Stress Relief Tool - Count to 10

If you're a parent like me, you probably are familiar with this technique. We start to feel our blood boiling as our child is testing our patience, and we count to 10 before responding. Or we put our child in a timeout for inappropriate behavior, and we ask them to count to 10. The actual process of counting to 10 calms your mind and body, especially when incorporated with deep breathing. It also minimizes the chance that you will say something harsh that you will later regret, and guilt is one of our biggest stressors after all. And if you feel like counting to 10 doesn't calm you enough, consider increasing the count as you go for a short walk in your building, front or backyard, or around the block. The added time in isolation will likely improve your results and reduce your stress in the process.