Best ways to relax and clear your head

June 8, 2020
Best ways to relax and clear your head

Before starting this week’s post, I want to mention my solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement and the importance to speak up and push for change. Educate yourself and those around you and use your voice to help the ones who’s voices aren’t heard.

This past week, I have been feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Therefore, I thought I’d write a post about ways I relax and clear my head to remind myself of the importance of self care and what we both can do to feel less anxious this week.

Take a Bubble Bath

Bubble baths not only smell great and force your body to relax, they also give you a reason to read a book, listen to a podcast or to simply take some time to think. Bubble baths don’t have to be long, you’ll notice a great difference in just 20 minutes. You can also light some candles for an even more relaxing experience!

Make a Schedule and\or a Todo List

I feel like writing down upcoming deadlines and things to do is so underrated. For me, this is probably what calms me down the most out of this entire list. It allows me to see how much time I have before my deadlines and it usually helps getting rid of the feeling of being overwhelmed. It gives structure to my upcoming weeks and it gives me confidence that I won’t forget a deadline. I have found that planning ahead helps me keep a balanced life and achieve my goals without the unecessary stress.

Do a Face Mask

Face masks make your skin feel amazing after just a couple minutes. I have found that doing a face mask once or twice a week not only gives me great looking skin, but also gives me the feeling I take time to take care of myself (even if sometimes it’s just a couple minutes). Taking some time to take care of your body makes a huge difference in the way you see yourself and in the way you feel! Personally, I love clay masks and I usually buy a big tube of it, which is great if you use face masks regularly, but any mask, even if it’s a single used one, does the trick. Go spend some time on Sephora and treat yourself!

Do Yoga or a meditation

I always take these two for granted. It is incredible how taking some time to ground yourself either with Yoga or meditation can change your mood and make you feel better. Even just taking a couple minutes to take deep breaths can make a surprising difference. I am often tense and stress without realizing it, so incorporating yoga and meditation to my daily routine is a necessity. If you need yoga video ideas, I have listed my favorite ones in a post I made a couple weeks ago. As for meditation, I was recently gifted a subscription to the Headspace app and I don’t ever want to unsubscribe from the app. I highly encourage you download it and try their free meditations. The app offers courses on various subjects such as overthinking and stress, but they also offer single meditation for when you’re just up for a quick meditation. If you don’t feel like downloading the app or getting a subscription, you can simply search for meditations on Youtube and Spotify. There are great resources on those platforms as well.

Go for a walk

Just a couple breaths of fresh air can help you feel more grounded and clear your mind. It doesn’t have to take a long time; just a walk 5 minute walk around the block can make a difference! A walk will also get your body moving which will help you feel better in your body.

Clean your Environment

This can seem a bit weird at first, but having a clean and organised environment is essential to having a good mental health. Take the time to declutter your room/apartment/house and you will see how much better you will feel afterwards. You will have less distractions around you and you’ll feel like you’re on top of things and more in control of your life. Put on a podcast or your favorite playlist and get cleaning!

Take the Time to Read a Book or a Magazine

Especially during this pandemic, my consumption of screens throughout the day has reached a new high, with online school and virtual socializing. I have found that reading a book or a magazine has helped me clear my mind and relax. I like putting my phone away and letting myself get carried away in a good book. By reading on something other than your phone or your computer, you’ll feel less distracted, since you’re not constantly reminded of what’s going on in the world by notifications. I usually find myself truly able to disconnect by doing this.

Treat Yourself with a Sweet

I wouldn’t advise to refer to this one everytime you’re feeling stressed, but sometimes a sweet like cookies or ice cream can brighten up your day! If you have the time, a way to de-stress is to bake. You’re getting two-in-one: an activity to take your mind off of things and a dessert to eat after! Personally, I love to bake cookies, as it helps clear my mind and the final result is yummy. And obviously, I love eating the cookie dough along the way!

I will be doing these this week and hopefully you will too! Let me know on my Instagram which one(s) are you favorite(s) and work better for you.