When you try your hand at coloring to destress and find yourself stressing over colors.
Yes, I’m stressed.
What’s the cause? Let me count just some of the ways: a new president whose end goal is to clearly make Orwell’s 1984 a reality; my rights as a human and as a woman in jeopardy; the fact that even decades after the Civil War and World War II, we still are fighting confederates and Nazis; and IKEA raised their prices in their 2017 catalog, those Swedish bastards. Those are just the tip of the iceberg.
But when dealing with stress you have a choice to make: grind your teeth until you have to bite on a dentist prescribed hockey puck and feel your back muscles tighten into a rope ladder, or find ways to unwind and destress.
Now for many of us, unwinding usually entails a bottle of wine and a bottomless glass. Although I do find a glass of wine eases my worries and makes me susceptible to drunk dials/texts/Instagram stories with the genius filter, I like my liver and know it can only take so much. So, here’s what I turn to when I need a break from whatever bullshit makes me want to angry dance like Billy Elliot.
Headspace
My friend, Katrina, turned me on to Headspace with a warning: “Do not drive when you listen to this.” She was right (not that I tried).
Headspace is a free app that provides guided meditations led by Andy Puddicombe. If you don’t know who Andy Puddicombe is, watch this interview with Jimmy Fallon. Just think of that voice in your ear for ten minutes straight. Heaven.
What’s great about Headspace is that it recognizes that you don’t have time for three hour tantric mediations. Each segment is ten minutes, which is essentially the amount of time you take for those angry tweets or responses to your Uncle John’s ill-informed political posts on Facebook. Trust me, ten minutes is more than enough.
Make sure you watch the introduction video where Andy gives you some easy steps to help with the meditation process. Even if you don’t think you need to watch it, you need more of Andy’s voice in your life. Don’t fight the feeling.
Relax Melodies
You know what eases my stressful mind? Free apps that don’t require me to find a Pokemon (Is that still around?) or catapult birds at abusive pigs (Is that even relevant?).
Relax Melodies is another free app that has found its home on my iPhone. With this app, you have the power to mix your favorite calming sounds. Love the sound of beach waves softly crashing onto the shore but wish you could have the pan flute playing in the background? You got it. Want some urban rain to fall over a forrest stream while a piano plays “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?” Treat yo’ self.
Too stressed about making your own mix? The app comes loaded with go-to relaxation mixes designed to center your chi. So go ahead, choose that mix that combines the flapping of bird wings with the gentle hum of a hairdryer.
Aromatherapy Oil Diffuser
Let me just start off by saying that this is not me trying to sell you on doTerra oils because that’s annoying and I refuse to feel up your hand.
However, I love aromatherapy oil diffusers and find them to be the perfect way to not only destress but make my house smell like a flower market. My go-to oils? It really depends on what I’m doing: orange or lemongrass when I’m cleaning my house, jasmine for the afternoon, and lavender for bedtime. The best place to find diffusers and oils is TJ Maxx or Marshall’s, where I found this exact PureSpa Diffuser.
Let’s Get Physical
As much as it pains me to say it, here it is: running has become my ultimate go-to for relaxation. No matter how much I’ve tried to fight it, when I run, my mind clears – mostly because I’m focused on breathing and not falling over and thus becoming a YouTube viral sensation – and the worries of that day are not eating at my every thought. In fact, some of my best ideas and solutions for my problems happened while I was mid run.
Now do I run a 10k every time I strap on my Asics and hoist the girls into a sports bra? Unless I want to end up writhing in pain on my neighbor’s lawn, no. But I’m not training for a race. I run because I need to clear my head and if that happens within ten minutes of my run, score for me. Of course, my brain requires at least thirty to forty minutes of running because she’s a bitch, and I want to always make sure she’s happy.
My point is do something that gets you out of the house, into the outdoors, and burns some energy. Maybe for you, it will walking your dog or doing yoga. Don’t forget: lifting your wine glass to your mouth is also exercise, so make sure you stretch.
Those are just some of the ways I destress and I’m sure as this year continues, I’ll be adding to my list. Whatever makes you unwind, be safe and relax. It’s all going to be all right.
