Free Stress Relief Tools

On this page you will find effective, quick and easy relaxation strategies!

How stress management can help your parent and you
Calming recorded guided meditations you can listen to over and over
A gallery of stress management practices. Select what appeals to you!
Simple soothing ideas for when you just can’t relax

Soothe yourself and relax your parent

If you need a break from stress, you are not alone. In a 2015 survey of people caring for family members, 42% requested assistance with coping and managing stress for themselves and their loved ones. (Source: Caregiving in the US 2015).

Helping your aging parents is not for the fainthearted. Nor is getting older. Here’s how you and your parents can take a break from the stress while developing greater resiliency to the challenges you face.

With less stress, you and your parent can

Enjoy better quality sleep
Feel calmer and in more control
Mindfully use your interpersonal skills
Be more resilient to life’s challenges
Allow your natural compassion to shine through (rather than irritability and anger!)
benefit from more focus and better attention span
Enhance your creativity, both in the arts and in problem solving
Support a loving and compassionate approach to life…and to caring for aging parents

Free guided breathing meditations are an easy way to relax – just listen!

Most people find that guided breathing meditations are very relaxing and use them comfortably. For people with post traumatic stress disorder or seizures or if you take medication especially for diabetes, thyroid, hypertension, anxiety or sleep, there are some considerations about meditation so please check with your doctor before trying wellness practices. Click here to learn more in my blog

Fragrant breathing meditation

Calm and centered breathing meditation

Count While Breathing guided meditation

Gallery of Relaxation Ideas

Scroll through for some brilliant stress management suggestions. Some of the images have links to awesome resources!

Soothing posts from “Calm and Centered”

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If you can’t relax, that’s ok- simply try one of these soothing ideas to regain some composure and find a bit of peace.

Sometimes, attaining a state of relaxation seems impossible. Even if you know the benefits – quality sleep, resistance to infection, less muscle pain, better problem solving – you cannot get to a relaxed state from your stressed state. Fortunately, even if relaxing seems unattainable, soothing yourself can reduce your stress level by a degree or perhaps two.

Sometimes simple soothing strategies are not going to meet your needs. At those times, get expert help. Call your doctor, your therapist, your pastor, or get yourself to an emergency room. Be safe.

Soothe yourself when you have had a difficult day, have too much on your plate, or perhaps are experiencing a period of intense change. You deserve it.

Giving back to Nature

Nature heals, soothes, and nurtures us. With gratitude, how can we do enough for the environment that needs so much? Every now and then I am inspired by poems and spiritual writings; today I found an answer to this question that I’ve been asking for some time now.

Am I stressed?

The signs and symptoms may surprise you. Learn how stress shows up and use that information to prevent future problems by managing your stress effectively.

Walking In and Out of Grief

Walking a labyrinth may sooth your grief. Here’s how.

Nurses: When sleep eludes you

Effective stress management interventions help nurses to cool down after a challenging shift. You’ll sleep better after a cool-down experience!

Soothe Yourself with a Blink of your Eyes

No matter if your screen is on a laptop, mobile phone, or tablet, your eyes likely need a stress break and so do you. Here’s how, and what’s in it for you.

Nursing in stressful work environments

Health care needs to change. It’s time to improve work environments for nurses and ultimately improve the patient experience. A systems approach to reduce burnout and unnecessary systems challenges can result in greater well-being, engagement, safety, and career satisfaction.

Daily Deliveries of Stress Relief

How to set up daily reminders with stress management interventions that make you feel "ahhh!"

Home alone for Valentine’s Day?

In a long line of ‘not the same’ experiences in 2020/2021, here comes Valentine’s Day. What to do? Frankly, Valentine’s Day isn’t the easiest of holidays for many. Can we reframe this as a self-love day? Sure!

Your next step – learn to avoid the causes of stress

These self-guided free tools on this page help you to manage stress.

If you want to avoid the causes of stress while caring for your aging parent, and enjoy more quality time with your parent, your next step is Time to Care.

Time to Care