Worrying? Overthinking? Frazzled? Truth is, many of us can use a break these days with stress levels escalating throughout the pandemic. This Stress Awareness Month we’ve gathered a few simple ideas to help you take care of you and take your stress levels from ten to zen, even if only for a few precious minutes.
According to psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman, it’s helpful to start by recognizing what stress looks like and feels like to you. “Becoming more aware of your own stress symptoms and what triggers them can be key. Take a few moments to check in with yourself on a daily basis and ask yourself how you’re doing and what you need right now.”
Consider how you start and end each day and explore bookending with something comforting to look forward to, like meditation and yoga in the morning or an inviting bath before bed. Warm baths can help ease the physical stress-related tension we carry in our bodies and relax anxious muscles, all while giving you that much sought-after wind-down after a day that may have had you tightly wound.
Getting outside is another go-to, and for good reason. Turns out even just a short 15-20 minute walk in the fresh air not only sparks every one of our senses, but according to Harvard Medical School, reduces stress, anxiety and depression. Not the outdoorsy type? Simply adding something green like a low-maintenance plant to your workspace can help lower the stress response and boost concentration.
Or, to reduce anxiety and improve sleep, try incorporating daily supplements into your routine while adding your diffuser some favorite essential oils like lavender or chamomile, which are especially soothing. Breathe in, breathe out, sleep tight.
