7 Ways To Manage Your Stress

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Stress is a natural reaction. It is the way that our body gets ready for us to deal with perceived danger. Whether that is us getting chased by a predator thousands of years ago, or going for a job interview in the modern era; stress can give you the edge to fight. 

However, if you’re perceiving danger or threat constantly, and your mind is full of worries, the stress can become uncomfortable. 

You could lose a lot of sleep, and you will have trouble unwinding at home. 

It is essential that you manage your stress. 

Here are seven great ways to help you to lower your stress levels. 

1. Do Lots of Puzzles

Believe it or not, one of the best tools you can buy to help you lower your stress is a sudoku magazine. By completing puzzles that require a high level of concentration, you will be able to keep your brain active, while taking your mind off the thoughts that cause you to stress in the first place. 

2. Take Some Exercise

Exercise is a great way of lowering stress because it increases the levels of endorphins in your body. 

Endorphins are a feel-good hormone, so they’ll make you feel positive. 

Find a physical activity that you enjoy. Build up the frequency that you perform this activity. 

3. Perform Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing is an excellent way to calm yourself down when you’re stressed. 

Breathe in slowly through your nose over the count of four. Then, hold your breath for five seconds. Then, breathe out slowly through your mouth over the count of six. 

Repeat this for a few minutes.

4. Try Meditation 

In much the same way as deep breathing can help to calm you down, meditation will also help to ground you at the same time. 

Find a quiet spot and sit or lay in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and breathe in and out gently. Focus all of your attention on your breath. 

Meditation takes some practice, so if it feels odd on your first attempt, don’t give up;  it may get easier in the future. 

5. Use Journaling 

Journaling involves writing about your life. Write down everything that bothers you throughout your day. All of this will help you to process your emotions in a positive and constructive manner. 

6. Harness the Power of Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations mean writing down things about yourself that you are happy with. Or, writing down positive statements about your life right now. 

This might be writing down something that you’re good at, or focusing on a nice thing that someone has said to you. 

7.Learn Your Triggers

Stress is often triggered by similar occurrences. You might find that the things that make you the most stressed will be recurring problems. 

Learn to identify these. Make a note whenever you are stressed about what has happened to make you feel this way. Then, look for patterns. You might not be able to cut that stressor out of your life, but you might be able to manage it better. 

Savvy Strategies to Reduce Your Stress and Anxiety Levels

Stress is something you are greeted with every single day, whether you’re working, at home or travelling. No matter how much you try and settle these heightened emotions, they always manage to creep back in your mind and make you feel inadequate. You would literally do anything to reduce your stress and anxiety levels; this type of movement would change your life. When you’re looking to live a healthier and less anxious life, there are a number of ways to kickstart the process. Depending on how deep rooted your stress and anxiety is, it may require guidance from a professional. However, if you are ready to alter your mindset, change your habits and step out of your comfort zone, you will be able to make a huge impact. It is so important to take small steps when you’re looking to reduce your stress levels. You won’t be able to click your fingers and transform overnight; there are certain steps you need to take. It doesn’t matter how overwhelmed or anxious you are in your day to day life, some of the following ideas will help to alleviate your symptoms. Take as many ideas as you like right now and you will soon feel a huge weight lifted from your shoulders.

Get a Dog

One of the best ways to reduce your stress and anxiety levels is to get a dog. Not only are they loyal, friendly and caring, but they’re pretty cute too! Imagine walking into your apartment after a terrible day at work and being greeted by a gorgeous fluffy pup that loves you unconditionally. Look here https://chocolatelabradorretriever.ca/lab-puppies-for-sale and you might just find a cute canine that would fit perfectly into your life. Remember, a puppy is a lot of responsibility so you need to make sure that you’re prepared to commit. Once you do find the time, you will instantly be able to relieve your stresses simply by stroking them, taking them for a walk or cuddling them on the sofa. Dogs have helped people combat severe depression and anxiety for years, so why not see how they can help you?

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Say “No” to Social Activities

Like most people in the modern day, you feel pressured to say “yes” to every single social event you get invited to. Whether it’s a work colleague’s birthday drinks or a school friend’s wedding, there is always something to go out and do. This can put huge amounts of stress on your shoulders unnecessarily because all you want to do is relax with the people you actually care about. Being in social situations can trigger your stress and anxiety so why would you want to constantly put yourself in that position? You should feel empowered to say “no” to social activities more often. This doesn’t mean that you have to isolate yourself from everything going on in the world, it simply means you have the power to pick and choose what you do. Nobody is forcing you to attend these events, so stay strong and put your mental health first.

Reassess Your Career

Feeling unhappy in your career can spark so much stress and anxiety inside you without you evening realizing. Whether you’ve got an overpowering boss or you really hate the industry you’re in right now, there are so many ways to get out of your current stress inducing situation. Although quitting your job right away might not be an option, you can start to take steps that will improve your current career. Whether you start searching for another role that you would enjoy or you confide in a colleague that might understand you better, there are so many ways to remove yourself from this type of unhealthy environment. Your career is such a huge part of your life, so don’t allow this to cause you daily stress and anxiety if it doesn’t have to.

Are You Happy in Your Relationship?

Being trapped in an unhappy relationship can trigger stress on a daily basis. Toxic relationships are often very tricky to navigate, so make sure you are prepared to make some much needed changes. Assess whether this person adds value or stress to your life; this will be the basis of your final decision. This type of no-nonsense approach feels harsh from the outside, but this will work wonders for you in the long run. You don’t deserve to be in an unhappy relationship that is holding you back, so have the courage to make a change right now.

Change Your Daily Routines

Believe it or not, you can reduce your stress levels by changing up your morning routine. Getting up five minutes before you leave the house, skipping breakfast and throwing on any old outfit can actually trigger stress in your brain for the entire day. If you want to mitigate these feelings of stress, you need to learn how to adapt your daily routine to suit you. You might find that a morning meditation serves you really well from the moment you wake up. You may need to adapt your evening routine so that you can learn to switch off more easily. Consider your current daily routines and see how they might be triggering your anxiety. These are one of the easiest things in your life to change, so make sure you take action on this and discover more calming daily routines.

Enjoy Time By Yourself

Spending time by yourself should never be seen as a negative thing in your head. People might call you weird for wanting to be by yourself often, but it can work wonders for your mental health. Time by yourself can kickstart new thoughts, inspiring ideas and allow you to love yourself no matter what. You might seem like the most outgoing person in the room sometimes, but being alone is the best way to recharge. If you consider yourself to be an introvert time by yourself will literally feed your soul. If you’re one of those people who feels totally stressed out at the thought of being amongst a large group of people for a prolonged amount of time, then taking time for yourself is super important. Don’t listen to people who aren’t supportive of this much needed space and time; soon enough they will start to realize that they actually need more of it too!

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All in all, these methods have been tried and tested by people suffering from anxiety and stress for years. Although every single method mentioned above may not work for you, you’re bound to find something that is high value and worthwhile to you. Try to lower your expectations a little bit from the get go; if you are constantly chasing perfection this will never play in your favour. Think carefully about how much you want to relieve your stresses and work slowly and gradually towards your end goals. Sooner or later you will start to notice shifts in your behavioural patterns, which is a true sign of change. Remember, you’re not trying to change innately who you are as a person, you’re trying to bring out the sunnier sides of yourself. It is also nearly impossible to eliminate stress from your life altogether; there are bound to be moments when you feel overwhelmed and anxious. It is how you deal with these moments that will make everything much easier in the long run. All of this can be achieved as long as you invest the time and self care needed to make a huge impact in your life and lower your stress levels for good.

Running Out Of Things To Do In This Cold Weather?

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Sunbathing and water sports may be out of the question for the months ahead, but this does not mean that there is not plenty to enjoy during the cold months. Read on to discover five of the top things to do in the city throughout the months ahead…

1. Pamper yourself at a spa – What better way to relax than by taking a trip to a spa and enjoying one of the many treatments that are on offer? From massages to facials, this is the best way to unwind and be pampered whilst it’s cold outside. There are lots of new and exciting facials as well for you to try, such as microneedling. Why not opt for a hot stone massage or enjoy a sauna or steam room? 

2. Sip hot chocolate – Winter is always a popular season amongst chocolate lovers, as it gives them plenty of opportunities to indulge in a hot chocolate drink. There’s also delicious food to eat in winter, such as soup, red meat, stews and such like. But, if you are looking for something to do with your friends, why not meet up for a hot chocolate?

3. Ice skate – If you really want to make the most of winter then you should definitely try a bit of ice skating. Of course, this is an activity you can enjoy all year round at the indoor ice rinks. However, when the colder months are upon us there are lots of outdoor places that set up ice rinks for people to enjoy. This takes the fun to an entirely new level. There are various places for you to try this activity, depending on where you live.

4. Shop until you drop! – A lot of people can feel a bit depressed and gloomy at this time of year. If you are someone who enjoys a good bit of retail therapy, now is the perfect time for you to indulge and treat yourself. So, why not go on a shopping trip at your local mall?

5. Spoil yourself with sweets – If there is one thing we enjoy during the winter period it is eating. It is the season when eating more than usual is certainly acceptable. After all, we need more food when it is cold, right? There are lots of fantastic restaurants that have been set up in recent years that focus on sweet treats and desserts specifically. Why not meet one of your friends and one of these places and enjoy some delicious snacks?

Hopefully, you now feel like you have some good suggestions that can help to cure your boredom during the colder months. While we may not be able to go outside and bask in the sunshine at the moment, we can enjoy ourselves by pampering ourselves or heading to the local ice skating rink! Don’t sit inside this weekend and feel down; get out and do something fun. 

Feel Like A Million Dollars

If we all had a million dollars, then perhaps we would feel like a million dollars more often. But the truth is, we don't all have the money that we'd like to, and we don't all have the health that we would like to. In an ideal world, we would all be rich and have a healthy bank account, as well as a healthy body. But in all reality, we're all working to pay the bills and to watch our bank account be empty by the middle of the month. And we consequently for rubbish about our lives and end up binge eating and staying on the sofa on the weekends. Unless of course a random event is happening, then we might dress up and come alive for one night only. It's just not the way that we as a world should be living our lives, but it's definitely something that everyone reading this can relate to. So, with everything going on in your life, how do you think you can finally feel like a million dollars? It will have been a long time coming for you, but we have a few tips that should help you along your way! 

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Putting Yourself First

It's so important that we start putting ourselves first. Some people are already doing this, and they might even be called selfish. We live in a world where we're far more eager to please others than we are to please ourselves, and anyone who is doing it the opposite is often considered selfish. But in this world we have to be a little selfish. You're never going to be able to get what you want out of life without doing it. But that doesn't mean that you can't do anything for anyone else, it just means you have to put yourself first. For example, one of the ways they we really screw ourselves over in life is by spending money when we shouldn't be spending our money. We agree to plans all of the time just to please other people, when it really isn't going to please our bank accounts. This then leads us to having no money to be able to truly enjoy ourselves, which then leads to stress. So, for the start of this year, try living a life of doing nothing but what you want to. If that's sitting on the sofa all weekend then go ahead and do it! Think about how much money you would save if you did. 

Focusing On Your Health

This is the one that people fail with the most. Your health is supposed to be something you focus on every single day, but instead it's probably something that gets ignored more so than anything else. We like to put our health at the back of our minds just in case the answer to the problems we're having, is not something they we want to hear. Take problems with hearing as a prime example. Hearing is something we definitely take for granted, and assume it's only going to go downhill when we get old and grey. When in fact, your hearing can go at any point in your life, causing some major distress. It's all down to the fact that we think hearing aids are for the elderly, when they have now in fact been designed with youth in mind. They're discreet, easy to use, and will change your life if you are suffering from problems with your hearing. 

Treat Yourself 

You're always going to feel better if your treat yourself. Like we said in the first section, this year should be all about making sure that you're able to treat yourself and to be a little bit selfish. But to truly treat yourself, we feel like you need to indulge. You could book yourself in at one of your local day spas and get a facial. Both men and women benefit from these, it shouldn't just be women who are going for them. They're truly relaxing and allow you to find peace with yourself during the short time it will last. It will cleanse and treat your face for any problems they you have, and it's generally a great treatment to have if you feel like you need a little pick me up! 

A Break Away

Finally, why not think about booking yourself a little break away. It's hard not to love yourself when you're going on holiday. Ordinary life stops and you're free to do what you want. It's the break from reality that you need to know is coming this year! 

Homemade Self Care Products You Can Make This Weekend

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In the pursuit of youth, beauty, and natural health -  we are always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to stay healthy without all of the chemicals. 

If you are looking to ditch the commercially chemical packed products this year, and head for a natural self-care routine, this post is ideal for you. Whether you are on the lookout for sulphate free shampoo,soap free body wash , or salt-free shower gel, today we have some simple recipes which are guaranteed to simplify your beauty routine once and for all. Here are our top recipes for self-care products at home this year. 

Soap

Soap is the most basic self-care product and is the most commonly used cleaning product by all. Soap is often laden with chemicals such and Sodium Laureth Sulphate which causes soap to produce suds and bubbles. However, this recipe is simple and easy to make and will leave you squeaky clean every time! 

You’ll need: 

• 1lb glycerine soap base

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp goat’s milk 

• Coconut oil for greasing

Melt the glycerine soap base in a bowl above a pan of boiling water. Once melted, add honey and goat’s milk and stir to combine. Grease silicone molds (any shape you like) with coconut oil, and then pour the mixture into the molds. Allow to set at room temperature or in the fridge, and enjoy it when you next take a shower!

Dry Shampoo

When out and about, dry shampoo can be a lifesaver, and when you have forgotten to wash your hair this handy little spray or powder can be used to absorb the grease and oil in your hair to make it appear clean until you are able to wash it. Dry shampoo is a great little product and it is something that can be made easily at home. 

You’ll need:

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp cornflour

Mix both ingredients in a bowl, and then sprinkle onto the roots of your hair to absorb moisture and make your hair feel revitalized. 

Shampoo

Shampoo is used to wash hair, and unfortunately a lot of the time it can contain a lot of harsh chemicals. Rather than use shampoo which can cause residue build-up on your scalp, there are some simple home recipes that will allow you to wash your hair naturally. The recipe we want to share with you is not only simple, but it will smell amazing and make your hair smell stunning. 

You’ll need:

• 8oz water

• 2 tsp dried rose petals

• 3oz castile soap

• 3tbsp aloe vera gel

• 1tsp jojoba oil

Add dried petals to boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes, then drain liquid into a bottle. Add castile soap, aloe vera gel, and jojoba oil and shake. Use to make your hair silky and shiny. 

These simple self-care products should make your life much easier and allow you to save money and stay clean without the chemicals.