Never Fail-Destressors

Because stress can be...#stressful.

For the times we could use a bit of TLC, here are my quickie de-stressors, I’d love to hear yours in the comments below.

#1: Pop that playlist! When the last thing you want to do is carelessly dance to a go-to beloved playlist - push yourself just start moving! Don’t think about it. Or better yet, do one of those popsugar kickboxing videos and break a sweat.

#2: Flex those muscles, a.k.a stretch. When life feels like it's pulling you limb from limb (metaphorically), combat this by stretching on your terms.

#3: Zzzz - take a power nap! Remember those good old days in preschool when the teachers forced us “kiddies” to close our eyes? They were on to something...

#4: Eat something! Enjoy that food (this is my favorite)! It's no newsflash that one of the biggest culprits of binge eating is stress. I’m not telling you to binge eat, rather assemble a calculated snack, one that will leave you feeling light and nourished. I'd probably go with a cut apple/banana and some peanut butter (I’m so not one of those celery sticks and 1 tbs of almond butter kinda gals!) or an indulgent whole milk latte. Something that makes you feel taken care of.

Cuz when life hands you curveballs, we all crave being cozy!

#5: Read "Popcorn Literature" Choose something easy to digest, so you can keep reading while mindlessly munching. E.g. read cookbooks, magazines, or a newspaper, BUT steer clear of news feeds, Instagram and emails. This type of media will only add to your stress - not deplete it.

#5.5 Read something take #2: Like, "Actual Literature". Grab that book you were going to save for the weekend and get lost in it.

#6: Clean the Clutter: Organize. Take anything, be it a purse, wallet, closet and get it in order. Sometimes, when things are happening beyond our control, it's nice to de-clutter the areas that are (seemingly) within our power.

#7: Take a walk, (or run - kudos to you!) and shake off those stressful notions. Sunshine and fresh air are like nature's way of combating stress.

#8: Write! whatever it is, "this too shall pass". When you write it down, it feels like what you're going through is being released, and reading what you wrote is a great way to objectively look at the situation and alter your perception.

Lastly- and my favorite de-stressing method - Frereapy! Yes, I'm talking about friend therapy. I'm not discounting the virtues of actual therapy, but there is something so happy-endorphin-releasing when you vent to a friend, and she knows you well enough to tell it to you like it is. Once you feel better, you can you shrug it off and go back to schmoozing about x, y, z...the camaraderie one feels when they're being heard, not simply listened to, is what makes any stressful situation seem surmountable!