As I have been practicing more self-care, I have noticed
myself to be more relaxed than ever. I have always considered myself to be a
fairly relaxed person, not getting too stressed out about things, but now that
I have shifted my mindset a little, I realize that I was stressed and
didn’t even realize it. Here are some ways I have change my lifestyle to become
less stressed and I hope they can help you too!
1.
Decluttering – Once I started packing for my
move, I realized that I have way too much stuff that I don’t even use. I
started to thoroughly go through my things and get rid of anything that I don’t
use, and stuff that I have just been holding on to for the hopes of future
uses. Just seeing less in my closet and on top of my dressers and nightstand feels
like my mind has less clutter too. I feel more relaxed in my room and I didn’t
even know that having more things can cause more stress.
2.
Hygge – Hygge is something that I have been
incorporating into my lifestyle for years, but didn’t realize there was an
actual term for it. Hygge is a Danish term for having a simpler life. It is all
about comfort and feeling cozy and there is no American term for this word.
It’s pretty much that feeling you get in the fall when you can snuggle up by a
fire with tea (or any hot drink) in a big sweater and just relax. I have been
incorporating this into my nightly routine and it’s something I look forward to
each day. I I light candles and my
Himalayan salt lamp, make some tea (my favorite for relaxation is chamomile
tea), and read a book under lots and lots of blankets.
3.
Disconnecting – I just made a post on the
different benefits I have gotten from disconnecting. You can read about that
here. However, even just turning my phone off the hour before I go to bed helps
me relax so much more before I go to sleep.
4.
Journaling – I am going to be making a full post
just about this alone, but journaling has been great for helping me relax.
There are several different ways you can journal, but the one that has helped
me the most with relaxing is doing stream of consciousness writing. This is
where you don’t focus on making the writing look pretty, and you don’t focus on
the spelling or grammar, you just write about whatever is on your mind. I like
to do this because it helps me get all of my thoughts out of my head. This is
great if you have trouble falling asleep because your mind is constantly
running. You can try journaling before bed about everything you are thinking
of, and everything that is stressing you out at the time, so you can let it go.
5.
Yoga – Yoga has so many benefits, and one of
them is to help you de-stress. During yoga, you don’t focus on anything the
whole time except your breathing and what you are doing in that moment. There
are many different types of yoga, but if I am feeling particularly stressed I’ll
do more Restorative yoga, or Yin yoga. Both of these styles are slow-paced and
you hold the poses for longer than normal. They are designed to help you relax
and to focus on your breathing.
I hope these tips can help you feel more relaxed and help
you focus more on your self-care! Let me know what you do to relax down below.
