum.

When is the best time to exercise? Research pinpoints varying times for different people and their schedules/training goals. Generally, any time that works for you and your family is the best time for your family! The point is to get some exercise, whenever it might occur in the day.

Even during abnormally hard circumstances (a family member hospitalized, financial crisis, and other chronic stressors), continuing to exercise—even if just a 10-minute walk—enhances mental clarity, lung capacity, and mood. A short walk can offer a focused time to pray, too! All of these improvements enable you to better endure the current situation.

Healthy eating and reasonable sleep habits contribute to lower stress levels, too, so don’t forget these essential healthy habits! Exercise remains one of the quickest ways to see noticeable improvement in attitude and reduced stress.

Next time everyone is feeling antsy or anxious, blare some music and burst out dancing, jumping, or jogging in place together. Watch stress subside and smiles arise!

 

How does your family handle negative stress? What activities do you like to participate in together to boost your moods?