Every girl needs some tips for self-care when you're stressed.
I lived up to being a millennial and job-hopped like there was no tomorrow. I was looking for a company where I’d get to balance a somewhat decent salary while trying to avoid burying my head in the sand to escape the job’s mindlessness. I am happy to report that I did find rewarding work, after a lot of trial-and-error. I am now a proud employee of a socially responsible company, I still freelance as an ESL teacher, and – excited, dramatic pause – I now write for the school newspaper. Hooray!
The year was not all flowers though. The job-searching, a young marriage and, simply put, life’s challenges can sometimes leave you feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck, but instead of getting emergency care, you need to get up and keep walking. It can be pretty overwhelming and these are the times we need to show up for ourselves the most.
I am here to share a few tips on how I take care of myself in those times. I hope you can resonate, and implement some of them in your own self-care routine. Here are some great tips for self-care when you're stressed.
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1. Have a Power Shower
I don’t know about you, but when I am stressed, I find it quite hard to snap out of it. My mind seems to keep running in circles, and I simply can’t shut down. Throughout the year, I have discovered that working from the outside in works miracles. I get home and make myself a hot, steamy shower. But that’s not all. I light up incense and put on some calming mantras. I prefer the ones that are just instrumental or have a soothing, female voice. Finally, I switch off the lights and allow myself to stay under the water for as long as it takes to simply calm down. It is immensely soothing to zone out and just…feel. Tuning in to how my skin feels under the hot water, taking deep breaths to smell the incense, and closing my eyes and mind to any external pressures helps me wonders. A long, hot shower is one of my favorite tips for self-care when you're stressed.
2. Exercise Positivi-tea
Growing up, my family was more of a coffee crowd. It was not until I got married and started creating my – our – own rituals that I realized how much I loved tea. Luckily for me, my husband and his family are quite British in that sense, so our visits are always sprinkled by amazing tea and chat time. It’s a ritual I have come to love and cherish. Far from being a tea connoisseur, I just enjoy the warmth and the smell of a hot mug between my fingers; it calms me down. My favorite teas are chamomile and lemongrass. Jackpot if it’s a blend of the two. So, it is no surprise that I fight off stress by curling up with my blanket and tea, for some quiet, silent time.
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3. Get out of Your Own Head by Writing
Most of my heroes are writers. I am incredibly inspired by the magic they create when sharing their beautiful stories. Although reading can be a great distraction, when I am stressed out or anxious I find it hard to quiet my mind down for long enough to concentrate. Instead, I feel the need to empty my head from those repetitive, useless thoughts that don’t take me anywhere. The best way I have found to do this is through writing. It goes something like this: I have an unhealthy thought, I notice it, then I write it down, even if it doesn’t make any sense. When I do so, I imagine the thought coming out of my head and settling down into the paper – its new house. Harry Potter fans will know exactly what I am talking about. By doing that, I establish that the thought doesn’t belong to me anymore. It belongs to the paper, so I don’t need to worry and harbor it any longer.
How about you? How do you deal with stress and anxiety?
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