The past few days have been quite trying to say the least and I was thinking about how you can care for yourself during these tense days. If you are wondering why I would even think about this, the way the world is set up (Kevin Hart voice) the 24-hour news cycles, are made to make you ruminate on negativity. This can lead to more stress for you and a general tiredness. On Tuesday I felt sooo tired, and each of my friends that I spoke to was tired. It was Tuesday at 1 pm. So to combat this I wanted to share 5 things that I do to take care of myself during a very tense time. I hope you like them, and please share your self-care tips in the comments below.
- Breathe – It may seem like a strange thing but breathe. I even have apps that I use to help me with that. My favorite one is called Proud. It is an app that is technically for planning (download it if you don’t have a planner) but it has a De-stress mode that will play tones as you take deep breaths and helps you to calm your mind and slow your heart rate down. I promise you will feel better. It is available in the app store.
- Plan – there is nothing worse for me than feeling stressed and not having any direction for my day. Usually, when I am in this space I don’t keep track of things well so before I log off of work, I set alarms on my cell phone for the next day’s meetings. I also use my Erin Condren Life Planner to see what my day and week are looking like. This way I can keep some semblance of order in my life, no matter how messy it is.
My Planner and a mini planning session for This Curvy Life
- Disconnect – I put aside 2 hours before bed to disconnect from all news and social media. This will help me to not get riled up by whatever new news story is out. It is also a good time for you to focus on yourself and family.
- Take care of me – if it’s a nice bath with a Lush bath bomb (Tisty Tosty is my fave) or singing my favorite song in the shower that will take me away faster than any Calgon commercial. A face mask or just taking a moment in the bathroom to get some peace will help you to recenter and be ready for the next day. ex: I love Sephora’s face masks but if you are looking for a diy option, egg whites, lemon and honey make for a great mask). Or go to the spa. I loved this water feature at Spa 66 in Fort Lauderdale. Enjoy for a moment.
- Laugh – we all need to laugh. I keep a funny show or comedian available on my phone or added to my Netflix list. One of my new faves is Drew Lynch he and his dog Stella keep me smiling on YouTube. If YouTube is not for you Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is hilarious, Season 3 episode 1, 2, and 8 will have you in stitches in no time.
I am sharing this info with you because I believe that joy is within reach no matter how crazy the world is. We have to seek it out and hold it tight. I hope these examples of self-care are helpful to you and help you remove just a little tension from your day.
xo Danie
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Whoa that Proud app sounds awesome. I’m going to download it right now. I like the Calm app, too. I see ads on my Facebook for it, and it has a nice little nature image with a 15 second breathing exercise. I love reminders like that for self-care. And planning is super important for me, too! Love the list!
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Thanks so much Allie. i will check out calm
These are amazing tips! I really needed this at the moment, everything has felt a bit weird lately 😀 thank you!
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I have felt the same way. It’s time to regroup so I can be happy and ready to feel like my normal self!
Great tips! Disconnecting is hard for me, but super important.
I love your tips. Plus, the spa you are featuring looks so comfy and relaxing! This motivates me to find one in my town.
I love your self-care idea about remembering to laugh.. this can help me so much in times of real intensity throughout my day. I think my cats help a lot with this but also just remembering something funny that happened in the past can help.
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Definitely. I love laughing it is so good for your heart and mind. 🙂
Great, practical ideas that everyone should implement on a daily basis.
I think it’s really important what you said – disconnect and then make a good plan so you feel like you’ve got everything under control. Plus I agree about the breathing part. It sounds so simple and yet it works. There are specific breathing techniques (also on youtube) that help with feeling relaxed a lot!
Tadeja
http://www.happynami.com
I continued to read this post in a Kevin Hart voice! haha love that guy. This is a great post and really important to remember that there are practical, positive ways to deal with stress and bad days. And if that doesn’t work, hit the spa. Always hit the spa 😛
XO http://missportmanteau.com
checking that proud app now. sounds awesome . thanks for some wonderful tips
I really need to read this post, dear. In a perfect timing for me. I could really use some of your tips because my days are sometimes so hectic, and I feel tired too much. Thanks for sharing this and reminding me to slow down a bit. 🙂
Love all your options….Planning really helps to avoid pressure and being tensed. Having a good laugh is also therapeutic
Thank you so much sharing this! I so needed these reminders as I take on more projects
Great advice! I’d add exercise, too. I was so angry at American politics this week, I took it out on a rowing machine! I felt sooooo much better!
These are some great tips I should take note of, I can be guilty of not switching off sometimes so these are going to come in very handy!!
great tips! the holidays are super stressful!