Yes, there are plenty of ways you can destress, unwind, enjoy time with yourself, and get centered. Getting centered sounds a little offbeat to those who don’t meditate or practice other self-awareness rituals. Maybe the word mindfulness is better. Either way, hear me out.
We all have a busy life, throw in kids, and it gets even crazier. So how do you destress? I know you have a girls’ night or even guys’ night out to unwind and blow off steam. Aren’t there ways to do this without the potential use of alcohol and a hangover? The next morning is never any fun.
No need to be wary. This doesn’t require guru knowledge on meditation, yoga, just open-mindedness. Being centered merely means being at peace with who you are in every moment. Stillness and quiet are what that means for me. To thine own self be true.
These five things will help you to destress and allow you to exhale. The key is to be in the moment and let your feelings, energy, and mind flow in all of these exercises.
5 Natural Ways to Relax and De-Stress
Journaling
First, let’s discuss journaling. Yes, we are going back to the “dear diary” days but a more grown-up version. Pick out a journal or notebook, whatever you like. You may ask, “what do I write once I open the notebook (I love that movie, BTW, the book was even better)?”
To start, looking at a blank page can be intimidating if you’ve never journaled before. The first thing I like to do is start by writing the date at the top of the page. On days you have a lot of feelings to get out, start writing. You’re not getting graded on these entries, so don’t worry about properly getting started and using correct punctuation and grammar. Just let yourself flow.
Start with “I feel…” and go from there. The entries can be short or long. I’ve written pages upon pages before and then only a single page other times. Allow yourself to be in the moment and let your emotions flow. Something happens during this therapeutic process. You’re able to self-reflect and analyze a situation better, step back and see things differently. Read how to do automatic writing or journaling here.
You can do this at the end of your day or when the mood strikes you. I believe getting emotions out and not holding them in helps to heal your spirit. At the very least, it allows you to be calm and learn about yourself.
So pick up a pen and notebook and start destressing. Journaling is for your personal use only. No one ever has to read it or see it unless you want them to. Over the years, I’ve used many different kinds of journals. I’m currently using this moleskin journal. I love the feel of the paper and its smooth writing.
Walking in Nature
Nature is an all-encompassing cure for feeding the soul. A simple walk in nature can alleviate stress, calm you down through exercise, and feed your soul. Listening to birds chirping, wind rustling through the leaves of tall pine trees, water gently waving in the lake as the reflection of the sun bounces off the water.
That my friend is relaxing and total destresses the best of us. Nature almost forces you to be still and quiet. Listen to the sounds around you and look up. Oh my gosh, the joy of just looking up! We don’t take the time to look up and observe.
Look at the trees swaying in the wind, geese flying over information, clouds moving past. Do this and take a breathe and exhale. The simple things we ignore because we look down at our devices. Busy rushing through from one stop to the next.
Take that walk in the park, listen to the sounds, and breathe. Breathe and walk with intention. It’s more of a stroll rather than a timed fast walk. Try not to have your headphones in the entire time. It’s tempting, and some days I do it myself. Or I listen to audible, but I’m still observing nature and taking it in. If you live in a busy, loud city, then turn on calming music.
Taking the time to do this a couple of times a week or more, if you can, helps bring you back to being centered. Quiet on the inside to where you can hear your true self. Not the restless chatter that you hear all day. Give yourself a break and take a walk.
Meditation
There are so many different types of meditation, from mindfulness, transcendental, guided, sound, and the list goes on and on. I’ve tried many of these; read about it here to see if there was one that worked best for me or that I connected to most.
As I mention throughout my blog, no two people are the same. Therefore, no two people will meditate or do anything, for that matter, the same. We will all have different experiences with meditation. Trying different types will help you learn what you like and allow you to practice meditation itself.
I have found that mindfulness of breath meditation is best for me. It is bringing awareness to your breath. I prefer to be in a quiet room where I will not be interrupted, hard to find these days with two little shadows. Don’t be surprised if you catch me in the closet trying to get some meditation time in. Just sayin’ do whatcha gotta do.
You can use an eye mask to make it dark. I find this helps me relax and focus. You’ll have to try again and again before you learn to quiet the mind.
This is a learning process, so please keep on the path and don’t give up. Start with a few minutes at a time and build up from there. You’ll notice over time, you can meditate a little longer each time, and it becomes easier to get into that state.
Yoga
Everyone should practice yoga at least once. You have to try it to know if you like it. My yoga journey started around 16 years ago or more. I will admit that I haven’t done it continuously during those 16 years. There were some years that I didn’t practice at all. Other times I would attend a yoga class 4-5 times a week. Currently, I practice yoga in my bedroom with my favorite yoga youtube channels.
Just like meditation, there are many types of yoga styles. As a result, I’ve tried many of them and learned which ones I like best. You do the same.
Yoga has many physical benefits such as increased flexibility, muscle strengthening, lower blood pressure, reduced stress, and the list goes on. As far as destressing, well, this helps with that too.
You don’t even have to leave your own home to try, especially if classes aren’t your thing. With that, yoga classes have a different environment than other “gym” type classes. Everyone is focused on themselves and their practice. There isn’t that feeling that everyone is watching me.
The flow of the poses is very soothing once you learn the salutations or sequences. That word mindfulness comes in again. It’s hard not to be during yoga. You become very focused on your pose and breathe that this, in turn, becomes its meditation. It never ceases to amaze me how quiet the mind gets when you are practicing yoga. It’s almost effortless.
5 – HTP
5–Hydroxytryptophan (5–HTP) is an amino acid that your body already produces. It’s derived from an African plant known as Griffonia simplicifolia. It helps to increase the serotonin levels in your body, thus boosting your mood, allowing you to be more mindful, less stressed, and preoccupied.
It’s a natural supplement that offers numerous benefits, including a calming effect. To learn more about 5-HTP as a natural stress reliever, read the article that goes into more depth.
There you have five natural ways to relax and take a moment for yourself. Self-care is a buzzword that we’re hearing everywhere right now. Don’t think it’s not for you or you don’t have time. Making time will only improve your daily life and mental health.
Being mindful during any of these activities will bring you to a more relaxed state and bring you into alignment. Find what works best for you and continue to develop your self-care routine.
I wish you peace and guidance on your journey. Take care and be well.
UPDATE 11/2/2021
I know there are many different options out there to use besides 5-HTP. I’ve leaned on using Ashwagandha Root a lot this past year. You can read more about the benefits of Ashwagandha here.
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