Ways to destress from this crazy world 🌎

Can someone tell me what the definition of stress is? Ok, I’ll go…stress is when you are overbooked with work, stress is when you spill your coffee when you are rushing out the door, stress is when you sleep through your alarm making you late for work, stress is when someone texts you “we need to talk”, stress is when you are living paycheck to paycheck, stress is when you go to the grocery store for paper towels and you get everything EXCEPT paper towels, and so on. Stress in the literal definition means “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” Now think about it…society nowadays is so unnatural. We were not made to work 40 hours a week or more, we were not made to struggle constantly, we were not made to be glued to our phones, we were not made to be stuck in traffic. We were made to be in nature, we were made to connect with other people face to face and not through a phone, we were made to live a less stressful life than what we live now. But unfortunately, we can’t change society…at least not right away. That is why I wanted to extend a helping hand to you and offer some tips in order for you to destress yourself! Here goes nothing!

You know what I am going to say….EXERCISE!

We have all heard it before. Exercise can help reduce stress. And I don’t mean exercise you hate! How are you going to reduce stress if you decide to run 3 miles yet you HATE running? You are just going to get more stressed thinking about the fact that you have to run 3 miles. NO! Exercise as in exercise that you ENJOY. Do you enjoy yoga? Then sign up for a few classes a week. Zumba? Get your dance on! Lifting weights? Well then start picking things up and putting them down. Walking your dog? Take Fido to the park and walk! There are so many things you can do that involve moving the body and getting your blood pumping. Figure out what you like to do and do it! I used to lift weights at the gym for YEARS and I loved it, but then I started to get so bored with it. I actually started DREADING going to the gym at one point, but I forced myself because I felt like I had to. I then realized that I was getting stressed about going to the gym, so then I tried hot yoga and fell in love with it. Now I get excited to go to class! Some mental benefits of exercise include: releases endorphins (aka your feel good chemicals in the brain), improves your mood, helps better your sleep, increases sex drive, boosts your energy, helps motivate you, and so much more! Now get moving!

Turn on Do Not Disturb

I know….we are all guilty of being on our phones for way too long. My boyfriend constantly tells me how much I am on my phone. I am very aware of the fact that I scroll aimlessly through Instagram and look at other people’s lives. It is far from healthy being on social media too much. For me at least, I know I start comparing myself to other women on there. Thoughts such as “I wish I was skinny like her”, “her business is more successful than mine”, “her life seems perfect”, can have a negative impact on what I think about myself. Comparing yourself to others won’t make you happier at the end of the day, it will actually make you more sad and stressed about your own life. So limit yourself to only a certain amount of time each day to go on social media. It is not just about social media, but put on the Do Not Disturb after work hours. Do not work after a certain time. As a business owner, I am CONSTANTLY working and constantly on my phone. I have started setting more boundaries and will not respond until the next business day unless it is an emergency. So set some boundaries for yourself and stay off of your phone and social media!

Do Things that Make YOU Happy

When is the last time you did something that makes you happy? Do you even know what makes you happy? Have you made time for yourself to figure out what your hobbies are? This is extremely important to figure out. Most Americans nowadays work 40 hours a week and after work they come home and get takeout, then clean the house up, possibly take care of any kids they have, and then by that time it is bed time. How can we even manage to find the time to do things that make us happy when we are too busy taking care of everything else? I will tell you how….you MAKE time. I use my Google calendar for everything and I will literally block off time just for me and nobody else. During that time, do the things that you have always wanted to do or try. Me personally? I love kayaking, scuba diving, trying new coffee shops, taking my dog to the park, doing a yoga class, getting a pedicure, writing my blog, lounging at the beach or pool, taking a relaxing bath, and reading a book! It is important to do the things that make you feel good because you need to fill up your cup before pouring out into other people or work. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so make time for yourself and refill that cup back up.

Write things down

Here is another basic tip on how to destress yourself. Journal. Now, when I am super stressed out, the LAST thing I want to do is grab my journal and write about my stressful feelings, but honestly, it is such a release. You are literally releasing these negative feelings onto paper. My boyfriend tells me CONSTANTLY to write my feelings down when I am stressed and I tell him no. lol. But he is right, it helps a lot. It is sort of like talking to a therapist except you are writing it down instead of saying it out loud. Either way, you are getting those words out of your head and onto paper. You can scribble your thoughts down, release those thoughts, rip up the paper, and throw it out (preferably in a recycling bin lol). Or you can save those thoughts and reread it back one day and see how far you have come. Whichever you prefer. After you write things down, take a deep breathe, and continue on.

Last but DEFINITELY not least…….Get some sun!

The sun is our friend. Our bodies need the sun for vitamin d. Getting outside in the sunshine has so many mental and physical benefits. Not only will you get a nice tan, but your stress levels will decrease so much. Getting sunlight increases your serotonin levels, which is the hormone that helps with being calm. It also helps with sleep! Sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm and helps regulate melatonin which is a hormone that helps with sleep. Trust me, when I am having a bad day and I go outside in the sun even if it is just for 10 minutes, I feel more calm. The sun is powerful, so step outside and get some fresh air, you won't regret it.

These are useful tips to help destress your mind and body from the crazy world we live in. There are so many other tips I could list, but then it would just be the longest blog ever lol. So these are my top 5 habits I do when I am feeling any sort of negative feelings. I hope these help with your day to day life. Make sure you make yourself a priority because in order to be the best version of yourself, you need to take time to destress from the chaos.