Inhale….. Exhale….

Sometimes, that’s all it takes and still I forget to do it.

The world that we live in is becoming increasingly more stressful for various reason. Let’s face it, the ish is hitting the fan. However, it is important that we maintain a healthy balance of relaxation for ourselves and our loved ones. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, and sometimes you even end up in the hospital because of it (*cough* *cough* me!), but that’s not good and we have to find small ways to make huge impacts on our stress levels and our mental health.

After my stent in the hospital, I started taking my self care and mental health a lot more seriously. I’m still just as busy, but I’ve been taking steps to make sure that I’m releasing some stress and making time for the things that I want to do, not just have to do. So, without further ado, here are:

5 Things That I’ve Added to My Routine to Help Relieve Stress and Help My Mental Health

Get Moving

Everyone knows that exercising is good for your body. We have all heard about how we should get atleast 30 minutes of physical activity (of any kind) every day. This is something that is easy for me to let slip away because I have such a sedentary job, and once I log off of my computer I’m usually ready to just close my eyes and rest them. For me, exercise was something that I should do for my physical health, it didn’t dawn on me that it could be just as beneficial for my mental health.

Apparently (unbeknownst to my newly lazy self) exercise is very well known and researched for it’s ability to combat stress. Even as little as 5 minutes is known to actually improve an individual’s mood (source). When we exercise, it helps to reduce our bodies stress hormone levels like cortisol and adrenaline (source). Exercise also stimulates our bodies to produce more endorphines which are known to be natural pain killers (source).

I, for one, have experienced exercising greatly improving my mood and reducing my stress. Whether it’s going for a walk/run to get that runners high, a little yoga coupled with controlled breathing techniques, or punching my punching bag because I had a particularly frustrating day, I’ve made it a point to add it to my daily routine and my mental health has thanked me for it.

Light a Candle

Or an incense… or both if you’re into that kind of stuff like me. The truth is candles are known as “mood setters” for a reason. Planning a romantic night? Light some candles. Want to take a nice relaxing bath? Light some candles. Now, are candles absolutely necessary for that romantic night or relaxing bath? No, but it absolutely changes the environment and the vibe. This is especially so if the candles are scented and you are able to tantalize your senses in more ways than just the 1. Light a candle or two (or 5!), and turn down the lights at night, and you will absolutely be enveloped in a dream. Then take that time to just decompress by journaling, meditating, listening to music (may I suggest classical!), or whatever you want to do.

Go Outside at Dusk or Dawn

I recently had a conversation with my mother, and we were talking about how we get our “feels”. It hadn’t dawned on me until I had to actually think about it, but one of the most peaceful points in my day is at dawn. I usually wake up very early, so I get the chance to be up and alone and go outside.

Nothing fills my spirit like being outside, and hearing the world speak to me. The birds chirping, watching the butterflies and bumble bees waft into the garden… It’s a beautiful and peaceful experience. Being able to relax myself to that point really does help me to get my day off to a great start. And if I’ve had a particularly difficult day, and I find that I’m a bit tense, then I like to wait until dusk when the sun is setting, and sit outside once again. The stillness of time in moments like these allow me to just breathe.

Take A Nap

Taking a nap is literally one of the best things in the world. We all know when a toddler has had enough! They are cranky, they are throwing tantrums, and they make sure to let you know “I’m about to tear this &!^(# UP!“. and what do we do?…

We put them down for a nap and they wake up well rested and refreshed like they weren’t just pulling patches of your hair out two hours ago. As adults, we’ve learned to wake up in the morning and runrunrun gogogo until we crash and burn at night. That’s not particularly healthy though, and only adds to our already fairly stressful days, meaning a quick recharge may be in order. While most of us aren’t able to take the 2 hour naps that we give our little ones, a quick 30 minute “power nap” can be just as beneficial.

A midday power nap of about 20 minutes is said to help boost your mood, productivity, alertness, and prevent stress (source). However, if you feel like you may need a longer nap, 30-60 minutes is also said to be “good for decision making skills…” (source). Who knew, what adults really need is to treat ourselves like babies.

Find Your Creative Outlet

This is admittedly one of my favorite ways to release stress and decompress that I struggle with getting into my routine. Nothing will make you feel more relaxed than when you are able to just create something. Whether that is a painting or drawing, a scrapbook, a new makeup look, or a song, being able to use your favorite medium to create is bound to help you release stress.

While this may sound a bit like quack science (draw a picture, it’ll make you feel better), this is actually something that is studied on a rather large scale and some have pursued this as their career (art therapy majors, where you at!?!). I also read a study that sought to explore “the relationship between the engagement with the creative arts and health outcomes” and found that there was “clear indications that artistic engagement has significantly positive effects on health” (source). It’s worth a try!

Conclusion

This world is a stressful one, but we owe it to ourselves to take care of our physical and mental health. I only have one life to live, and I’ll be damned if I live it with bald patches because of things I can’t change.

Have you tried any of these methods to decompress? How do you like to unwind?