{By Guest Contributor: Kriste Colley-Valdez}

As a life coach, one of the things I do is help my clients incorporate stress management techniques into their daily lives. After all, stress continues to be a contributor to weight gain, heart disease, insomnia, and dissatisfaction.



However, I can’t help but notice that many of the commonly accepted techniques are almost impossible for a busy mom to practice on a daily basis. Sure, we can squeeze them in from time to time, but you can’t exactly tell the colicky baby, “Ok, well, it’s 2:00 pm and you know that it’s time for my weekly massage! See you in a few hours!” Face it; there are times when our own needs get pushed to the bottom of the list.



Some examples of traditional stress management techniques are massage, taking a few hours for yourself, talking on the phone with a friend, exercise, doing a hobby or activity that you love, a night out, meditation and mindfulness. Yes, it’s a great idea to be mindful, and we SHOULD be. But…it’s tough to rejoice in being present when you are cleaning up spit-up. [Editor's Note: I would like to add snot, pee, puke and UBS (unidentifiable brown stuff) to the list... carry on:)]



As for massage…does it count when my two –year-old runs his race car up and down my back?



How about an actual stress reliever that will not only help you relax, but makes an incredible gift for other half-crazed goddesses in your lives?



Get a jar with a lid. Heck with a nice jar. Use that old cottage cheese container that’s in your bottom drawer.



Buy a 99 cent pack of gummy bears. (This is a crucial step. Gummy worms will not work. They must be bears.)



Empty bears into jar.



Here’s the fun part ;)...



Assign each color of bear the name of a person who has been annoying/irking/angering you or just trying your patience.