3 Ways to De-stress
The summer is coming to an end, and while the joy of the holidays are right around the corner - it can be easy to feel stressed out by the near end of the year. We all experience anxiety at some point in our lives, so don’t feel like you are alone. However, you should strive for your stress to never become so overwhelming that you can no longer function. Here are three things that you can do during the times that you start to feel your level of stress rising.
Go for a walk.
Yes, I know that this may sound cliché. However, going outdoors for a walk is a wonderful stress reliever! Of course if you set out on your walk with the intention to go over all of the things that you’re stressed out about, your mind may go haywire and not allow you to clear your thoughts properly. Instead, try taking mental notes of the new things that you around you. Is there a small coffee shop that you’ve never noticed? Maybe there’s a beautiful flower growing that you’ve never seen before. Take the time to really take in the smaller details of your surroundings and focus on things that interest you. You would be amazed at all of the things the world around us has to reveal, even if you’re walking down a block you’ve lived on for years. Give yourself as much time as you need to think of something other than what’s causing your stress.
Write a short story.
Write, or think of, a story about absolutely anything. You could make your story rooted in reality, or you may find it fun to create a story that takes place in another world. Think of a character, or several of them! What do they do for fun? What is their house like? If you’re having a difficult time getting started with your story, a quick Google search for short writing prompts will have you started in no time. You can make it as short or as long as you want - but whichever you choose, try to keep the theme upbeat and positive.
Meditate.
People have been using meditation for its many different benefits for hundreds of years. One benefit of meditation is relaxation. There are countless ways to meditate, many of them much easier than you may think they could be! Meditation requires patience, dedication, and practice. However, the outcome of committing to a few minutes of meditation during times of high stress can be extremely rewarding. If you have never meditated before, you can try the following technique:
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose and hold it in for 3
seconds. Think of a color, and breathe out slowly. Take another deep breath,
and repeat the same process - this time with a different color. Continue this
process until you run out of colors to think of.
Have you tried any of these techniques? What is your favorite way to de-stress after a long day? We would love to hear your thoughts!