We all live hectic and busy lives. Between family, school, work, relationships and just the craziness of the world, it is hard not to build stress. Stress is an important component of our lives, but it’s easy for us to let it take over our lives. Too much stress is known to lead to bad skin, poor health, weakened immune system and even a reduced lifespan. I’ve recently been dealing with a lot of stress between work, life and family and wanted to share with you guys what I do to help me reduce or eliminate my stress level. So here are my top 9 ways and things I use to help me destress and relax. Click to read more!
Watch the video first!!
So in no particular order, these are the things I do to help me cope with stress.
#1 Yoga
Namaste. There, i’ve said it. Anyhow, I’ve been off and on with yoga over the past few years. I would gain some momentum and then life happens. I have found out that Yoga works for me. Just this past month, I went through a stressful situation where I wanted to “kill” someone(We all go though those moments, right?). My blood was boiling with anger and I just couldn’t shake off the bad vibes. Do you ever get that yucky feeling of bad vibes? Well, this was on a whole different level. You know when someone is bitter and spiteful of you for whatever reason and you know they are just evil? They can bring out the ugly in you, and you don’t want that. You just want to shake it off, but you can’t.
I figured some physical activity could help alleviate the emotion. I went to the gym to shake off the vibes with some weightlifting(it WAS leg day after all). After working out, I still couldn’t shake it off completely so I tried yoga that week. It made me feel so much more at ease. I felt like the universe sucked that person’s gross energy off me and threw it into the fire. Something about the combination of self focusing, setting the right intent and a sweaty yoga mat(like this one) did the trick.
Yoga can be a workout and be a spiritual experience at the same time. You become more in tune with yourself, your body and your capabilities. It’s a practice of self love and finding inner peace by enjoying the moment. Just make sure to stay hydrated. Namaste.
#2 Fresh Flowers
There is a theory in quantum physics that everything is made of energy. While we think we are solid beings, it is just how our energy manifests itself. So, according to my theory of pretty things, flowers represent a positive flow of energy. Because of that, it stimulates the human brain to enjoy their beauty and to feel beautiful and loved. Well, at least that’s what I think.
I enjoy looking at a bunch of fresh flowers. It reminds you of mother nature and the earth’s natural beauty. The smell of cut flowers it also therapeutic to me and helps me to relax.
If you don’t like flowers, make a little indoor terrarium. Feeling confined and trapped being indoors all day can make you feel anxious – Looking at the plants reminds you that there is a world living and breathing outside.
#3 Music
“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flow from heaven and the soul.” – Angela Monet
Playing good music can really enhance your mood and vibe of your home. When know I’m going to have a hectic day, I play classical piano music in the background in my office. It’ll be very faint but it sets the mood to feel mellow and soothing. It makes a huge difference to me and my family. If I didn’t have the music playing, I would be super anxious and intense. I really enjoy classical music as well as etherial choral music, as it is down tempo and there aren’t nay abrasive vocals, but everyone has a different perspective in music. Find one that resonates with you.
#4 Tea
I loves me some tea. I can drink tea all day, afternoon and night. While I do love the taste of tea as well as the health benefits, there is something therapeutic and stress relieving about tea. Beyond the fact that nothing is more soothing then a warm drink after a long day, some teas have properties that are great for relieving stress. A few of the teas I love to drink on a long day are Mint, Chamomile, Lavender, Ginseng, Ginger and Linden. All of these teas have different properties that all can make you feel at ease and help you reduce your level of stress. I also prefer decaffeinated teas when stressed as caffeine makes me jittery.
#5 Aroma Therapy
One of my strongest senses is scent. A good scent can help relax and decompress me. A nice scent can also evoke the right emotions and happy memories. I love aromatherapy. Now, while the connection between relieving stress and aroma therapy is vague and not scientifically proven, it is also important to set the right environment and mood to help relieve stress. Aromatherapy is a great way to set that mood. I love candles, but sometimes, candles can be too strong so I only use them in bigger spaces. For my bedroom I like to use a diffuser with essential oils, it’s more natural and soothing. You can use a diffuser any time of the day, but I find it most effective when I meditate. If you are using essential oils for the first time, make sure you test in small quantities as some folks may be irritated by the vaporized oils.
Although I am obsessed with the diffuser, I still love candles because they create a really nice ambience, especially around my bathtub and in my living room. The flickering flame really helps to set the mood and calm the atmosphere.
Speaking of flames, a nice fireplace or bonfire is super relaxing. There’s something mesmerizing about looking into the dancing flames. Take advantage of your chance to relax in front of the fire at a camp out or at home. The fire is just inviting, it makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside and out.
#6 Nature & Travel
In modern society and work, it’s too easy to get cooped up indoors between working in an office and sitting on the couch watching TV. GET OFF OF THE COUCH! There is a brave new world awaiting you just outside of your door. Go and experience it! You don’t need to be some crazy globe trotting, weird food eating, hitch hiking traveler to experience the outdoors. You can take a simple walks, go on a hike, or even do crazy sports. It’s just nice to enjoy your surroundings and the incredible view that we are so blessed with. I like hopping on Yelp or Google to find local hiking spots.
No time for a hike? Still, you should get some fresh air in your lungs. Whenever I wake up feeling super tired, I take a 10 minute jog and I immediately feel energized for the day. When I don’t do it, I feel super sleepy mid day. It’s important to get the oxygen pumping in your blood and get your body active. Set little goals for yourself and eventually you will naturally want to do more.
#7 Surround Yourself With Great People
This tip is probably the one that every one thinks is totally obvious but is also probably the hardest to do. It is important to surround yourself with people that will build you and support you along your journey in life. Remember, you are the company you keep. Don’t get me wrong, negative people are good to have in your life because they remind us of what we really want and that is to be loved and supported. However, it’s important to balance your life with people that makes you feel good and that uplift your spirit. Whether it be a family member, sibling, friend, pet or mentors, seek the that uplift and support your development. Good vibes are infectious and it will help to leap forward.
For me, surrounding myself with the right people isn’t what I do in real life but also with my online life. All of you, my readers and viewers are part of my circle of friends. Whenever I read comments on how inspired you feel after watching my videos or how I have affected your life in such a positive way, I feel super happy and motivated to keep progressing and creating content. I also get so excited to see your recreations of my DIYs. It’s very rewarding to see you take what I say and put it into action. You trust in me, believed in yourself, and made it happen. Seeing you develop your creativity also helps me to develop mine. All ships rise with the tide. For that, I thank you.
#9 Meditation
I started meditating when I was 12. It’s been a part of my life for a long time as part of a spiritual practice. I was part of a spiritual group and never really understood why I mediated. I left after some time and just got back into meditation over the summer. I returned to meditation as a daily practice because I remember how relaxed and calm it made me feel. I now know what i’ve been missing out on.
Meditation is actually widely practiced by many of the most successful business people today – Oprah Winfrey, Tim Farris, Russel Simmons, Marc Echo, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, Ellen and many more.
It is a popular misconception that mediation is associated with a religion and can conflict with one’s religious beliefs. That is not true. It does not have to be associated with a religion or spiritual group. It’s basically a daily life practice that helps relieves stress, reset your mind, and keeps you grounded. There’s something you can’t explain about it. Even leading scientific researchers have figured out that meditation is a positive practice for your mind.
When I got back into meditation, I would start for 10 minutes every morning. As I got more comfortable with 10 minutes, I would progress to 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night. I can feel a big difference when I skip a day. You can do this for as long as you like. There are lots of guided meditation videos on youtube. Find something that resonates with you most. Again, it’s not religious, nor do you need to believe a particular religion to do it. Try it and see if you like it! Google up Transcendental Meditation.
#9 Gazing at The Night Sky
I love looking at the night sky. It’s so poetic and beautiful. When you look at the night sky, you are connected with the past, present and the future. The stars you are looking at are just light emitted millions of years ago. You are standing in the present looking at the night sky knowing that future generations will be looking at the same, if not more stars in the night sky. We are all connected. When looking at the sky we also realize how little our problems are in comparison to the universe. Our planet is just a drop of water in an infinite ocean. It is humbling and awe inspiring to think about that.
Sometimes, when I am stressed, I like to go outside and just meditate or gaze lovingly at the moon. Sounds weird, but there is something relaxing about that and I love it. Go ahead, give it a shot, enjoy the night sky, learn about the beauty of our universe with books about the Hubble Telescope. My favorite is Hubble: Imaging Space and Time. This has to be by far one of my favorite books about our universe. I love the images and Eric geeks out about the science part.
Well, that is my top nine things that I enjoy and love when I am stressed out and hope that I gave you some insight into my life as well as gave you some idea on how you can cope with and reduce stress. I am not a medical practitioner, nor do I profess to be some psychological expert. I am just sharing what works for me. Until next time.
Namaste(had to say it again)
Ann Le
XOXO
