You are now entering the De-Stress Zone - a place to relax and learn how to improve your self-care!

Self-Care tips ♥︎

  • Change Your Environment: Do something fun and relaxing (reading, going for a walk, or talking to a friend). If you are at work, go outside and take in some fresh air to help clear your mind. 
  • Express Your Feelings: Get a pen and some paper and put your concentration towards drawing and painting. Relieving stress through art is one of the best ways to express your stress, rather than avoiding it. Along with art, writing in a journal is also an effective way to deal with and relieve some stress. 
  • Unplug DAILY: Take some time away from your phone, emails, and social media and focus on your breathing. Relax your mind even if it's only for 10-15 minutes a day. Make this a habit and escape the world to focus on YOURSELF! A study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden backs the idea. 
  • Go Out With A Friend: Whether it is getting coffee or a mani/pedi, going out with a friend has been proven to decrease stress. Visiting your best friend can help decrease the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in your body.
  • Did someone say spa day? Take a day to yourself to focus on you.  Give yourself a break from work or school. ​Pamper yourself, do activities that make you happy, and relax!
  • Talk to someone you trust: Having a stressful day? Talking with friends, family, or a therapist may help! 
  • Get the right amount of sleep: Sleep has a big impact on your emotional and physical health. Sleeping too little or too much can be harmful. As a teenager, you should be getting 8-10 hours of sleep. If you are over 18, you should be sleeping for 7-9 hours. Before you go to bed, remove distractions and calm yourself. 
  • Pursue your passions: Do things that make you HAPPY! Self-care is all about happiness. Take time out of your day to do things that interest you. 
  • Meditation: When you wake up or before you go to bed, take a deep breath and clear your mind. Let all your thoughts go away and focus on your breathing. Meditation can help the body and mind find a state of calmness. 

Grounding Exercises ✿ 

Physical Grounding Exercises 
  • Run cool water or an ice cube over the wrists and hands. 
  • Clench and release your entire body.
  • Carry a grounding object with you (fidget toy, small rock/crystal, small picture, ring, etc).
  • Focus on your breathing - notice the inhale and exhale.
  • Notice your body - focus on each part of your body, one at a time. 
Mental Grounding Exercises 
  • Recite positive affirmations.
  • Think of a loved one or friend.
  • Picture a calm place or your happy place.
  • Play memory or mental math games. 

Get moving! ✰

Exercise is a natural way to help improve one's mood and reduce mental illness symptoms. This happens because the body releases endorphins ('feel good" hormone) and decreases cortisol (stress hormone). Certain types of exercise can make someone feel more energized, focused, or relaxed. 
Pilates & Yoga:  Pilates & Yoga focus on ones breathing which helps relax the mind & body. In a study by Chris C Streeter, practicing yoga increases the GABA levels in one's brain. What is important about that? Low GABA levels have been seen in patients with depression and anxiety so increasing these levels can improve one's mood and mental state.  
Running/Walking/Cardio: Exercises, like running, can help reduce stress and improve mood because it increases serotonin levels in the brain. In a study by John B Bartholomew, moderate-intensity exercise was shown to improve the positive well-being and general mood of participants. 
No time to exercise?  Try your best to get moving for at least 20-60 minutes a day. If you are at work, get up and walk around for 5 minutes every hour. If possible, make an effort to stand up during tasks that do not require sitting. Small things can make a BIG difference. 

Breathe ☁︎︎

Breathing Exercises
  • Inhale through your nose & exhale through your mouth: Smell the flowers (INHALE) & blow out the candle (EXHALE).
  • "Square" Breathing​: Inhale counting to five, hold for five, exhale for five, hold for five, and repeat.
  • Breath Focus: While you breath, close your eyes and mentally scan your body. Notice if there's any tension in your body.
  • Nostril Breathing: Place your thumb on one nostril, closing it. Inhale through the other nostril. Holding the breath, place the index finger on that nostril, closing it. Release the thumb on the other side and exhale and inhale through it. Repeat! 
  • Mindful Breathing: Release all thoughts from your mind & solely focus on your breathing. If you feel your mind start to wander, think about lengthening your inhales & exhales. 
  • 4-7-8 Breathing: Inhale four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds - continue as long as needed. 
Benefits of Breathing
  • Helps your body find balance
  • Improve cognitive processes 
  • Reduces stress
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Slows heartbeat
  • Increases energy
  • Relieves physical & mental pain
  • Reduces tension

Moments of Meditation ❃  

Meditation is an exercise of consciousness shown to reduce stress and anxiety, increase efficiency, improve creativity,  and decrease heart rate and blood pressure (NIH - Hari Sharma).
Mindfulness Meditation (10 minutes)
Relax & Reacharge Meditation (5 minutes)
Happy Place Meditation (9 minutes)
Sleep Meditation (10 minutes)
Letting Go & Relaxation (20 minutes)
Stress Meditation (6 minutes)

✰ DISCLAIMER ✰

All content posted on this site and the associated social medias is for informational, educational, and awareness purposes. This is by no means an alternative to any type of mental health treatment or therapy.
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