“Yo, stop stressing!”

Ever had a friend say that? As if it’s so easy to just release the worry! It’s not and sometimes, it feels impossible.

So then, how do we unwind when the reality is that we still have to face the thing/s that wound us up in the first place?

As an expert in handling stressful situations (Yes, I’ve deemed myself an expert), I’d like to quickly throw out some tips and suggestions.

Music.

The most obvious way to de-stress is music. We know music has a beautiful ability to alter how we feel. But don’t just turn the music on; find a spot, close you eyes and listen to it. We tend to want to multi- task but we aren’t giving our mind, body, or soul the time to relax. Find 3 to 5 songs (that’s only 30 mins max) and simply listen. Here are 3 song suggestions that you may like.

 

Meditate.

Mediation is such an awesome way to relax. Clearing the air and ridding your space of negative energy can feel silly but it sends a signal to that worrying space in your brain that tries to point out the bad before the good. It’s a wonderful way to start your day and can be done anywhere. I often lean my head back and center myself. You gotta try it.

Wild Out!

Sometimes, when we’ve been  stressing too long, we find our selves throwing away all our inhibitors in hopes of some reprieve. However, this gets acted out in an unhealthy way by overeating and drinking recklessly. So try wild-ing out in a fun way. Like exercising or karaoke. Here’s one of my favorite songs to just dance and go crazy on!

Guilty Pleasure

What’s your guilty pleasure? For me, it’s trap music or a mind numbing computer game like Candy Crush.  Sometimes, these guilty pleasures can reset out mind. I plan a few minutes to let myself enjoy that pleasure. Here’s one of mine. Don’t judge me!

 

Overall, it’s important to deal with your stressors by taking a pause. Put a small break on everything and take care of yourself. Do something outside of your norm and don’t try to be good at it. Paint a picture with Been Creative events of enjoy an open Mic at Slam Richmond or Tuesday Verses! But take time for yourself. You’re no good if you’re not good to yourself!