4 Stress Busting Exercises

Beauty, in my eyes, is far beyond your looks but include your mind, body and soul. Having a sense of calm and inner peace will make your day to day life more enjoyable. In turn, if you are happy inside your true beauty shines through. In the past couple of years, I’ve faced some major changes.  I got married, moved to a different state and changed careers. As much as I have embraced change, I’ve had many moments of stress. In this article, I thought I would share my top 4 stress busters in hopes that it can give guidance to someone out there.

Stress Buster #1: Exercise  It’s not always easy to get to the gym but when I do, I ALWAYS feel better. This gives me instant gratification. Working out releases endorphins, which relieve stress and lift your mood. I may go to the gym in a bad mood but I always leave in a much better mood. If you don’t have gym access, don’t sweat it! Turn on the radio and just dance away your stress.

Stress Buster #2: Meditation Daily meditation has helped reduce my stress levels. However, it’s not easy for me to shut my brain down. I still find it difficult to use complete silence so I’ve started with guided meditation classes, podcasts and an amazing smart phone app. My goal is to get up to at least 30 minutes per session but for now I do 10 minutes upon rising and 10 minutes before bed. Both times are important because I want to start my day in peace and also unwind before bed. Try this app Self Healing by Creative Software Studio 

Stress Buster #3: Time Management Keeping myself on a regimen keeps me focused and less likely to drift off into another project. That’s why I keep a daily planner by my side. I make lists in my sleep but if I don’t write it down in my calender, I get side-tracked.  In addition, I’ve learned not to bite off more than I can chew. I like to think I’m Super Woman but maintaining my sanity is far more important than saying yes to everything. Lastly, I focus on the tasks that are high on the priority list. I might have a long list but starting with the most important things first make the rest of my day easier.

Stress Buster #4: Daily Affirmations This is something I started doing earlier this year and coincides with my time management. I know the person I want to be and just saying it out loud daily keeps me on track. Once a month, I make a list of the things I want to do and another list of the person I want to be. Then I combine both lists and change the “want to” to “will” or “am”. I read this list daily as a reminder to myself of the person I am and the things I will do. By starting my day off like this, I am confident in myself and the choices I make.

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