Hi all!
Apologies for being a little silent the past two weeks. I honestly started to feel a little guilty and then I texted with my friend about it who said something that kind of resonated. She told me not to stress and said, “Living life is more fun.”
She’s right. After having this blog for around 5 or 6 years, the grind gets real. And of course, I LOVE writing – it’s my job after all. But constantly feeling the need or pressure to write or post every week is well, a lot.
That being said, I wanted to focus today’s blog on some ways I’ve recently destressed and found some inner calm! But Aimee, yet another blogger talking about ways to MELLOW out?! YES. Because if enough people are writing about it, you know it’s working for someone.
So here we go:
- Making it a point to “shut off” digitally after a certain time. Okay, okay. So I’m not the best at this, but more and more, I’ve been leaving my phone in the bedroom while I’m around the house doing other things. So instead of checking Instagram, responding to emails, and the like – I’m actually enjoying a conversation with Tom or cuddles with Bolt.
- Walking to work. I’m ALL for this, guys. Throw on a podcast you dig, some comfy shoes and take a stroll. I’ve always called this my morning meditation and it’s true. It’s helped me create space mentally for the day ahead and if I’m feeling wild, I’ll catch up with a friend or two (or my mom, more like it). Oh and hell, you get miles.
- SoulCycle + Yoga. I don’t know about y’all, but exercise is ESSENTIAL. I feel like I’m constantly in a funk if I don’t get a workout in at least a few days a week. And if we’re being real, the hype about SoulCycle is REAL. So maybe it MAY not be your thing every single day (or week), but after I get out of a class I feel like I could do anything. I sweat out all the craziness, and just get in tune with my body. I’m currently an ambassador for them and will be hosting some rides in the next few weeks, so listen up! And I can’t say enough good things about yoga. When I was having an unusually funky day and didn’t know what would make me feel better, I booked a yoga class. It forced me to reflect, accept and move on from the day I had. And hell, I even worked up a sweat. Win/win in my eyes.
- SLEEP. I’ve been known to fall asleep on the couch way more times than I’d like to admit, but when this happens, I know it’s my body telling me to go to sleep and get some of that REM. Also, sleep affects errthang in your life, y’all. Your mood. Your skin. Your metabolism. EVERYTHING. So make sure you’re getting enough.
- A tea (or two) every evening. Something about sipping a warm liquid instantly mellows me out. I’ve been on the hunt for some amazing tea brands, but I’ve started to hoard every Yogi flavor. My favorite is currently the Peppermint and Ginger. All about helping my digestion system.
So, there you have it. Some of my most favorite things as of late to focus on when I want to chill out and channel my inner calm.
What ways have you guys found to be most effective for you?