Ah, stress.
The word that defined my being.
If I was tired, I’d blame it on stress. If I was sad, there was stress. If I was creatively blocked, it was stress. If I slept too little or too much, hello stress. If I ate a lot or not at all, what are you doing to me, stress?
And the more I kept using “stress” as an excuse for the way I’m feeling or the way I’m acting, the more I actually felt stressed out. So, one day, I decided to stop using the word.
Because at the end of the day, I wasn’t really stressed.
I was everything else BUT stressed.
I was productive, angry, happy, tired, relieved, sad, excited.
And surprisingly, weeks after avoiding the word, I never really had the urge to use this exact term to define certain feelings or actions again. There are moments when I do resort to the word, but I do try to avoid it as often as I can. And not with just saying it out loud, but thinking about it as well.
I feel like I’m only using the word stress because it’s a socially acceptable term that everyone can relate to when pairing it with the actions that “define” stress.
With that said, here are 14 habits I do to clear my mind and feel relaxed enough to go through my day, week, or month.
Stress-Reliever Habits
CLEAN
I don’t know about others, but cleaning has always been my go-to relaxation habit, sometimes done unconsciously.
LISTEN TO MUSIC
I have a “feelin’ chill” playlist on Spotify for moments when I want to feel relaxed. I originally had the playlist in mind for when I’d go on road trips or stay in during rainy days. The songs added are based mainly on the melody, not too fast and not too slow either.
TAKE A WALK IN NATURE
San Francisco may be cold, but I love that you can walk almost everywhere. I also love that there were parks near my apartment for quick convenience.
SLEEP
You might wonder how I can even fall asleep when I’m feeling stressed, and well, I guess it’s just luck…? I’d have my thoughts completely stop and listen to the soft sounds around me, and I’d usually go off to lalaland in 10 minutes or less.
MEDITATE
Meditating has greatly helped with falling asleep. When I meditate, I don’t use music or any voice prompter because the last time I listened to guided meditation music, I had nightmares…both times. So, when I meditate I just sit cross-legged, hands gently on my knees, and listen to the sound of my breathing. No other noise except the ones outside my window is heard.
LIGHT A CANDLE
The Aromatherapy scented candles from Bath & Body are amazing scents to unwind with. I always go for Rose Vanilla (Love) and Eucalyptus Spearmint (Stress Relief). To not get overwhelmed with the smell, I typically light only two wicks per usage and open my window.
JOURNAL
You don’t necessarily have to do the whole “dear diary” thing. You can take a single sheet of paper, or open a blank page of your journal and go on a writing spree. Don’t overthink, just let your hands do the writing. You might never know what comes out, but you’ll definitely feel better afterward. For extra relief, you can take that piece of paper and burn it safely outdoors.
SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY (INCLUDING YOUR PET(S)) AND/OR FRIENDS
It’s definitely more challenging now to physically be with our loved ones, especially if we don’t live together, but a simple video call with them still helps. I’d go on calls with my parents and we’d go minutes without saying anything to each other. Just having their presence around has been enough to calm me down.
WATCH A COMEDY MOVIE
When in doubt, laugh it out!
TALK IT OUT
If the stressor involves someone else, I’ve learned that it’s always best to talk to them as soon as possible. They may be stubborn, so you’re going to have to get creative to get their attention (in a good way!). Most problems arise due to miscommunication between one or both parties, and holding on to assumptions or ego won’t make such problems go away.
BEGIN PROJECT EARLY & WORK ON THEM A COUPLE OF HOURS A DAY UNTIL THEY’RE DUE
I was a master procrastinator, and it’s shown through my work (and assignment scores). Once I began to be more disciplined with my daily task schedule, I felt more relaxed and prouder to show off my work.
The post I’m linking is targeted toward students taking online classes, but there are tips on how to stay productive in a homey environment and how to overcome procrastination and distractions.
Read More: Online Learning | ArtU Series
WRITE OR LOOK UP AFFIRMATIONS AND REPEAT THEM OUT LOUD
Affirmations have greatly helped me overcome multiple challenges in life, especially when I need some confidence boost.
SHOP
More like window shopping or adding items to my Wish List. I find them relaxing and fun. I also use this as a motivator to keep working hard so I can have these reach order confirmation, check-out, and shipment tracking.
MOVIE / TV SHOW BINGE
With the evolving technology, there are multiple websites to stream a variety of TV shows and movies. Subscriptions are required, and if our finances allow it, then I think it is okay that we may spoil ourselves with at least a streaming subscription.
