Happy FRIYAY Everyone!!
This week was honestly such a blur and oh. so. stressful. Because of that, I thought I would end the workweek with a post on ways to decrease stress.
When I told my husband about today’s post we both laughed because he knows I am the queen of stress. I could literally let myself stress about everything! And lately having to balance the blog, my social media accounts, starting a new job on top of my old job, Nurse Pracitioner school, wife life, and all my other extracurricular activities throughout the week, it’s so easy for me to let the stress pile up. I have learned a few things over the past few months to help me keep my sanity, though, and have partnered with Texas Sweet Tees to share them with you all. They sent me a box of goodies that help make my busy schedule a little less stressful. They also have other fun themed boxes and items you can order HERE such as an Engagement themed box, Birthday box, other fun graphic tees, candles, and other little things that can put a smile on anyone’s face!
EXERCISE
This is my number one stress reliever! I will spare you all the medical/science ways that exercise is proven to relieve stress, but basically exercising releases endorphins which is a hormone that literally makes you happy. It can have the same effects as taking Morphine or other strong pain medications (kind of scary, lol). If you’ve ever heard of “runner’s high” that’s where that term comes from.
Whenever I am super stressed out or upset over a bad grade, or something not going right, I blast some workout music and get moving. You all know I have been doing the BBG program, which I love, but if I don’t have thirty minutes to spare at the moment, I sometimes will just get up and do a quick Zumba video off of YouTube, or drop down and do a few push ups or sit ups. Sometimes even just getting off of my chair and walking around the house for a few minutes is helpful. I always, always, always, feel SO much better after exercise and that in itself is motivating enough to get my workouts in.
DO MORE OF WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY
I love this one, because really, what can decrease stress more than doing something you enjoy. When I plan out my week, I make sure to schedule in different things that I enjoy doing. For me, blogging is a stress reliever. Don’t get me wrong, meeting deadlines, posting on social media at certain times of the day, answering emails, taking and editing pictures, and all that comes with the world of blogging can definitely be super stressful. BUT it is something that I love, which motivates me to finish other important things I have going on like school assignments or listening to lectures. I have learned not to book too many collaborations in a certain time period or be so hard on myself for not getting a post up every day, which has helped blogging be a stress reliever instead of a stressor. I always look forward to being able to do anything regarding blogging.
I also love spending time with my husband. We are both so busy during the week so the weekends are usually our time together. This helps me work hard during the week so I can have as much time off with him as I can. I also look forward to my mani/pedi days and use that time to relax. I turn myself off from everything, including my phone.
Find something you enjoy doing and make time for it, whether that’s taking a bath, watching a movie, shopping, spending time with friends, etc. Making time for yourself is just as important as making time for things that need to be done.
PLAN IT OUT
If I could only take three things with me on a deserted island, my planner would probably be one of them lol. I can’t survive without it! With all the stuff I have going on, I need to see it all laid out and know what is ahead of me for the week. I typically fill out my planner for the week Sunday nights or
Monday mornings. When I don’t have my planner filled out, I literally go into panic mode. I start doing one thing I need to do, and a million other tasks pop up in my head so I try to do those too and end up not completing any of them.
Seeing a busy and full planner used to stress me out so much, but now, having it all laid out and having a plan for the week helps me focus on finishing what is most important and also lets me know how much free time I have. This way, I don’t schedule let’s say my mani/pedi right before I have to submit a huge project, I would schedule it for after. Also, if I do finish something earlier than I planned I would, I now have a window of free time, and I could either treat myself or I can move on to another task allowing me to finish something that I didn’t finish yet, or get ahead of the game and start something that isn’t due yet.
LEGGINGS || LIPS || SUNBURT MIRROR (on sale) || PINK MAGAZINE HOLDER || RUG || LARGE VASE
GET RID OF CLUTTER
Nothing stresses me out more than a bunch of clutter. Having everything neat and organized makes me feel like I somewhat have my life together. Every time I have a huge test coming up, my husband and I tag team and clean our place. This helps me SO much. There is nothing I love more than having a clean & clutter free home, but it also keeps me focused on studying for my test instead of having my mind stuck on having to vacuum, clean the bathrooms, do laundry, etc.
LISTEN TO MUSIC
I have a Spotify account and LOVE it! I love listening to worship music and singing so that helps me destress, but Spotify has the best playlists for literally everything you’re feeling! I often browse in their “Mood” section and pick something based on my mood. They’ve got everything from “Relax & Unwind” to “Mood Booster,” “Good Vibes” and “Walk In Like You Own The Place.” Having music playing in the background while I work or listen to lectures definitely helps make it less stressful.
I hope you all enjoyed this post! I would love to hear ways that you all decrease stress’ leave them in the comments below 🙂 Enjoy your weekend! XO!
Thank you Texas Sweet Tees for sponsoring today’s post
