It can be easy to get swept up in the stress and chaos of your daily life, so today’s article is all about how to relax and stress less. Between work, study, relationships, errands and household tasks, life can start to feel overwhelming pretty quick. So how do you add a sense of calm into your everyday living?
The first thing I would recommend is adding meditation to your daily routine. If you haven’t already, you can read our article about meditation and its benefits here. Meditation can help reduce stress, improve sleep, boost creativity and improve your immune system. It is one of the quickest ways to bring an overall feeling of calm into your days. (And no, you don’t have to sit cross legged or have your index finger & thumb together.)
Journaling is another a great way to reduce stress. Yes yes, I harp on about it all the time. But if you started, you’d understand why. An easy and effective way to get into journaling is by using an idea called Morning Pages.
This is popular among writers suffering from writer’s block, but is great for anyone that is a little uncertain about starting to journal. Morning Pages are simple to do; you’ll start by setting a timer for 10-15 minutes. In that time, you will just open up your notebook to a blank page, and just try to keep writing nonstop for the entire time. It doesn’t matter at all what you’re writing, and the key here is to NOT go back and reread anything you write. Just write whatever pops into your head until the timer goes off. It doesn’t have to make sense or be organized, you just need to keep writing.
The great thing about journaling is that it gets your thoughts onto paper. Without even realising, we hold a lot of clutter up in our busy brains. Since journaling in the morning, I’ve noticed it’s easier to focus, I feel calmer, and I am less stressed throughout the day. If something so simple can still my mind, then I’m all in!
The last thing for adding a sense of calm into your life is to add stretching (or yoga) into your fitness routine. You can do this for an extra 5-10minutes immediately following your workout, or first thing in the morning to help wake your body up. Personally, I love our Monday stretch class, and prefer to stretch before bed as it helps me feel more relaxed. (And it keeps me from searching the depths of the internet).
The idea behind this is simple; stretch however you would like, or do a couple yoga poses, and add in a few deep breaths. I like to count in for seven seconds as I inhale, hold for seven, then exhale for seven seconds. It is so calming, I generally fall asleep before I know it. The stretching combined with the deep breathing will help regulate your central nervous system, and help you feel calm, clear-headed, and happy too.
What are you best ways to relieve stress and relax throughout your day?