Hello my lovely humans! How have you been? As much as this blog features alot about travelling, I always want to share lifestyle tips on how you can look after yourself. It’s been a stressful, almost 2 years and I wanted to share 6 ways to help you reduce stress. We all have stress in our lives and actually some of it is necessary. The problem occurs when we are in stress mode all the bloody time. So here we go!
6 Ways to Help you to Reduce Stress
Deep Breathing
We breathe every second of every minute each day. But are we really breathing the way we need to? Not really. I’ll bet you’re reading this and your breathing is actually quite shallow. If you pay attention to your breath, you suddenly realise that you’re cheating yourself out of the good oxygen your body needs. When you’re stressed, your breath is shorter and there can even be a bit of panting. Great for when you’re getting that cardio session in, but not so good when you’re just sitting on the sofa reading. Start by taking 5 minutes each day and consciously breathing deeply. Do this consistently each day and see what a difference it makes in your ability to relax.
Meditating
I’m a big fan of guided meditations because they help focus me into the present moment. During the lockdowns of 2020 and earlier this year, I used the Calm app. There were some really great meditations that helped me relax and calmed my insomniac brain. On the Centr app that I use for workouts, they starte offering quick 5 mins meditations because of how helpful they can be. Alternatively, go on to YouTube and just search for a guided meditation.
Meditating helps your mind quiet from all the chitter chatter it does all day everyday. It gives you chance to breathe mentally and can help with clarity. Do you meditate? How has it helped you?
Journalling
I kept a journal from since I was a teenager and found it quite helpful especially during stressful times. What journalling does it to get the thoughts ping ponging in your head on paper. This helps to free up space, gain some clarity and release some stress. It’s the equivalent to putting down that heavy carry on luggage and resting. Go as fancy as you like with the journal and pens. If you keep it up for a year, or even 3 months and re-read what you’ve written you will see what a difference it makes.
Sleep
Oh sleep let me count the ways I love and adore you. Only problem is that sleep doesn’t seem to love me so much. Mind you, it’s getting better. I can wax lyrical about the importance of sleep. That a good night’s rest impacts upon your physical health. Whilst you’re asleep your body is repairing, recharging and just getting you ready for the next day. Not to mention that a good night’s sleep consistently helps with skin health.
Everyone has a sweet spot of how many hours per night they need and you need to work out what’s yours. Having a sleep routine is helpful as it signals to your brain that it’s time for sleep. You could also consider looking for a Professional Massage near me online, to discover local spas that offer deep tissue or swedish massages, in order to relax your body and any tension you may have. Regular massages can help relax you, and therefore provide you with better quality sleep.Â
Routines
Speaking of routines, having routine in your life isn’t boring. It’s actually the things that you do to help you be your best self and manage your stress. Think about it. You want to protect your skin so you routinely apply an spf to your face each day. Over time, your skin is protected against uva and uvb rays which in turn prevents early ageing of the skin. Basically, less wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Having healthy skin makes you feel good and it’s one less thing to be stressed out about.
You can have a routine to care for your body on a monthly basis. Where you take yourself off for massages, pedicures and manicures.
Uplifting Content
My final tip in this 6 ways to help you reduce stress is to consume uplifting content. Social media is all around us and honestly there’s no way to get away from it. So instead of constantly watching, reading or listening to things that stress us out, reduce it. Go through your list of people that you follow. Ask yourself these questions. Is their content filling me with joy? Do I leave their page or platform more informed or educated? Do they make me smile or laugh? Are you feeling inspired by watching their content?
If the answers are no, then it may be time to unfollow, block, delete or put on mute. Your wellbeing is more important than that person’s follower count.
I hope my 6 ways to help you reduce stress helps and if you have other tips, let me know in the comments.
Thank you for reading and until next time, be well! x