Stress is everywhere, literally, whether it’s a shitty drive to work that upset you and made you late, a shitty co-worker who you just got into an altercation with, a deadline that’s staring you in the face, family drama blowing up your phone, you name it. Wherever our day takes place, stress tends to follow which is normal, but it sucks.
Depending on your personal mentality, you either shake it off and continue with your day or you’re like me and you replay the scenario and moment repeatedly and dwell on it. It’s normal to do either one but one of those options always suits us better. Why do we dwell on things that have no importance to our mental wellbeing? Why do we sit there and over think something that we might not have had control over?
There are so many ways that we can do to de-stress long term. But what about for those moments of quick mental healing that we need to take place right in the moment, wherever we are? I’ve cultivated a list of 5 things that we can all do in those desperate moments of stress!
- Fresh air: At work and can’t take off for the day and go on a long relaxing drive with the windows down and the music loudly blasting out your windows? Step outside. Take a walk around the building or block and breathe in the fresh air. Fresh air is good for the soul, it’s good for the lungs, its good for the mind, and its good to just clear out the shit causing you to stress out at the office. What’s that saying? Inhale positivity, exhale negativity.
- Driving around: Even if you’re not into drowning out your mood or “sorrows” driving around with the windows down and actually taking in the fresh air, is also a great way to relieve stress. Especially during the work day, sometimes just a drive around the block, or across town on your lunch break, is enough to clear your mind of at least SOME of the shit rolling around in there.
- Sitting in a quiet place: Some people are lucky to work in an environment that has a their own “quiet room” for you to unload and enjoy some peace and quiet throughout your day, which if is anything like where I work, you need the damn quiet. Just escape the bull shit, sit and enjoy the quiet to NOT think about what you’re stress out about. Even if it is just for 15 minutes. It depends on the day, and it depends on the type of stress but quiet can help. just like music can help…which leads us tooooooooo….
- Music/earbuds: I cannot work in silence which also means I cannot always de-stress in silence! it literally just gives my mind the chance to wander and focus on negative shit that has nothing to do with the task I’m working on or anything to do with de-stressing. I n e e d to have music on either around me or actually in my ear to keep myself focused on what I’m doing. And I get it, not everyone can work/read with words booming through their ears and that’s okay. You can always try instrumental music to either classical music or songs you know and just don’t want to hear the words. I cannot work in silence which means I cannot de-stress in silence.
- Journaling/Write it Out: Journaling was not something I always did. At one point, many years ago, my doctor told me to start writing out my feelings in a journal or diary, if you will, if I didn’t want to talk about them, which, I didn’t. So I started to journal and I’ve been doing for 7 years. I’ve filled one journal completely and I have it tucked away in a spot that I can find. Sort of like my own little time capsule. From time to time I write in my newer one, but not always, because I’ve learned different ways to manage my stress emotions, at times, but writing it out has helped in so many ways. I even carry a small note book in my purse for times “on the go” when my anxiety brings up my stress levels. Just write out how you feel, read it over, close the book and be about your day.
lifeofliiv.com 