Mantras for a Stress Free 2017

Stress accumulates in many different forms.  Stress from school, work, your finances, your health, it literally piles up everywhere.  This year I’m dedicating 2017 to being as stress free as possible.

This past semester, my last semester of college I was working 40 hours a week (I’m a personal trainer) and going to school for 16 hours.  To say I was stressed was an understatement, I also knew the stresses that I took on this semester were completely on me.  That being said, I saw several changes upon my health which I am paying for now. (but you can always change that!) I developed poor eating habits,I gained a few pounds because of it, I did not make time for the little things, and I stressed about the stress I was feeling, and I took it out on those around me by complaining. No one likes a complainer, and to be honest, that is not the type of person that I am.

The purpose of this post is to help guide you through stressful situations, and to show you that you will pass that class, you will graduate, you will pay that bill, you will lose the weight and you will be okay.

My point is, we all are stressed, but how we handle it says a lot about who we are as people.  It’s not always rainbows and sunshine, but there is usually more good than there is bad.  Here are several ways to help you have a stress free 2017.

1. Don’t put things off for tomorrow – Whatever you can do now to help make tomorrow less stressful, DO IT. If you know you’re going to be super busy, just do it the day before, your future self will thank you.
2. BREATHE—Set aside 5-20 minutes a day depending how much time you have, because you’re stressed right? Take a few breaths to calm yourself down. You could even meditate!
3. Laugh, a lot—Laughing really is one of the best forms of medicine. You release chemicals in your body that identify with being calm.  Hang out with a funny friend, put on a funny Pandora station, or Netflix series and laugh yo booty off!
4. Eat the donuts– Idk bout you but donuts just make everyone happy. Now I know I just preached about myself stress eating, but 9/10 I felt better when I did eat the donuts! Just not 10 donuts😉
5. Walk it off—go take a walk, get from fresh air, leave the situation, get your body moving. Being an advocate for exercise, there is nothing our bodies yearn for more than reducing stress through ways of movement!
6. Take a shower—pop a both bomb, or take a shower, turn on some John Mayer Pandora, relax, sing, stretch, embrace the steam of a long hot shower or bath. My favorite smell good bath wash is from Lush Cosmetics, Twilight shower gel, it’s a lavender scent which is perfect to unwind after a long day! (Thanks to my friend Michelle!)
7. Talk it out– I talk to my mom about everything, literally everything, even my best friends know when I just need to get things off my chest, and more than likely you’ll always feel better that you did.
8. Ask for help—You can do anything, but not everything.
9. Learn to say No—if you don’t want to do something say NO. Don’t be that person who is constantly like I might, or maybe.  If you don’t want to do zee tings, don’t do zee tings! – “in some accent I made up”
10. Hug someone—hug yo family, yo friends, yo pets, a tree…. Just hug something. Preferably someone you love because again body chemicals are gooooood.

I truly hope you get to practice some of these in 2017, I know they are all things that I will be adding to my routines if I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed! Comment below if you do anything different to be stress free!