What’s stress got to do with it??
Hello my beautiful people! I am just wrapping up a wonderful and relaxing spring break with my daughters and I am feeling refreshed! While I’m not 100% ready to go back to work, I know that this break has rejuvenated my spirit and will help ease the stress of the next few months.
I know I am VERY lucky that I even get a Spring Break and I am super grateful for it. But even if you don’t get Spring Break off or maybe you just don’t have any time off or vacations planned in the near future, doesn’t mean you have to succumb to the chronic stress and the inflammation it causes. There are so many lifestyle hacks you can add to your day to help relieve chronic stress and feel better in your day to day life.
Before I dive into my top five ways to reduce stress I have to make sure you know that you don’t have to do any of these for HOURS every day. I highly recommend you start small because even 5 minutes per day can have a huge impact. I also recommend you try different practices and techniques to see what really works best for YOU! So here we go…
Here are my TOP 5 Ways to Reduce Stress:
Meditation - This one is huge. I know many people who think meditation isn’t for them or that they can’t sit still for hours each day to meditate or they can’t “clear their mind.” You can start out really simple here and just start with 5 minutes where you focus on your breath. Imagine breathing in love and light, and breathing out stress and negativity. If your mind wanders, just notice it and bring your thoughts back to your breath. There are also many many FREE videos on YouTube to help get you started.
Spending time with friends and loved ones - Laughter really is the best medicine and who else to laugh with than your friends and loved ones? The trick here is to make sure you’re spending time with people that you can relax and be yourself around. Spending time at your partner’s work function may not be the best for stress reduction but spending time with friends that make you laugh and you can truly be authentic around is priceless. This may not be something you’re able to do every day but could you try to do it weekly or even once or twice a month? Every little bit helps.
Exercising in a loving way - I am not a supporter of exercising as punishment for eating a piece of cake or “feeling fat.” I am also not for exercising in a way that brings on stress and feelings of dread. I AM here for moving in a way that feels like love. Do you love to dance or walk or run? Do you feel like a strong badass when you lift weights or take an intense spin class? Whatever you love and whatever feels like a supportive and loving way of movement is going to help reduce stress and help you feel better.
Breathing exercises - Connecting to our breath can help us focus on the present moment and it send a message to our whole body that it’s time to relax. Just like with meditation there are many free videos on YouTube with a variety of breathing exercises. One of my favorite methods is the Wim Hof Method. Wim Hof is known as the
“Ice Man” and he teaches breathing exercises on YouTube and through his free app. His method can be done in just a few minutes per day.Listening to your favorite music - Have you ever been in a really crappy mood and then put on your favorite playlist and instantly felt better? And on the flip side have you ever been in a situation where depressing music was being played and it brought your mood down? Music has a profound impact on our mood and stress levels and can instantly bring us up or drag us down. I like to listen to my favorite playlist while I’m cleaning, cooking dinner, and exercising. When can you add in a little mood boosting and stress relieving music in your day?
It’s okay to start small with even five minutes each day to help reduce your overall stress. Where could you add ONE thing to your day this week to help ease your stress?