Have you had enough of all the yoga posts which you are just not interested in?
There are so many posts and tips out there on stress relief and stress release however what I so often see is that many of these contain tips requiring you for some long-term actions. While this is good, preventing stress structurally in your life, there are those moments where we need actionable tips for that moment exactly For that evening, for that day. For when you actually need it. Signing up for a yoga class is not actionable enough for that moment. Also, if you have small kids it is not always easy to get out of the house and do something for yourself.
For this reason, I have compiled a list of ‘tried and tested’ tips which most of you can do at home.
Change into comfortable clothes when you want to become relaxed
If you are walking around with high heals, tight pants and a bra which is uncomfortable, you will not be comfortable. Those clothes will make you productive and make you stay in the ‘I have to’- train of thought. Try to separate chores from clothes. Don’t do chores in lazy clothes, only in ‘productive’ clothes.
Try to separate your thoughts. Which ones are causing distress? Can you do something about those yourself?
Is it the tense relationship between some nations of the world? Let it be. You cannot fix it.
Is it the Corona virus? what you can do is take your own measures at home the best you can. Other than that you cannot control it.
Is it that you do not have any clean underwear left in your drawer? Put them in the laundy. Problem solved.
Is it because you have a deadline at work coming up and you are behind? Prioritize to get it done, otherwise it will keep hanging in your head.
Get rid of all the ‘I should’ in your head. Are they all necessary? Are these ‘should’s created by you or by other people?
Should you feed your children? Yes. This is a necessary thing you should do.
Should you 3 home made cakes with no allergens for the birthday party? No. Where does this should come from? From the supermom-club? Did you put it there yourself? Nobody else would do it, why put so much expectations on yourself. Be normal! Bake normal cupcakes instead of awesome looking Frozen cakes! Keep it simple for yourself. Remove this from the list of stressy thoughts.
Find a fun, distractic or relaxing game to play on pc/phone/tablet/console. Dont judge before you try!
Sometimes I prefer some games with more story or mundane tasks. Two of my personal favorites, suitable for parents with kids as well, is Hay Day and Stardew Valley.
Do some puzzles, IQ tests with abstract and logical reasoning tests.
I discovered this a year ago when I was applying for a job where I needed to do IQ tests as part of the assessment. They are amazing in distracting you and it is also so rewarding when you get the answers right! You can find many online, but make sure you search for the terms ‘free’and ‘with answers’. Also, they can boost your self confidence by making you feel smart when having correct answers. It gives a real kick !
Play loud music which makes you happy or lie down with some Binaural beats to relax.
I love to dance. If I dance, to the music I get energized from, I do not have a care in the world. Put on what you like, earplugs also work, and swing it around the living room! If dancing is not your thing, you can also go flat with some more motivating or soothing music. If I need motivation and times are difficult, I prefer the chorus of Kelly Clarkson – What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger! (the love story behind does not apply to my personal situation but these words are great!)
Sleep for 30 min when you bring the kids to bed or have a power nap if you dont have kids.
When bringing the kids to bed I often hang around and fall asleep. Either I have an alarm and get up a bit later, or I decide to not get up. If I do get up, I feel energized enough to have some proper quality time with myself and some needed me time. When the entire house is sleeping, the world is quiet and it is just me. I love this peaceful time. It makes me feel much more relaxed and productive than when trying to stay awake past 9PM.
Add an actual fan into the bedroom for some white noise
It is almost the same as white noise of binaural beats but still different. We started using a fan in all 3 bedrooms in the summer and now we keep them on during the winter nights as well. It is really soothing. Also it keeps the annoying sounds from the neighbor out so I get less annoyed and stressed from being annoyed about that.
….if all else fails
If the binaural beats aren’t inducing sleep (which I am quite sure it would if you find your frequency) then perhaps this will. Have you noticed how quickly you fall asleep when you want to watch a movie on the couch when the kids are in bed? Well I decided to use this life-hack on myself if Im awake in bed and cannot sleep.
It goes against the rule of experts, using electronic equipment when wanting to induce sleep. I discovered this ‘life hack’ as I would always fall asleep on the couch when we wanted to watch a movie together. I personally put on something simple that I have watched a gazillion times, for instance ‘How I met your mother’, or ‘Friends’. At least something that is not exiting. Excitement and thrillers might make you more awake and you might want to binge the rest of the season in one night.
Because your phone screen is smaller, your vision isn’t flooded like on a big TV. I usually have sound on quite low, so I can barely hear whats being said, not to have a big amount of sensory input. Next thing I know, the streaming service is 3 episodes further when I wake up.