Sometimes doing nothing can be worse for your stress levels and particularly in these unprecedented times, it can be hard to find motivation. Many people are dealing with anxiety and worry right now and it’s important not to let this stress take over. With almost everybody stuck at home, it’s tricky to find things to do. It’s not as easy to rely on friends and family to distract us from stress and negative thoughts, and getting overwhelmed by it all becomes inevitable. The best ways to deal with stress are by keeping active and occupying your mind with other things. This can be done using relaxing techniques like meditation, or instead creative and stimulating activities. Find what best works for you. Here are five suggestions to help you relieve stress at home.
Mindfulness
The art of mindfulness is trending at the moment and it’s easy to see why. This meditation therapy is based on slowing down and clear thinking. It’s the perfect way to destress, as you can finally find peace with your thoughts. Mindfulness teaches you how to live more slowly, or “mindfully”, focussing on what’s important, and to enjoy life. You can find video tutorials for techniques online. It’s a good idea to meditate for a few minutes a day. Try accompanying your meditation with some relaxing music and consider writing a mantra to repeat to yourself.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy goes well with mindfulness. Burn incense or candles. Some aromas are more relaxing for example, lavender, sage, rosemary, and peppermint. You can even grow most of these in your garden too! There are many herbal remedies you can plant at home you’d be surprised at how low maintenance they are. Add scented oils to a warm bath when you get in from a hard day’s work, or even get a perfumed spray for your pillow to help you sleep. There are other natural remedies to relieve stress such as valerian root. Particular supplements will also help to reduce stress such as omega 3, green tea, and ashwagandha. You should be able to find these easily online from a local herbalist or if not on most larger supermarket websites.
Online Fitness
You’ll probably be aware of the craze going around all of your friends and family, but fitness apps and online workouts can actually be very effective. Gymondo offers a one month free trial on a wide range of programs across many types of sport. You won’t need to do the same workout twice before the lockdown is over. Keeping fit and healthy will help to reduce your stress and boost your energy levels. Fatigue could also be a sign of hormone imbalance however, click here for more information about hormone imbalance symptoms.
For those of you who find traditional fitness a little tedious, there are some different apps available as well. Zombies, Run! is a game for runners, both adults, and kids, a good option if fear motivates you! Fitocracy is another fun option because it has more of a social and gaming element to it. The app encourages you to connect with people doing similar activities to you and compare them. This added competition is encouraging too. It’s personalized to your very own training regime and you can set your own mini-goals and get points when you achieve them. If you are a wannabe pop star, Just Dance Now is free and easy to use. You’ll need a monitor or smart TV to watch the routines and then use the phone as the controller.
Gardening
Whether you’ve got the luxury of a huge yard or only a modest window box, gardening can be very therapeutic. It’s considered a wellness therapy and this is because it gives you perspective as you get in touch with nature. The weather is perfect as well and you can get a bit of fresh air. It’s a great way to destress. If you’re not an expert, there are plenty of easy summer seeds that will get growing quickly, such as cress, salad, and sunflowers. You can start them off in the kitchen in makeshift pots. Here are some more tips on how to get your seeds started on your window sill.
There are plenty of options if you would like to plant things like a herb garden or vegetables, great for summer as well. You can get seeds delivered right to your door. Take a look at a selection of summer vegetables available online to try or if you’re a little apprehensive you can check out some more tips on growing low maintenance summer vegetables. It’s incredibly satisfying watching your efforts bloom into something all the family can enjoy.
Music
It might also be worth looking into music as a new hobby for stress relief. If you find that listening to music helps you to feel calm, then perhaps playing it and creating it will have the same, or even a stronger impact on you. Of course, if you don’t play an instrument then it’s never too late to learn, and there are two options if you want to do this. You can either teach yourself online, or you can find someone to teach you. For example, you can look up how to find a violin instructor in your area, or whatever other instrument you want to play. It might take a few different instruments until you find the one for you, but just be patient.
Art
Due to their unfortunate closure, many famous galleries have organized original online activities free to the public. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in collaboration with the artist Louise Lawler is offering a fun interactive program where she recreates tracings for you of famous pieces of artwork, and you can color them in. This will keep you busy for hours. You can frame your creations once you’ve finished the project, or share them online with your family and friends. The MoMA also has a wonderful selection of online tours and exhibitions. You could get lost on their site for hours.
The Tate Gallery also has loads of fun interactive options online, you’ll never run out of things to do. Create pop art in the style of Andy Warhol, take a workshop in street art, or even make a painting out of chocolate. There are plenty of awesome interactive activities for kids and adults alike. You might need to spend the next day cleaning up afterward! There are also several podcasts and how-to guides for those of you a little more serious in pursuing art as a hobby, why not give it a go? A new hobby will boost your mood and give you a focus in a world of distractions. What could be a more fun way to relieve stress?
*contributed post*
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