8 WAYS TO DE-STRESS
1. Book in de-stress time ahead of time! Know that from 9 to 10 tonight you are taking a bath. Make this agenda item as important as that conference call you have in your calendar with two reminders 15 minutes and 5 minutes before the time. And if it is a bath that you are doing for yourself, make it nice - light a candle or 7, dump in a cupful of Epsom salts - the magnesium in these inexpensive salts will get absorbed through your skin as you soak and help you sleep better (among other things that magnesium can for you).
2. Make Sunday or whatever is the day before your work week begins a day to re-organize and regenerate. Specifically plan to do things that get you prepped and ready for the craziness of the week ahead. this might mean:
3.Cook something that creates enough leftovers to cover at least 2 more meals later in
the week.
4. Empty out your briefcase or carry all bag/purse. File or get rid of all those receipts and
loose bits of notes and paper that magically collect over a week. Recap pens, put all
those lip balms and lipsticks back where you got them from. You get the idea - see
what's there and start the week 'clean'.
5. Tidy up the rest of your space. Make sure your keys and gym pass are where they are
supposed to be. Look under the couch/bed/etc and retrieve the library book or
whatever is there. If you can actually do a little cleaning (collect the dust bunnies, scrub
out the sink, sweep the entrance hall, take the old lettuce out of the crisper drawer) it
will go a long ways to making your outlook brighter and your week seem lighter.
6. Create a renewal day ritual. Do something on this day that you don't typically do during the week. Maybe that's reading in bed before you get up or calling someone you love but don't live with for a chat. Maybe its washing the sheets on your bed, or indulging in something that you usually 'don't have time for'.
7. Practice self compassion. This habit lays the foundation for a healthy relationship with yourself which means way less stress every day. How do you practice self compassion? If you meditate already, you're half way there! Pause. Breathe. Know that you are breathing. Do a Metta Meditation for yourself ( an ancient intentional practice of well wishes offered to self and then to others ) For more on 'Metta' see here.
8. Do a RAOK (Random Act of Kindness) everyday - make this a habit. It might change your life! Studies have shown that participants who did one RAOK a day for 6 weeks reduced their anxiety levels significantly and improved their social relationships. A RAOK can be as simple as holding the door for the person behind you or as deliberate as paying a portion of the grocery bill for the person that comes behind you in line. They allow you to be creative and to connect with your world in subtle ways. Annonymity is usually the rule but doesn't have to be.