Updated 12/14/18
The main thing I do to relieve stress, stay energized, and have a positive attitude is exercise. It’s amazing what a brisk walk outside in the fresh air will do for you. That would be my first suggestion but over the last couple of weeks I’ve been dealing with an injury that’s forced me to open up my toolbox. I’m so grateful that I have other tools in there or I’d be going absolutely nuts and its reminded me that when our routines are totally thrown off, like during the holidays, and we can’t make it to our regular exercise class or we are busy 4 nights out the week and aren’t jumping out of bed in the morning to go for a run, there are simple things we can do to take care ourselves.
Here are 3 of my favorites:
Meditation:
Calm is my all time favorite app. It’s so user friendly and it keeps you accountable to your meditation practice in a way that’s fun. It’s an easy way to start meditating, come back to meditating, or keep up with your practice. You can do guided or timed meditations. I find that even taking a couple minutes out of my day to meditate is always worth it. It relieves stress, improves my mental clarity, and I’m more likely to focus on my breath at other times in the day when I feel my stress level rising. Plus, I love that at the end of each meditation it gives you a beautiful quote that you can share on social media.
Journaling:
The 5 Minute Journal is my all time favorite journal and I’ve been journaling since I was a kid. The reason I love the 5 Minute Journal is that it keeps you intentional and accountable. Every morning you write 3 things you are grateful for, 3 things you’d like to get done that day, and one affirmation. That means everyday you start the day thinking about the positive things in your life, deciding what’s important to get done that day, and saying something positive about yourself. Every evening you write 3 amazing things that happened, and 1 thing that could have gone better. It keeps you accountable because you are coming back to what you said you were going to do and checking in with yourself to see how it went. This time you are focusing on the positive aspects of the day but also real about what could have gone better. It makes journaling so easy and they even have an app so you can journal on your phone. It also makes a great gift.
- Music: Christmas Strala by StralaYoga on Spotify This is great morning music. Music is something that can instantly put me in a positive space. Especially, if I’m worrying or overwhelmed. I find this station to be both energizing and calming which is sort of a rare combination. I also love that you never know what you are going to get. It could be Indian sitars or Irish bagpipes. Most often its instrumental, meditative, and a lovely way to start the day.
Those are my top 3 not so secret tools (aside from exercise) for staying calm, clear, and upbeat during the holidays. I’d love to hear your tips and tricks for keeping your holidays happy.
