I believe that one of the greatest problems of the millennians is that we’re stressing our hearts out aaaall the time. We work too much, get paid too little and we are always on the go; so practically we are always tired and broke.
Our routine often wears us down and stresses us out and all that stress doesn’t just disappear with the clicking of our fingers. It’s very important to have a few ways to wind down before we call it a day, so we can actually leave everything behind and finally get some rest.
I, personally, am usually stressed the minute I open my eyes, and if you think I’m exaggerating let me put you in the picture of my daily routine…
My alarm goes off every morning at 06:30 and I press the “snooze” button exactly seven times before I leave my bed, which gives me about 20 minutes to get ready. 
I have to be at work by 08:00, so in the mean time I have to:
- have a shower (6 minutes)
- brush my teeth (3 minutes)
- get dressed (5 minutes)
- do my hair (3 minutes) and
- find my goddamn car-keys (3 minutes and 4 heart attacks later)
This leaves me with 0 minutes to do my makeup so I have to do the pretty thing while I’m driving. (If you see me on the road …keep your distance!)
When I finally park my car outside the office, I have a billion tasks to settle. I’m usually up to my ears at work, buried with deadlines and tons of things that need to be done T-O-D-A-Y!
That’s why I usually leave the office late, and that’s exactly why I book all my appointments in my lunch break and make all my personal phone calls while I’m driving – headphones always on, don’t judge.
When I go home, I don’t go to bed until midnight, and I just lie on the sofa doing absolutely nothing… because “who needs an 8-hour sleep anyway?!”
I usually think about all the things I have to do the next day and the week after and then sh*t! I forget that I have a birthday gift to buy for the party I have on Saturday!
So, as a result, I don’t sleep well, I wake up tired and the cycle goes on and on...
All this stress is killing me, so I’ve tried to find some ways to relax. If you’re like me, keep reading because I’m trying to help us all out here. (I know, I’m basically a saint.)
Here are some genius tips to help you wind down when you’re stressed — and I’ll do my best to leave drugs and alcohol out of the picture.
- DON’T SKIP THE GYM:
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to reduce stress. It lowers your body’s stress hormones, improves your mood and boosts your confidence. And by “confidence” I mean that your ass looks better and your belly gets thinner.
It also helps you sleep better and that makes so much sense because practically you’ll feel like dead meat after a hellish day at work AND 45 minutes of cardio. So basically just don’t skip the gym, it’s good for you!
- DRINK PLAIN WATER – WITHOUT THE CAFFEINE:
I wish I could tell you that caffeine would help you reduce your stress but in fact, it has the exact opposite effect. High quantities of caffeine might increase stress and anxiety but each one of us has different thresholds of the amount of caffeine we can tolerate. I mean, I know for sure that my daily caffeine intake of minimum 7 coffees is a bit too much, so you can figure out what your limit is.
- INHALE SOME PRETTY SMELLS:
When you have the aromatherapy thing going on know it relieves stress. Keep it simple and light a candle or fill your apartment with essential oils such as lavender, geranium, jasmine or rose. Add a couple of drops in your shower or use a diffuser; it works both ways and I guarantee that you’ll feel so much more relaxed right after.
- SING YOUR STRESS OUT, OR DANCE IT OUT – WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU:
When I’m really stressed, I switch my phone to “airplane mode”, lock my bedroom door and put some music on. Well, if your mum is like my mum, she might not get the message therefore she’ll start knocking on your door but hey, don’t let her kill your vibe! I usually sing my heart out to Britney Spears (after all I’m a 90’s girl!) and 20 minutes later, (my mum still knocking on my door) I feel much better! You have no idea how powerful music is, ok, so is Britney!
- CUT OUT WHAT YOU CAN:
If your stress is caused by an awful job, an unhealthy relationship, a packed schedule or a person who doesn’t respect you, just GET RID OF THE TOXINS. I know that it’s not as simple as it sounds but if you’re constantly stressing yourself out over the same situation, the best strategy is to leave it out of your life and move forward. our mental health has to be your first priority; always!
I don’t know if you’ll actually try any of the above, but if you do – let me know!
Worst case scenario, if none of these work, have a G and T! Or maybe four.
xoxo,
Andrea
