Combat Crankiness at Home with These Strategies

If the weather, illness, or other concerns are keeping your family stuck at home, you may be feeling the strain. This is especially true if you’re burning the candle at both ends as a "boss" at work and at home; the strain is amplified as you remote-manage employees who are also stressed out and nervous about what tomorrow may bring. And given that stress can be contagious, this can quickly become a very troubling problem.

Then, as much as we love our housemates, being in close quarters can put everyone’s stress levels on high alert. This can cause crankiness, even in the most relaxed members of your household.

Keep reading for tips on how to help alleviate anxiety and irritability from Metaphysical-Mom.com.

Get the kids involved in activities

Kids have lots of energy, and when they are stuck in the house, they do not get to expend that quite as efficiently as when they are in school with scheduled recess. If you find that your children are quick-tempered or simply have too much energy, enroll them in an activity. Your child can participate in dance, language learning, self defense martial arts, or just about any other topic of activity. You may also consider planning a daily exercise regimen with the children, like dancing, yoga, or taking a walk through your neighborhood.

Clear out negative energy

Do you feel stressed throughout your household? If so, maybe it’s time for a cleansing. First, open the windows. This will allow fresh air to circulate throughout the home. Then, get ready to declutter and purge your property of everything you no longer need. You’ll know your home needs help when you realize that you’re being overly critical of things that would not have usually bothered you

Enlist your kids’ help with the decluttering process, by making them responsible for their own rooms. Gamifying the process can help. Try setting and timer and seeing who can declutter the most in ten minutes.

Practice Good Decision-Making

Combating crankiness at home, especially when under stress, requires a mindful approach to decision-making. Stress can cloud judgment and lead to hasty or emotional responses, which might exacerbate tensions. In these moments, it's crucial to take a step back and take a deep breath. This simple act can help to calm your mind and provide a moment of clarity. Next, examine your priorities – consider what is truly important and what can wait. This helps in focusing on the issues that need immediate attention and setting aside less critical matters.

Lastly, trust your gut feeling. Often, your instincts can guide you towards the right decision, especially in emotionally charged situations. By combining a moment of pause, a clear understanding of your priorities, and trusting your intuition, you can navigate through stressful situations at home more effectively, reducing crankiness and fostering a more harmonious environment.

Create an outdoor living space

Everyone needs time alone. But if you’re spending more time at home, especially when you have kids, that’s not always possible. What is possible, however, is creating spaces outside of your living quarters that allow you to separate and enjoy a bit of solitude.

Plan to spruce up your garden, porch, or patio to create an area that you can all use when you need a moment of silence. Ideally, this will be a covered location, such as a gazebo or under an awning.

If you don’t already have an area, look for inspiration online to help you make the most of your outdoor space. Having a dedicated space outdoors is also great for yoga and meditation!

Set a schedule, and then stick to it

Although there is something to be said about living spontaneously, not having a set routine may make your children feel a bit discombobulated. Kids need to know what’s happening, and they need to be able to predict how their days will look.

This is why children often rebel during a major life change, such as welcoming a new sibling or after their parents divorce. You and your spouse or partner will also enjoy knowing what’s happening, and you’ll likely experience a calmer household with more independent children.

Remember, stress is just a state of mind, and there are things you can do, such as letting the kids work out their energy and opening up additional spaces so that you can have some alone time every once in a while, to keep cortisol levels down.

Conscious parenting embraces the philosophy of holistic parenting which recognizes the interdependence of all aspects of our lives. To learn more about it, visit Metaphysical-Mom.com today!

Image via Pexels

Article Contributed By Lillian from learningdisabilities.info. Check out this wonderful site!!

Get these books for free on Kindle Unlimited: "I am eating the Cranberry Muffins as I type this. YUM!! I used Organic Cranberry Sauce and Camino Muscovado Brown Sugar. Absolutely Delish! Looking forward to trying more of the recipes!" Amazon review "This is a sweet short read of self affirmation and unconditional love and appreciation for the human spirit brought to this planet in the form of a perfect undeniably good little girl." Amazon review

Site updated  February 25, 2024