5 Tips to Keep Life Relaxed & Fun
Hello lovelies, I hope that wherever you are in the world, this post finds you doing well!! It’s been a hot minutes since I’ve shared a blog post… 2020 has thrown us so many curve balls. From a social distant lifestyle to working from home / living at work, the days can feel quite exhausting and monotonous. Today, I’m here to share with you 5 simple tips that I’ve been implementing to make this rollercoaster of a year more manageable. Let’s go!
START THE DAY WITH LAYING YOUR BED
There a TONS of articles out there about starting the day by laying your bed and why this can be psychologically empowering. Completing one task at the start of your morning can give you and immediate sense of accomplishment which in turn leads to better productivity. Laying your bed can help to lower your stress and improve your mood too! I once heard that we spend roughly 1/3 of our lives in our bedroom (probably a lot more this year due to COVID) and ensuring that this space is tidy can help us stay grounded. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I still decide to work from my bedroom; however, I lay my bed first to get me into the right mindset for the day. Organize your space and see how it transforms your mood!
LET’S GET PHYSICAL
I thing we've all heard that exercise can help with stress relief. This is 100% true, and I think that regular physical activity throughout the day can promote a level or relaxation that is invigorating. Not only can physical activity help to relax our mind & body, but I think it can also help with our emotions. Almost two months ago, I was hitting a really strong wall at work and feeling kind of hopeless after 12 weeks of non-stop working from home Monday-Saturday. I found myself getting a bit short with the people in my life and never wanted to get up early in the morning. I started taking these 1-2 mile walks every morning and used the time for meditation, relaxation and quiet time. It gave me a 180 on each and every day. I highly recommend starting your day with no technology, a bit of fresh air (if possible), and getting active. It doesn't have to be anything super intense, just start your day from a place of peaceful introspection and see what a difference it makes. And to all my fellow night-owls out there, getting up a couple hours before work to fit this in might sound daunting, but I promise you it is worth it!! Try it out for a week and let me know what you think.
DRESS UP FROM TIME TO TIME
I always used to say "If you dress well, you'll feel well. When you feel well, you'll do well." With many of us spending weeks at home at a time it can be easy to find ourselves wearing the same rotation of 4 sweatpants & 5 tops. Comfort is great and as I write this post I'm sitting here in a zip-up hoodie and shorts. That doesn't mean though that we should stop giving ourselves reasons to look our best. This year has been crazy and working from home is not the best motivator to get our of you pajamas, but over the last few weeks I have taken 1 or 2 days a week to dress up. Not for a Zoom, not to go out of my house, not for anyone else...simply for myself. I was taken aback by how much such a simple act turned my mood around. It wasn't as if I was sad or lethargic before and needed a change. I simply found a new level of energy by stepping up my wardrobe and hairstyle for myself.
AROMA THERAPY IS A GAME CHANGER
Gonna keep this one short and sweet... who doesn't love walking into a room that smells amazing?! I think we all can agree that is a great way to feel better while at home. I've been loving turning on my essential oil diffuser during stressful days on work calls, for at home spa day and even as I go to sleep from time to time. My favorite oil is the Eucalyptus Essential Oil from MUJI. It immediately puts me in a relaxed mood! Don’t sleep on essential oils and aroma therapy.
DO ONE THING A DAY THAT YOU LOVE
For anyone in my family, close friends or who has been around the EE fam long enough, you have probably heard me say "Do one thing a day that you love no matter how big or small". This is something I started to incorporate into my life back in college and it's really helped to keep life fun. Now these daily acts don't need to be anything extravagant at all. It could look like: going for a run, watching a movie, eating your favorite dessert, dancing in your room, call a friend or reading a book. Find activities that speak to you and try to make time for at least one of them each day. Over the year, I've noticed that when I feel my most stressed and downcast is when I have gone week or months at a time without incorporating activities that I like into my life on a routine basis. For many of us working virtually during this time on Zoom, Skype and WebEx calls most of the day if can feel like we are living at work more than working from home. It can be hard, trust me I know, to block off time for you hobbies / passions, but is super rewarding and necessary.
These are five of the several activities / habits (Netflix and baking included) that have helped me to stay sane during these crazy times. I hope that some of them can be incorporated into your daily routine and help to make life a bit more relaxed as well as fun!! ♡