7/9/2019 2 Comments Natural Stress Relief
MEDITATION AND DEEP BREATHING. Get. An. App. If you are like me and you have a "busy brain" (aka adult responsibilities + anxiety) then it is super hard to relax. There was a point in my past where I was so stressed I literally could not take a deep breath. It was bad, you guys. So I started doing deep breathing exercises and meditating with the help of two apps: Headspace and Insight Timer. I loved them both equally- Headspace has a subscription fee, Insight Timer is FREE for teachers (yay!) I have a quiet little space next to my bed that I can turn on my purifying Himalayan Salt Lamp (thanks, honey) and simply breathe, and let my mind meditate on whatever the app tells me to do. It's beautiful. Sometimes I pick a chant (like the Ganesha Mantra to overcome obstacles) and sometimes I pick a guided visualization similar to Yoga Nidra. *My favorite breath is called four-square breath: breath slowly in for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold for four counts. Repeat. It's so rhythmic and predictable, and calms your central nervous system down. Try it and let me know what you think! * ESSENTIAL OILS I actually started looking into essential oils to treat my children's ADHD naturally. WE LOVE THEM. So naturally, I started geeking out about the best scents, the best kinds, and the best ways to use them. Mostly we just diffuse them and rub them on. Some people ingest them through drink or under the tongue, but I've never tried it. Below are a few of my "go to" essential oil products. I started out with this Essential Oil Set which contains the best single essential oils for those of you who want to save money and mix your own blends. I could not find anything for ADHD that gave me what I wanted, so I bought these along with the fractionated coconut oil to mix my own blends. However, I do have my few pre-mixed blends that I use all the time:
JOURNAL Finally, write down your thoughts. Language is SO powerful, and when we try to name our emotions and express our thoughts and feeling in writing, they give us this cathartic sense of clarity. I don't even know how many times I haven't been able to understand myself until I write it down. Then I read it, and I'm like "YES! THAT is what I'm thinking and feeling!" It lets the intangible become tangible, and gives us the ability to then deal with that. I'll be embarrassingly honest right now: when I was 17, my mom read my diary. It caused a HUGE blowup between us, and since then I've been a little gun-shy to write things down on paper. When I went through a really tough time a few years ago, I bought a journal and wrote down my feelings. Immediately my little gremlins found it and read it! AGH. So, now, I write things down. I let it sit (hidden, deep out of sight). Then I take it back out, re-read it. I process. I let it sink in to me, and at the same time float away from me. THEN I RIP IT OUT AND SHRED IT SO NO ONE ELSE CAN READ IT. But the point is not the longevity of the words in the journal- it's the process of finding myself along the way. Once I'm done with that, I destroy the evidence. Hopefully you have more privacy and fewer trust issues than I have, and you can keep your journal into your graying years. As you can see from this pic, I have 3 journals. One is for deeply insightful conclusions I want to teach as yoga themes; one is for teaching/lesson ideas or TpT ideas; one is for my deepest and darkest real raw human thoughts and feelings. It contains all my stress, insecurities, frustrations, anger, sadness, hopes, fears, and dreams. That's the one I rip out and destroy :) I ADORE cute journals. This Tree of Life journal is next on my wish list. Just find one that works for you and USE IT. Even the most adorable journal doesn't relieve your stress simply by being cute. USE IT. Cleanse your mind of your worries by vomiting them onto the page. Trust me-- you'll thank me for it! No matter what or how- take care of yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup. Put your oxygen mask on yourself before you help others. You deserve it.
~May you be happy~May you be healthy~May you be free Namaste *blog posts may contain affiliate links* This means if you click a link and make a purchase through that link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. It is my promise to you that I will only link to products or services that I have personally tried or believe in.
2 Comments
1/1/2020 07:50:16 am
Great tips about lifestyle improvement
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Joy
3/17/2022 05:06:28 pm
All of these stress relief methods are nifty, but my staple with stress is definitely salt lamps. They make the fatigue melt away. It's a good feeling for sure. I want to share a company who helps me with keeping my health in check. "Himalayan Rock Salts". https://himalayanrocksalts.com.au They have rock salt lamps that, in particular, makes me feel relaxed especially in meditation. Once again, thanks!
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AuthorA midwest teacher in love with creating awesome opportunities for students to think, communicate, and produce. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Comfortable-Classroom
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