Stress, fatigue, anxiety, overwork… Stop! Need to give yourself a real break, to let go and boost your morale in this gloomy period? Pick from these easy-to-implement at home tips that will do you the most good!
To let go completely, and to get rid of the tensions that have been building up for several weeks, you have to put yourself in the best possible conditions. For this, why not imagine a spa atmosphere at home, a bubble of well-being, which appeals to the five senses (smell, hearing, taste, touch, sight), for a deep relaxation of the body and the mind. …
Allow yourself a moment and organize yourself!
It is not always easy to make time for yourself, when the days go by, when everyday tasks pile up and when we continuously receive anxiety-provoking information during this period of a pandemic.
To get rid of stress, you still have to allow yourself to let go, give yourself permission to spend time for yourself, and just for yourself, away from children, work, small daily worries, while staying in touch.
There is always a way to have a few precious minutes to yourself, whatever your schedule. Get organized and choose a day that is less busy than another, on weekends, when the kids go to bed at night, for example, or during naps. Make an appointment with yourself, just as you would a medical appointment.
Once you are really determined to take care of yourself, your mind which is not necessarily on top right now, it is time to set up this space-time that you dedicate to yourself.
Start by putting aside everything that concerns your work, your administrative procedures that take your head, by removing them from your visual field, quite simply.
Arrange for babysitting if you have them, keep them in another room, to free up that time you need. You are ready to let go, as if you were in a place dedicated to your well-being, like in a spa …
Smell: create a sensory atmosphere at home!
To get rid of the stress, the anxieties you are feeling at the moment, create a sensory atmosphere conducive to this relaxation of the body and the mind.
And that starts with olfaction, which will quickly touch the world of emotions, like a Proust madeleine, which plunges into childhood with a simple scent.
You can opt for:
- Incense with patchouli or lemongrass (if you have no breathing problems).
- Armenian paper, if you want to give a sacred note to your space.
- A diffusion of vetiver essential oil, which both cleanses the air and anchors you in the present moment.
- A scented candle.
- The taste: opt for a poetic and relaxing infusion.
- Taste is also a sense that you can stimulate to decompress. For a very pleasant experience, tea flowers are particularly suitable. This hot preparation is both very beautiful and poetic (seeing the flower open and contemplating it in full consciousness soothes, and symbolizes openness to oneself, vulnerability), and the hot water that will enter the throat, the esophagus, will still allow it to open, to warm its heart symbolically (as it opens the pores of the skin for that matter!).
Sight: the psychology of colors!
Another way to brighten up your moment with sight is to use color psychology. Clothes, accessories, take a walk in your closets and choose objects that will put you in a specific energy, according to your needs:
- The yellow color, very sunny, can help you “shine”, “take your place” …
- The blue color will rather be soothing, the deeper the blue the more we tend towards the interior
- The red color will symbolize the vitality, the dynamism that you may lack
- The orange color will refer to creativity, and can help when looking for a solution to a problem
- Hearing: listening to sounds that feel good
- Many studies have already proven it: listening to music, or hearing certain sounds can instantly lower the pressure.
So let yourself be carried away and travel from home while listening to nature noises, such as flowing water, forest sounds, or waves … Without forcing, let your imagination transport you elsewhere for a moment.
The simple power of imagination, will stimulate the same areas of the brain as when you walk, take the air, and can therefore secrete well-being hormones, as is the case in hypnosis or meditation …
Touch: treat yourself to a targeted self-massage!
To take care of yourself, nothing better than to appeal to the touch. And indulging in a self-massage, especially of the feet, can be really beneficial for the emotional state of the moment.
Anti-stress self-massage!
Massage the point of the meridian connected to the kidneys (which in traditional Chinese medicine corresponds to yin, the innate energy). This point is very sensitive to stress and anxiety, massaging it will therefore allow you to observe instant relief.
Where to find this point? It is located at the top of the sole of the foot, at the level of the second toe. You should spot it in the hollow that forms when you bend your toes. Massage this area with your finger, then massage the entire foot, to release heat in the arch of the foot. Then finish with a very gentle smoothing of the entire foot. Do the same on the other foot, for symmetry.
Move, dance, without judgment!
Intuitive dance!
Without leaving home, you can completely let go and help your body release the tensions that have built up there. Try your hand at intuitive dancing, which requires no special knowledge and is for everyone, whether you can dance or not.
To music of your choice (with drum rhythms to tap your foot for example, or softer sounds to be in flexible and ample movements), let your body move as it wishes, without judgment. Even if movements surprise you, you seem detached from the rhythm, let them exist!
Breathing associated with movement!
If you don’t feel like dancing, you can also just sit comfortably and take deep breaths while opening your arms, to open your body even more, and let the energy flow …
The frog position!
To regain vitality, you can also play the frog: squatting on your feet, play the frog by moving and jumping, as many times as you want. This dynamic movement will give you energy by stimulating your lower body (perfect when a sedentary lifestyle sets in, when working from home for example, or when it is difficult to wake up in the morning).
Practicing benevolence with oneself!
All the conditions are now met to take full advantage of this moment for you. So the perfect time to come back to yourself and listen to your little inner voice.
Ask yourself what your focus is for this day that is beginning, is already well under way, or is ending. How can you make this joy which is slumbering more or less timidly within you grow within you?
Give yourself that space, completely free, where you thank yourself for little things, or look at yourself inwardly, with a benevolent eye, as you would with a friend.
Have kind words to yourself, gratitude: Didn’t get to do everything you wanted this week? It’s okay, you’ll do the next one better. Instead, congratulate yourself on everything you’ve done in the past few days, and if you haven’t “done anything” for the time you needed and allowed yourself.
Reference: https://www.calendar.com/blog/improve-your-own-morale/
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