Stress-Buster tips

I don't know anybody who has woken up in the morning, and the day turns into such a nightmare, that they wish they had never woken up. You know the days I am talking about; those days when you wake up with a smile and by the afternoon we feel exhausted, and like we have aged before our time. Many of us both young and old have been here. You might be coping with work, children, housework, illness, and family drama! Now there is that word 'family drama!' the one issue that makes us all want to disappear into a vortex, never to be found again. I don't know about you, but in the evening, I want to put the television on and relax, however just to stress me out further, the news suddenly shows something that makes me feel annoyed and I want to throw my television out!

Life stressors can make us just want to lock ourselves in and never come out. The world becomes too much if we don't find a way to deal with it, and we lose sleep through stress at night. Sometimes even turning the radio on can make stress worse, especially if you were looking forward to tuning in to your favorite station, and all you hear is a heated debate. There is a lot going on in our world right now, especially with trying to keep ourselves safe while trying to get back to normal after Covid-19 (What is normal anyway?). With everything piling on us at once, and many of us feeling isolated, relaxation can be a never-ending battle, so I've put some suggestions together, which help me get through the tough times.

Music is good, but Don't listen to the Radio too Often!

I am always listening to music, and my day would be bland without it. However, it is so annoying when I'm enjoying a hits session then the news comes on telling me about the troubles of the world. It is the last thing I need when I am stressed out. I switch to CDs when I have had enough or the radio becomes boring, and I pick out my favorites and play them one by one, or I turn to my beloved Spotify playlists. Music is good for the mind, however, if it interrupted by debates and news sessions, it can spoil the relaxation benefits that you get from it

A Soak in the Tub is good for the Soul

Fill your bath, add bubbles, bath salts, bath bombs, or whatever takes your fancy. Surround yourself with soft lights, or battery candlelights which are much safer than candles. Put on some soft meditation music and just chill for half an hour. Self-care is really important when you are stressed, so pamper yourself top to toe and then use body butter to soften your skin. I love Shea-Butter for this. It has a gorgeous cocoa smell to it, and it never leaves my skin overly dry.

Do Weights

If you are thinking 'She's a gym girl,' then, you are very wrong. I'm not one for the gym, but every now and then, I love to get my weights out. I don't do them all the time, but I save them for days when I am really stressed out. Weights are all about controlling the movement and you really do feel it, if you do them in the correct form. Resistance is a powerful tool for controlling stress, and because you need the power of resilience to lift weights, you need control and patience! Also, lifting keeps you strong, and doing weights even just once a week, or whenever you can, can really help to build that strength while creating a light sweat is a great way of getting stress out of your system. Just remember to cool down and stretch at the end of your session, and warm up before you lift.

Kick a Football.

Footballs are great. You can test your skills by kicking, dribbling, heading, bouncing, and even show off by performing a combination of movements with them. You could get friends together and have a 6-a-side game. Not only will you be able to get them happy hormones going and relieve stress you'll also get fit in the process. Also, try playing curby against the wall. This is something we used to play in two's as kids in the street; standing at opposite curbs and trying to bounce back the ball to stop the opponent. It is much safer to play it against a wall in a safer space though. You can play this by yourself too.

Meditation and Visualisation

You don't need anything special for this. Simply light some incense, a candle, or use an electric wax burner; then, find a quiet place (or if you can, sit close to the sea), sit up straight but make sure you are comfortable and shut your eyes. Visualize something peaceful like nature sounds, breathe deeply in through your nose and out of your mouth, and relax for just 10 minutes. Meditation relaxes your body and your mind, and you will need to get up slowly because it can create a feeling of floating which can make you dizzy. When you are done, open your eyes slowly and slowly uncurl the spine, starting at the bottom, then the torso. Head and shoulders should be the last to uncurl. Take a few deep slow breaths before you move then you should be fine.

Do Some Yoga

Yoga stretches the whole body, and there are many different poses. It can be a good idea to start with a class as some of the poses can be difficult for a beginner. The stretches release tension from the body, and some moves can also relieve pain. I started out by using a Yoga DVD for beginners, and I certainly felt less stressed and energized for it.

Switch of the Television

Whilst the television can be good for relaxing with a good movie. It can be a noisy and stressful activity. The news can be full of issues that stress you out further, and there are days where everything on the television can be boring and repetitive. Have days when you are television-free and do other activities that keep you moving or get your brain thinking happy thoughts.

Read a good book

This is my most favorite activity for relaxing and stress-busting. Be careful not to add stress to stress by choosing articles and books that stress you out by containing content that you are already stressing about. I love to read really good fiction that is adventurous, romantic, or downright steamy when I am stressed out. Fiction gives me an escape by taking me away from the real world and into a more peaceful world where I can relax and stop thinking about everyday life.

Embrace the Outdoors

If you stay indoors all the time, you are going to create a sense of claustrophobia. This can create even more stress because you're shutting yourself away from nature and much-needed fresh air. Staying indoors causes us to create a stuffy environment and feelings of loneliness. It isolates us and deprives us of fresh air and oxygen, which we need to stay healthy. A good long walk in the outdoors can raise our spirits and make us feel happier in ourselves. It creates a sense of inner peace and there is so much beautiful nature to see out there! Walking also gives us the benefit of staying fit and healthy, we burn calories, increase our heart rate and we also enable our bodies to absorb vitamin D.

Grab your hula-Hoop!

I love this fantastic ring. You can spin with it, jump through it, catch it, and even dance with it. Hoola-hooping is great for building flexibility, coordination, and strength. Each movement works the whole of your body, and you can have some fun fitness games with friends using a hula-hoop.

Have a Baking day

On a day when I feel stressed, I love a good baking session. Don't worry if you feel you can't do it, turn it into an 'I can,' by finding recipes on the internet. When you are baking, you are creating; and you can create all kinds of good food with a little imagination. I love searching for recipes on the internet, and I enjoy adding my own creative twists. There are thousands to choose from, and you will love the smell it creates around your home. You'll also enjoy eating more, because you baked it!

Burn Wax, Incense or Scented Candles

Scent is a wonderful thing. It can make your home smell gorgeaus, help you feel warm, calm your thoughts and help you sleep. You can buy many kinds of incense, Candles, Cones and waxes on the web, and there are many fragrances. They also last longer than aerosol fresheners and they are better for your budget and environment.

Be Artistic.

Paint, write, read, knit, crochet, decorate some furniture, the list can go on, particularly with art. I call this 'me time,' which is important to all of us no matter how busy we are. Every single one of us has a hobby, and having hobbies is a great way to relieve stress, be mindful and it makes us happy. Don't be afraid to indulge in the things you love doing, because indulging in those things helps us to refresh our brains and reduces stress.

I really hope you enjoyed reading my article, and if you enjoyed this one, you might also like:

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