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”

Receive a monthly email with the newest blogs from Calm and Centered!

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.

Home alone, again, for the holidays

Inspiring ideas of what to do if you find yourself home alone, again, for the holidays. Especially for family caregivers.

When Nurses Need to Carry On

How do nurses continue on in the face of fear? When you next face fear, here’s three approaches you can consider using to carry on.

Side by Side: for family caregivers

A poetic tribute to family caregivers for National Family Caregivers Month, November 2021

How much time in nature is enough?

Nature may soothe you, reduce stress, and increase your well-being. But how quickly? Learn how much time in nature it takes to increase your well-being.

How can busy people reduce stress?

Are you too busy for stress management? In a busy life, often only the most urgent and most important things get done. Get motivated and move stress management up on your to-do list. Learn what problems reducing stress solves, and where to find quick and easy solutions.

Caregivers, retreat!

In a stressful situation, especially a never-ending stressful situation, try to retreat and regroup. Soothe yourself and return to reality with more resilience to stay centered instead of stressed.

Escape stress cycles with three M’s

Here are three powerful ways out of stress cycles when you are spinning with hypothetical “what if” scenarios, worries, and concerns.

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.

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