10 Ways to Take Care of Yourself When Stressed

Hello darlings. What a month. What a crazy, consuming, and heart-wrenching month for so many of us. To be honest, I’ve had it rather easy. My truths are these: I live alone, I still have a full-time job, I am healthy, happy, and safe. During this time, I’d like to shift my focus for a while. You all know I love style, thrifting, and adventure, but right now I feel a strong call to address…

10 ways to take care of yourself when stressed

Some of these may seem very obvious, but it’s so easy to forget to do these things every single day. This is almost like a checklist for me every day.

One // Hydrate

If you’re like me, when you’re at work, you find any excuse to get up and move around. I purposely have a 16oz water bottle so I can get up and move, and to remind myself to hydrate at least 3x a day. At home, the walk to get water is a LOT shorter, and it’s so easy to get distracted. I now keep my 40oz Hydro Flask at my desk to make sure I’m getting that H2O throughout the day. Nuun tablets are also great when you realize you’re already a bit behind.

Two // Get Nourished

Vitamins and minerals! That’s the key to saying healthy. I’ve got a lot of girlfriends taking vitamin supplements. Personally, they’re way too hard on my stomach, so I stick to the good old-fashioned way: Getting my nutrients through food! (Like from my Quick & Easy Green Smoothie recipe 😉)

This is one of the reasons why I’ve started a new series that’ll drop every Tuesday called: Tasty Tuesdays. I’m so excited to share these with you.

Three // Minimize Watching the News

I recommend catching your local news on YouTube! In Seattle, KING 5 News does an amazing job of highlighting everything three times a day. I grab the 5 pm round-up up and I love it. Just enough to be in the know but wrapped in a 16-minute max round-up. I’ve found that this reduces your stress, anxiety and helps you focus on other things.

Four // Minimize TV

Minimizing TV, in general, not only frees you up but also helps with eye strain. Personally, I look at my monitors all day. If I’m not looking at a monitor, it’s my phone or the TV. Give yourself a break. If you must have the TV on, try listening to music and maybe have a dance party instead. 😊

Five // Get Fresh air

Whether this is merely opening up every single window in your apartment/house/condo/living space, or getting some fresh air. It’s amazing what breathing in crisp morning air will do for you and the rest of the day. My windows stay open for an hour in the morning. Then, when I go for my walk, I open all the windows again til I get back. Yes, I need to clean the dust off a few times a week, but it lightens up my apartment’s vibes a lot.

Six // Clean

Speaking of dusting, darlings, this one is a must during this unique time. Cleaning your sanctuary is key to staying healthy, happy, and safe. It’s a trifecta!

Make sure you are cleaning your body every day, changing your sheets once a week, and disinfecting any surface you meal prep and cook on. Personally, I have a checklist of choirs I break out every week. On Sunday night, I do my best to change my sheets and clean the bathroom mirror, etc. (Side bar, my Roomba was the best investment all year.)

Seven // Create a space for meditation

This one is hard. I won’t lie to you, friends. It’s weird right now. Totally crazy town, but finding a spot to center yourself and meditate is important. A girlfriend of mine has a “meditation hour” with her kids. She sets an alarm, and her kids can read, meditate with her, do yoga, or play quietly in their own space. I love this idea.

The point is to take that time and focus on your breathing, yourself, and your mental health. If you’re new to this idea, this workbook is a great way to fill in that time. I have a section of my apartment that I can transform into whatever I need it to be. A workout station, dance area, etc. Just find a space for you.

Eight // Connect with Friends/Family

Arguably, the most important ways to destress for my fellow extroverts out there. Facetime, Marco Polo, Strava, Messenger, and Instagram are all your new best friends right now. Bridging that communication loss is a big one. Arrange a virtual trivia night, host virtual wine parties, or just catch up.

Nine // Exercise

I have quite a few posts coming up about this key de-stressing topic. The point of this is, keep moving. Always move your body. If you don’t have a Fitbit, schedule time on your calendar or set an alarm to make sure you’re able to move every so often. I have a goal to exercise at least once a day, even if it’s just a one-hour walk around the neighborhood. Have 5-second dance parties! They always make me happy, which leads me to number 10!

Ten // Laugh

This is my favorite bullet point, which is why it’s the last one. Guys, just do what makes you happy. Find something, anything, (through social distancing, of course) and do it. I buy myself flowers every other week. They brighten my apartment table and make me so happy. I treat myself to chocolate every night. I also stay in bed on Saturday morning to go down Facebook video rabbit holes. Do what makes you laugh and enjoy life. It’s also a great conversation starter for #8!

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There we go, friends! Those are my personal top 10 Ways to Take Care of Yourself When Stressed. I’d love to know if you have anything else to add. In the meantime, I hope you are all staying happy, healthy and safe during this time.

Other posts you might be interested in:

• 6 Acts of Self-Care – for when you need to extra love
• 24 Hours in Portland – when you need a little virtual adventure
• Thyme Tea Cookie Recipe – when you want a little treat