Hello friends!
I hope everyone is taking care of themselves and in good health. If you're sick, please do take extra good care of yourself and stay home until you're better. Your health comes first. Take the time to heal and rest.
Considering that the world is dealing with the COVID-19 situation, I thought we could all use some helping learning how to de-stress together. In this blog post, I will be sharing things that help me de-stress when I am overwhelmed. I hope these tips help you as well especially during this vital time to take care of ourselves mentally and physically.
1.Write it all down
I know this may seem silly, but it can help to write down everything that you need to do onto paper. Write down all the things that you are worrying about or things that are aggravating you. Seeing it all in one place will help you be able to visualize better about where to start. When I have a very stressful day, I always will write down whats bothering me before bed. This way I am leaving it for the next day and not taking my worries to bed with me so I sleep stress-free. If you're still having trouble sleeping because of anxiety, I highly recommend trying these to help you relax a bit and get sleepy (plus there on sale right now with free shipping).
2.Yoga
I do yoga to help me unwind from my day or to help begin a full day with a positive moment. If I know I have a long day ahead of me I love to start my day with this yoga video. Yoga with Adrienne on Youtube is my go to at home yoga workout. Adrienne is an awesome instructor and has a very positive, calming vibe. I believe yoga allows you to get in check with your mental place and help focus on improving that. We all need to be aware of where we are mentally and make it priority to make sure we are taking care of ourselves. Yoga is a great way to let the stress of the day go and focus on positive, good things for your body.
3.Have ME time
Everyone needs days off and time to just relax. Put on a face mask, pop in a bath bomb, and soak in the tub while listening to some good tunes. We all need to allow our minds to stop working for a little bit. I always find when I am really wound up about something or having a bad day, it's good for me to take the night to relax and unwind from my day.
4.Meditate
I have been doing this for some time now and I will say it's a little bit daunting at first, but it helps me clear my mind so much. Taking time out of your day to be at peace with the world around you and bring your mind to a stable and clear consciousness is a great way to refresh. I find that doing this before bed also helps me sleep much more sounder and deeper.If you have questions on how to get started, please reach out to me. Any and everyone can mediate. This video was the first meditation I ever did and I still use it today to rid daily stress.
5.Focus on your breathing
This one may sound silly, but taking a moment out of your day to be in tune with your breathing can really help you calm down. Every time I get super anxious and my heart starts to pound so hard it feels like it's going to beat out of my chest, I close my eyes and begin to breathe deeply. This gives your body a sense of awareness and slowing your breathing makes your body calm down all together.
6.Unplug
Sometimes being on social media will only feed our stress and we all know when we need a break. This doesn't mean you have to delete all your accounts and never open social media again. Just take the day off or a couple days off by deleting the apps from your phone. This might also help you get more things done and not be distracted by your phone. I would take the extra time and spend it outside with my dogs. Take a walk and appreciate what nature has to offer instead of wasting the time scrolling a newsfeed. The less we are connected to the social world on the internet, the more connected we can be with ourselves and our natural surroundings.
7.Color or craft
Another one that may seem silly, but can help you refocus when you're overwhelmed. If you feel all over the place or out of control, coloring a picture inside the lines can help you regain focus and take your mind somewhere else before jumping back in to what you were doing. I also find that crafting or finishing a coloring sheet makes me feel accomplished and inspired to tackle the next task of my day.
8.Dance it out!!!!
I know this one sounds ridiculous, but don't knock it till you try it. When you get stressed out, your body gets all tense. Dancing is a great way to get your body moving and flexible. Also, who isn't happy when they're dancing? Dancing to your favorite song can really uplift and change your mood. Here's my dance it out playlist if you need music to give it a try to.
9.Be one with nature
This could mean many things depending on what you like to do when you're outside. Watch the sunset outside on your balcony, take a ten minute walk, or go on a run to clear your mind. I love finding a good tucked away nature spot in the city I live in and go chill there when I need to just escape my element for awhile. I can always go there to just breathe and be still. Changing your surroundings can help with the way you are feeling and provide a new perspective.
10.Treat yourself
When I am having a really bad week and need something to cheer me up, I hop in my car and go shopping for something cute or find something yummy to devour. Go buy yourself a pint of ice-cream. Buy that lipstick along with the matching gloss. It's totally okay to treat yourself to a treat or a new top every once in awhile.
Share with me some of your favorite ways to relax and de-stress below in the comments sections. Use the hashtag #destressingunapologetically on the socials and tag me on instagram @unapologeticallyrachael.
As always, be kind and love big. Take care of yourself and remember to find the joy in every day. I know the Corona Virus is scary and uncharted territory for our world, but have some faith in our world leaders and in our amazing, wonderful God.
This too shall pass, my friends.
Live every day like it's your last and always show compassion in all you do.
xoxo, Rachael
p.s stay home if you're sick and wash your hands!!!!
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