How do you try eliminate stress from your life?

[Homesteadmom]

We started out with just a garden more for hobby & better tasting food than anything else(I started this over 20 yrs ago), then slowly started adding animals other than 4h & FFA projects & it is just a way of life for us now. Although with the inflation of groceries & fuel we are expanding our garden this yr & planting more fruit trees to help combat that even more & we will be canning more & freezing more this yr. Building a better coop & getting more hens is my goal to have more eggs to sell to cover the cost of my feed so our eggs are free!

It kind of pulls you in, hey? And it is so wonderful to have the chickens pay for themselves through eggs. I have to say a thanks to the gals every night as I leave their barn since they are doing just that for us now

I always wanted chickens but could not have them in town. So 8 1/2 yrs ago when we moved out here we started thinking about them but dmil's dog killed chickens so I had to hold off until she died, so I had to wait longer for them than any other animal we have gotten so far. But I think it just becomes "normal" for you & to think of a life any other way would be so weird for me. I just can not picture myself living in town again with no animals or garden.

 

[Beekissed]

I was reviewing old threads and came upon this one and felt it needed a dusting off....anyone want to contribute?

 

[Denim Deb]

Later. I should be cleaning and don't have time to read thru it. :/

 

[me&thegals]

Well, I did get my bees in that year after all The family worked together to get the hives built.

I don't try to eliminate stress, just get it to levels that work. I want enough going on to keep life energized and interesting but not so much that I don't have time for my highest priorities. It's a constant balancing act.

This year, for our CSA business, that will involve me getting 1-2 more helpers to give me more time with the kids.
I just was awarded a grant to get a mentor to help me through the organic certification process, a HUGE stressor for me last year.
We work hard to keep a buffer in our savings account, another huge stress reliever for all the things that just come up in life.

Then, there's eating well, getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, getting plenty of exercise and finding time for friends and family, absolutely crucial for a happy, healthy, not-too-stressful life.

Our lives are very seasonal, so my winter is spent catching up on reading, time with my kids, friends and extended family, deep cleaning the house (messiness is very stressful for me), and getting ready for the next growing season.

Being a healthy weight is a big stress reliever also, so I use my extra time in winter to get more exercise than I have time for in the summer, especially with friends, and often alone--getting friend time and alone time. I know that going into spring at a healthy weight and with a strong body will make all my hard spring work so much easier

I also bought some bath tea mixes to possibly sell at market, so I plan to start taking a weekly bath to test them out (instead of just quick showers)