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Daily Steps To Mindful Living

relaxation

30 Ways to Relax on a Budget

We all want to get as much as R&R as possible, but unfortunately, life doesn’t always give us what we want. Worse, stressors are everywhere – at home, on the way to work, and at the office. While that’s normal, stress that’s not released will accumulate, leading to all sorts of health, emotional, and mental issues.

That’s why it’s important that we diffuse stress as often as we can, and engage in activities we find relaxing all throughout the week.

Related: How to Stop Stressing Out When You Know You’ll Be Stressing Out

But how is this possible when you already don’t have enough time and money for your regular responsibilities? How can you afford to indulge yourself?

One thing to remember: relaxation != expensive.

There are a lot of ways to relax without having to spend a lot. Some are even free.

The key is to find what works for you and to allow yourself to let go of stress. Here are some ideas to relax on a budget.

[Read more…] about 30 Ways to Relax on a Budget

15 Relaxing Things to Do to Quickly Relieve Stress

Relaxing should be intuitive, shouldn’t it? Who doesn’t want to feel relaxed and stress-free?

While that seems like a no-brainer, for people who are under constant stress – whether because of work or other personal issues – being able to truly relax may not be easy. There is no such thing as an “ON/OFF” switch to relax.

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Related: How to Stop Stressing Out When You Know You’ll Be Stressing Out

Whether you find letting go of stress easy or you’re one of those whose muscles are always tense, here are some relaxing things to so that will quickly relieve stress. They may not have a “forever” effect, but they’re easy go-to activities that work over time.

Some of these activities may already be familiar, but I promise you, you’ll find some new gems in this list. [Read more…] about 15 Relaxing Things to Do to Quickly Relieve Stress

4 Things to Do Before Bed That Will Make the Next Day Awesome

We all live busy lives. There are times when days just go by in a blur, leaving us wondering what the heck happened. What we’ve done. What we’re doing with our lives.

Then there are those moments when we feel as if the weight of the world were on our shoulders. Days when all we look forward to is going to bed and sleeping it all away – only to find difficulty falling asleep or having a restless night, which in turn results in another draining day full of tasks to complete. [Read more…] about 4 Things to Do Before Bed That Will Make the Next Day Awesome

13 Effective Headache Remedies at Work

Having a headache is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone, especially if it’s a bad one. Depending on the degree of the headache, your routine – whether at home or at work – can be hampered, or you can totally not do anything.

When at the office, having a headache is even worse. You may not be able to get your work for the day done, or you may have subpar results. All the while suffering throughout the day.

Having had more than my fair share of headaches, let me share some effective headache remedies at work. They’re effective when you’re not working, too, of course, but these specific remedies are geared toward situations when you’re in the office when you may not have the luxury of time.

Headache Remedies at Work

    1. Drink as much water as you can. One of the most common reasons for headaches is dehydration. When you feel a headache coming on, drink as much water as you can. You don’t have to drink a lot at a time – sipping water throughout the day will help.
    2. Drink herbal teas. Herbal teas are just as good as water to cure a headache. Some of the most effective teas for headaches are green tea, cinnamon tea, ginger tea, and chamomile tea. Chamomile is especially effective when you get a migraine attack, offering almost instantaneous relief.
    3. Eat the right food. For some people, certain types of food trigger headaches. Study your patterns, and figure out what these triggers are. For headache relief at work, always keep almonds handy. They contain salicin, which works to cure headaches. (This is found in aspirin as well.)
    4. Get moving. A brief, brisk walk will improve blood circulation, which in turn can relieve your headache. If you can go out of the office and spend five to ten minutes walking, that would be great. Alternatively walk around the office for five minutes at a fast pace.
    5. Do some stretching. Stretching exercises will relax tense muscles, which may be contributing to your headache. Specific stretching exercises that are effective headache remedies include scapular retraction, which basically pulls your shoulder blades together and opens up your chest. This increases your blood flow as well. How do you do this? Sit up straight. Raise your arms in front of you and press your shoulders down and your shoulder blades together. Do not to lean your head forward when doing this. Also push your neck back. Release and repeat 15 times.
    6. Give yourself a massage. Massage has been proven to be beneficial, and you can take advantage of it to get rid of your headache. Rub your temple and your head. Rub your shoulder muscles and neck. Do this for a few minutes, and repeat as often as you have to.
    7. Do some breathing exercises. Breathe slowly and deeply – either sitting on your chair or lying down. Do this for five to ten minutes to calm down and alleviate the pain.
    8. Utilize relaxation techniques. These include breathing exercises, but also cover meditation and visualization.
    9. Ventilate your area. Sometimes, headaches can be caused by lack of proper ventilation. Check your office space and make sure that you get enough air where you’re sitting.
    10. Rearrange your workspace. A simple thing such as a change of your surroundings can help you relax and lessen the pain in your head. Declutter your desk. Move items around.
    11. Use aromatherapy. What you need are soothing scents that will get rid of your headache. You can use an oil burner or stick diffuser if it’s possible at work, or you can simply sniff at a bottle of essential oil. Oils that are great headache busters include bergamot, lavender, peppermint, sandalwood, eucalyptus, and chamomile.
    12. Use a hot or cold compress. Invest in a hot/cold compress pack and keep it handy at work. Applying the pack (alternate cold and hot) on your head, neck, and shoulders will provide immediate relief. Alternatively, use a towel soaked in hot or cold water.
    13. Take aspirin or paracetamol. If you’re not averse to taking medication, then an aspirin will do the trick. Paracetamol or ibuprofen also works.

Do take note that this article is not meant to replace medical advice, so if you experience severe and recurrent headaches, it is best to see your doctor.

This will also help: 15 Ways to Relax Instantly When Stress Hits

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15 Ways to Relax Instantly When Stress Hits

Some people seem to be easy go lucky by nature it’s enviable. Especially if you’re the type who gets stressed rather easily and can’t relax instantly.

Stress can hit you anywhere. Whether you’re at work, you’re dealing with things at home, or you’re at a social gathering – it doesn’t matter. When you get stressed, you want – no, need – to relax.

Of course, it’s easy to say that one should do this and that to relax instantly, but it may be harder for some than others. There are, however, proven ways that do result in almost instant relaxation.

Here are quick ways to relax instantly when you need it the most.

  1. BREATHE. The first thing to pay attention to is how you are breathing. The chances are you’re taking quick, shallow breaths. What to do: Take deep, slow breaths and count them. Learn more about the importance of proper breathing here.
  2. CHECK YOUR BODY/MUSCLES. More than your breathing, pay attention to your body as well. Are your jaws clenched? Are your shoulders taut? You may not be aware of these things, but once you consciously pay attention, you can “force” yourself to relax those muscles as you control your breathing.
  3. STRETCH. If you are in a place where you can do some stretching, do so immediately. You can even simply roll your head around slowly to loosen your neck muscles. That alone can do wonders for relaxation.
  4. COUNT. This can go in tandem with breathing and stretching. Or you can simply count to calm down. Count slowly from 1 to 10, and then count backwards. Repeat as often as you need to.
  5. LAY YOUR HEAD ON YOUR DESK. If you’re at work, and you suddenly feel overwhelmed, one of the best things that will help you relax instantly is to lay your head down. If you have a small pillow, that’s even better. Close your eyes and shut everything out for five to 10 minutes. Count as well.
  6. MASSAGE YOUR HAND. Give your hands a massage for a few minutes. Be gentle but firm, and you’ll see how quickly you feel better.
  7. USE A STRESS BALL. They’re not called stress balls for nothing. Always keep one around so that you can release tension when you need to. Try not to do anything while using your stress ball. Just sit there and let your mind wander.
  8. TAKE A WALK. If you can, go out and walk around the block, go to the park, or simply walk around the building. The physical effort will clear your head and give your body time to calm down as well.
  9. LOOK OUT THE WINDOW. If you can’t go for a walk, look out your window and appreciate what you see. Sometimes, a slight change of view can make a world of difference.
  10. VISUALIZE. Don’t have a window or a nice view? Use creative visualization. Think of a “happy place” – your favorite beach, for example. Close your eyes, and see that happy place in your mind’s eye.
  11. AROMATHERAPY. Keep essential oils handy: lavender, geranium, petitgrain, sandalwood, neroli, ylang-ylang, and bergamot all help to relax. Visit a shop and test out the scents so you’ll know which you prefer.
  12. WRITE. Sometimes, all you need is to vent; and if you don’t like talking to other people, you can write what stresses you, how you are feeling, and anything that’s in your mind, really. You can even throw the piece of paper away – or burn it – after you’ve ranted on paper.
  13. LISTEN TO MUSIC. Pick out songs that you know always makes you feel better or cheer you up. Create a playlist, and put it on whenever stress strikes.
  14. EAT A BANANA. Bananas help with stress because of its potassium content, which gives a quick burst of energy. While that may not seem to be directly related to relaxation, having that energy will help you counter stress.
  15. DRINK GREEN TEA. You might be a coffee drinker, but if you’re really stressed, and you want to relax instantly, get a cup of green tea. More than other drinks, green tea has been known to dampen anger/stress thanks to its chemical properties.

Some of these things may help you, others may not. What you can do is try different combinations to see what works best for you.

20 Ways to Relax Your Mind and Body

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Using Meditation and Mindfulness to Deal With the Aftermath of Divorce

With divorce comes the inevitable jumble of emotions that you can’t seem to sort out. From the moment the topic of divorce is brought up, the emotions start raging. When you and your spouse start the process with a divorce lawyer – and all throughout the proceedings – everything will even become more tangled; and after everything’s said and done, those emotions will continue ebb and flow.

It may even seem that you can’t see yourself getting back up, much less being happy again.

You will keep analyzing, overthinking, and in all likelihood live a disrupted life that just doesn’t make sense to you. This will result in a feeling of being overwhelmed.

“I’m going to try anything to feel better.”

That’s a mindset that can go either way. You may find yourself going out every night to forget, and to tire yourself out so that when you come home, you just crash.

On the other hand, you may want to try this suggestion: look to meditation and mindfulness to deal with the aftermath of your divorce.

How exactly do you do this?

The essence of mindfulness is consciously choosing how to think and act. Consciously being the operative word.

In the context of divorce, here are some concrete steps to take.

1. Make a decision.

With all the emotional turmoil you are experiencing, how can you expect yourself to make a sensible decision? I’m telling you now, you will probably make a wrong turn or two, but one decision that will definitely be right is this: To take steps to see things from a different perspective, and believe that you WILL be better at some point.

That is a very broad statement, to be sure, but it is a start. Once you have made that decision to start sorting out your ragged emotional state, you can proceed to even more concrete actions that will ease the aftermath of divorce.

2. Start a meditation routine.

meditation mindfulness divorce

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If you’ve got experience in meditation, then it should be a bit easier for you. You know how to calm yourself down and center yourself during those panicky moments when you feel overwhelmed.

If you’re new to meditation, start slowly.

First, begin your day by meditating. Don’t rush around to get things done. Instead, set aside a bit of time to gather your thoughts, calm yourself, and get ready for the day. Start in small increments – 5 minutes is enough.

Here is a good step-by-step guide for people who do not meditate.

Meditating doesn’t have to be limited to the start of the day. The chances are that you will feel those emotions rage in the middle of day, especially when you don’t expect it. When this happens, if you can find a quiet spot to meditate – even if only for 5-10 minutes – then do so.

3. Live by the day, even by the hour.

Sometimes, it’s by the minute. When my husband left me, often, I didn’t even know what I was going to eat for dinner – if I was going to eat at all. When I started to think about the next day, or anything further than that, I would get panic attacks so bad that I thought I would suffocate.

Then I realized that the only way to handle it was to take it slow. Just do what you can for the day. If that’s too much, do what you have to for the next hour. Once that’s done, go on to the next hour, and so on.

On bad days, that span of time could be by the minute!

My mantra back then was:

First do what you have to do,

then do what you are able to do.

Pretty soon, you’ll be doing what you want to do.

It wasn’t easy. It took a while. But being more aware of what I did each minute, each hour, and each day helped me get through the most difficult time of my life.

Remember: Meditation and mindfulness can ease the burden of a divorce or separation.

 

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