Quick Tips to De-Stress

We've all had those days when everything rubs you the wrong way, everyone is annoying and everything seems to go wrong. But a lot of our anger and annoyance is commanded by ourselves and how we choose to react to it. Figuring out how to view your surroundings can determine how your whole day goes! Here are a few quick tips to de-stress on those especially tough days.

Herbal Relief

Lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, passionflower and reishi are just a few herbs that naturally calm your mind and body. All of them can be made into a nice cup of calming tea, or can be found in scented candles to keep at your desk.

Deep breaths

This may sound obvious, but when you're upset your heartbeat tends to quicken and your breath becomes more shallow. Studies show that just a few minutes of slow deep breaths, taking 10 to 15 seconds per breath, can slow your heart and focus your mind, making you more alert and rational. Set a timer for 5 minutes and practice breathing in through your nose for 5 seconds, then out through your mouth for 5 seconds. It helps to pretend you're breathing through a straw. You may be surprised at how quickly you've been inhaling.

Meditate

Sometimes clearing your mind is all you need to start fresh. Take a 5 minute break, set a timer, and then sit and try to think of nothing. Thoughts will come in, you will acknowledge they are there, and then let them pass and clear your mind again. The simple act of practicing letting all of the little annoyances and overwhelming tasks pass is often enough to gain the perspective you need to get through the day.

Think about a happy memory

Remember something really good that happened and reflect on it for a few minutes: how it made you feel, what you were doing, who you were with, what the weather was like that day. Bonus points if you think about doing something good for someone else as this will make you feel twice as good!

Find out what's making you angry

Write down what's making you mad, even the little dumb or unreasonable things, like running out of milk to put in your morning coffee, or a co-worker forgetting to thank you when they've borrowed something. Then write down why it made you angry and how it made you feel. Reflect on each of these things. Is there a pattern? Are you feeling under-appreciated  or is something else making you upset about unrelated things? Sometimes just understanding why you're stressed puts things into perspective.

Let it go

Only you have the power to decide how you feel about something. If you stub your toe on a door, the door didn't make you angry. The door is not at fault. And neither are you. Accidents happen. There is no reason to be upset. It hurt, and being upset is natural at first, but once it's passed it is what it is. Now try imagining a person stepped on your toe instead. It is the same thing. It is natural to be upset at first, but even if it wasn't an accident, you have the power to decide. Are you going to waste your energy wishing the other person bad luck and causing more and more pain, or are you going to let it go and enjoy your day?

One of my favorite quotes is, "Resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die." Being stressed, anxious, angry and upset only causes harm to yourself. It's not always easy to remain calm, especially when your patience is continually tried. Your stress may manifest as anger, worry, or depression. But in all of these cases, ruminating does nothing to solve the problem. Allow yourself a moment to try one of these activities, then resolve to do better next time and move forward. Until next time, keep it clean!