One of my New Year's resolutions is to worry less & live in the moment. It is easier said to be done, though, especially because I'm quite the perfectionist and like to overthink situations. And suddenly, the most normal day can turn into a bit of a stressful one. However, I have learnt a few ways to relax in these situations & to prevent myself from getting stressed out. These methods are definitely different for everyone - some people like to call their friends, others like to have a bath - this idea seems great but in reality this would not work for me when I'm feeling stressed. The first thing I do when I'm feeling stressed out is turn off my electronically devices or at least put them into airplane mode - being unavailable for a bit helps me calm down. Another thing that has proven to be really effective when feeling overwhelmed is getting organised & setting priorities (if you want to know more, click here). Anyway, today I thought I'd share my most effective ways of de-stressing with you, I hope this will give you some inspiration. x
1. Put on some relaxing music and some songs you connect with positive memories - I got a special playlist on Spotify for that - and make yourself a cup of tea. Grab a book or a magazine and most importantly, set yourself a certain time until which you won't do anything but have some time for yourself. If you have trouble staying away from social media, use a self-control app and block certain pages for at least an hour or two. When I'm feeling really stressed I find it hard to concentrate on a book - Christmas movies on Netflix are a great alternative. Just as I find listening to Christmas songs the most relaxing (and yes, I even do that in August, don't judge me haha).
2. Colouring books. I got one for Christmas as I had heard a lot about them and wanted to try it out myself. And I'm very impressed. Never would I have thought that colouring in could have such a calming effect. It almost is like mediation and I'm guessing part of the reason is that it doesn't require much thinking and that it is very clear what to do - but then it still allows you to be creative. Anyway, when I'm feeling stressed I take out my colouring book and sometimes I focus on just colouring in and sometimes I let my thoughts flow and I find it surprisingly easy to sort out my priorities/ thoughts.
3. Vlog. Or write. And I am not talking about sharing your feelings with the world, I am talking about either talking about your day/ your feelings to a camera or write them down - even thinking about what you would say in a vlog or in a diary helps me put things into perspective and I often realise that things aren't that bad at all. Another thing I find helpful is writing down a list of things that make you happy or that are great about your life - you could even create an album on your laptop to look at when you're feeling stressed (or sad).
4. Music. Either listen to your favourite playlist or play an instrument (if you can play one). Even singing along to the radio can help a lot in my opinion. Just turn up the volume and sing along - or if you don't like singing, go onto Spotify and look up new songs - there is no better feeling than discovering a new song, is there?
5. Last but definitely not least, give yourself a break for a day. Sometimes we need some time to ourselves and my favourite things to do are going for a walk in the nature, preferably near a lake or the sea, and meeting up with a friend in the evening - having a whole day to myself kind of stresses me which is a bit weird - is this just me or does anyone else feel the same? I need the prospect of doing something because I'm a fan of structure. Anyway, I love spending a day in the nature, just sitting somewhere and reading a good book, and then meeting up with one of my close friends in the evening - sometimes sitting in the car and talking can make the day a whole lot better.
I hope this has helped some of you! What do you do to relax? x
