Stress?  We all have it.. Ughhh..

Does this sound familiar?  I am sure it does our society is becoming more and more stressful as the demands of instant gratification increase in all aspects of our lives.  We have to learn that sometimes we have to say no and take that time for ourselves.  I know you are probably thinking, yeah, right How do I do this, I just have too much going on between work, the kids, and other obligations in your life.  Trust me, I get it but I am being honest here, when you take even a little bit of time for yourself even to just reflect, read a chapter in a book you have wanted to read, just lie still on your bed for 5 minutes, it can make a huge difference in your life.  Seriously, think about it while you are sitting in car line to pick up your child/children take a moment to write down things that you wish you could do for yourself that you haven’t in a very long time, do you wish you could do more fun things with your significant other/friends?  Do you have financial issues that hold you back?   No matter what is going on you need to take a step back and decompress.

Today I am going to talk about allowing time for YOU and what to do to relax and let go of the day.  This is something I have had to learn to do since experiencing  health issues from a car accident and then a few months later a medication error at a facility.  (You can read my story HERE) If I did not start taking care of myself differently I was never going to regain any quality of life.  You only get one body and one mind in your lifetime and you need to treat it with respect.  Prior to these setbacks, (that I look at as a blessing now because I have learned so much and feel that I can help so many people achieve and maintain wellness just by sharing my experiences) I would work, work, work, and run, run, run, with my family and truly I didn’t get anywhere faster or achieve such greatness just because I was running around like a crazy lady.  What I have learned is to do what I can and not overextend myself.  Yes, there will be times that I may disappoint family/friends but if I run myself ragged what is that proving?  Nothing, then I am leaving my body susceptible to sickness, stress, and I won’t have time to sit back and appreciate my life.   I think sometimes we run so much we have no time to reflect on the things that are truly important laughing, smiling, sharing, and just loving one another.  Ok, enough of that.. You get where I am going, lol…  Let’s get down to business..

Here are some things I do to decompress.   As, I am writing this blog post I am in my bedroom in a dimly lit room playing Zen music on my DirecTV music channel while diffusing Magnify Your Purpose in my essential oil diffuser.  I just love this essential oil blend while I am writing and relaxing it makes my mind feel so relaxed and open.  Ever since I received the medication error I have had a lot of problems focusing and maintaining focus.  Sharing these tips with all of you is very therapeutic for me.  It was very hard in the beginning after I had to change my lifestyle to fit the new person I became but it truly has made me a better person and I thank GOD everyday for this chance to share with all of you.   I have a hard to time sharing about the medication error and some of the things I went through because of it but essential oils have been a blessing in supporting healthy emotional balance for me.  So, a few times a week I make sure I get to sit down and write to all of you.  I have so much to share and trust me the old me would have been sitting here writing everyday all day long until I shared every bit of information I could but that is not healthy.  I have to balance my life and trust me this is not easy but it is important.  What is your outlet is it reading, coloring, painting, taking a nap, exercise, dancing?  Whatever it is.. take a few minutes to enjoy it.  I love to read but have trouble focusing or having the time so I get audio books so that I can listen in the car or play it while I am waiting for my daughter somewhere.  Instead of just sitting there waiting for my daughter somewhere I will do something for me during that time, even if it’s just listening to some music.  Is it painting (I wish I could paint or sing/dance), set yourself up and have everything ready and even if you just take 15-20 minutes to put something on the canvas, do it.   You deserve it.

We have stress in all aspects of our life with great demands and everyone wants everything from us now.  But, you know what shut that phone off during dinner, why because you deserve it?  This is my biggest challenge but you have to disconnect we cannot always be on it is creating havoc on our bodies and leaving us in a constant state of fight or flight.  When we are in this state our bodies are put in survival mode and we just keep going even though we shouldn’t. Why?  Because our bodies increase cortisol due to the increase in demand on the body.  You know when you are in traffic this is stress on the body, the school calls your child isn’t doing their schoolwork, you get to work they fired two employees and now you are going to have to cover both of their jobs, these are all examples of stress and stress increases our cortisol output.  Then, we start getting that inner tube around our waists.  Sexy, right?   No we don’t like it and it doesn’t make us feel good.  So how do you stop this cycle?   You have to take that time for yourself even if it’s 10-15 mins a day, start with that.  We can’t control a lot of the stress at work but you know what you can do is sit at your desk, stretch, and take a moment to reflect and breathe.  This makes a huge difference.  Here is a great video telling you some great ways to breathe that helps with stress and release.

I love Qi Gong as an exercise for me it is so relaxing and has done so much for me with anxiety and just learning to relax.  I have had a hard time with that my entire life.  This is my favorite QiGong Video from Lee Holden.  I love that he reminds me to breathe, etc.  Click Here  I have been off course with doing QiGong every night before bed but it helps me sleep and relax.

Something I like to do a few times a month is take a detox bath.  I don’t tolerate epsom salts due to a sulfate issue so I use Magnesium Flakes, baking soda and Dream Catcher essential oil blend  in a bath.  I will soak for 30 minutes in a hot bath.  My husband was fabulous when we renovated our master bath he put a small tv facing the tub so I will watch some of my favorite shows while in the bath or just relax in silence.  🙂 For my Detox bath recipe CLICK HERE