My steemit writings recently got a compliment from someone I just met, and it motivated me to post more. But I am also a lazy MF, so I'm just gonna repost stuff from my other site. I KID, I wanted to repost this here so I can link to it in my next post! 3 posts in 24 hours! Vamos!
Chilling by the fire, Lake Tahoe, Dec 2015
In today’s culture, feeling some form of stress is as accepted and common as Starbucks (there’s always one around the corner). We stress over money, work, life, relationships and a whole bunch of other things. While a moderate amount of stress is actually beneficial for you as it makes you stronger mentally and boosts your immune system, we know that experiencing too much stress is pretty bad.
Well, life is hard enough without us adding more pressure onto ourselves into the mix,
so I say that we should learn to take it easy.
Here are some tried and tested methods to relieve stress and reduce anxiety for LAZY people like me!
You could even do them from the comfort of your living room, dressed in your favourite comfy PJs!
1. Laugh
Laughter IS the best medicine, and a fantastic distraction from the stress of daily life. Watch or read something funny, and see your mood improve from stressed out human to relaxed human. It’s easier to deal with worries when you’re in a positive frame of mind. Not only that, you make better decisions too. Alternatively, pick up the phone and call/text someone you can have a laugh with. Make sure they’re a person you can shoot the breeze with, and not a Negative Nancy who’d sap your energy and make you feel worse after talking to them.
2. Exercise
I did say that this article is for people who are lazy / want to stay home. So when I say exercise, I really meant: any form of movement that gets your heart pumping.
REALLY, any kind of movement would do, even if it’s a short walk to your fridge, but do that 10 times please. Or 20, if your fridge is close by.
I’m a self-professed couch potato
So exercise doesn’t interest me. However, we know that exercise releases endorphins and all these other chemicals that make us feel good, so I do yoga occasionally. All I do is put a simple yoga Youtube vid on, and follow the moves. If I feel more lazy than usual, I’ll look for stand up yoga videos on Youtube, so I don’t even have to move around too much.
I actually like yoga though, so you should find something you enjoy.
Sometimes I put on music and get my boogie on.
I dance around and move my limbs awkwardly.
Hey, NO ONE'S looking.
Get creative.
You can also do jumping jacks,
sit ups,
household chores,
or maybe lift a couple of chairs (or your cat) up and down.
3. Self-love
Practicing self-care is a good way of releasing the emotional strain you put on yourself during times of stress. No matter how awful things get, always remember to LOVE YOURSELF. Loving yourself helps you feel stronger, and better equipped to take on whatever curveballs Life throws at you. There are so many easy ways to practice self-love and it’s such a personal thing as everyone does it differently. For some people it could be soaking in a bath, others would read a book, eat a great meal, listen to music, and so on.
Find what works for YOU and try to do it as often as you can. When you’re doing an activity you enjoy, you raise your energy levels. Feeling good helps relieve tension and anxiety!
Or you can just move to a beach house forever. Whanganui, New Zealand, June 2014
4. Mindfulness
Mindfulness and mediation often go hand in hand. Being a daily practitioner of both mindfulness and meditation, I believe there are subtle differences between them. Though mindfulness is a form of meditation (and there are many many different kinds of meditation), you don’t have to be in meditation to be mindful of yourself or your surroundings.
The basic meaning of mindfulness is – the act of being fully in the present, with complete awareness of what you’re doing, right here, right now.
You can practice mindfulness in various ways, and it is easily incorporated into everyday life.
E.g. look down at the cup of beverage you’re drinking.
Take in its taste, its scent, its temperature.
Be completely in the moment with it.
Try not to think about anything else besides this drink you’re holding;
the weight of it, and how it feels in your hands.
Or try practicing mindfulness when you’re walking from your kitchen to your bedroom. Pay attention to the movement of your body, from the way your arms swing to the way each foot falls on the ground. Observe your surroundings. How does the floor feel under your feet? If you’re near a window, how does the sky look? The trees?
Taking a few moments out of the hustle and bustle each day to be with yourself fully, is a good way to quiet your mind, cultivate patience and reduce stress.
5. Meditation
Like I mentioned above, there are many different kinds of meditation – visualisation, mantra, walking… A quick search on the web would tell you all you need to know about the different types of meditation, and which would be the most suitable for you. There are also a number of apps like Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer etc to help you with your practice. Try a couple out until you find one that you like.
Guided meditations are perfect for beginners as they walk you through every step.
Meditation, as it is with going to the gym to create your ideal body, takes time before you see or reap the benefits. Nonetheless, taking a couple of minutes every morning when you wake up, or a couple of minutes every night before bed to build a meditation practice will help with your general sense of well-being and lower stress levels.
And finally, the best part is that…
Not only are these 5 methods of de-stressing covered above perfect for trying out at home, they are also FREE! One less thing to add to your stress! Try it out and let me know how it goes.
Lounging around at home in a bathrobe without makeup is the best feeling in the world!
As always, THANK YOU for reading!
The story so far:
- Why I quit my Marketing job and became a global hobo
- Living out of a suitcase since Dec 2016
- Things that mess with your head when you become "homeless" and "jobless"