Daily Stress Relief: Calm Your Inner Self With These Strategies

Source: Pixabay

Whether you’re suffering from a chronic stress problem or you simply want to reduce it further, daily stress relief is important. You’ll need to work at it, but the potential benefits are plentiful. By calming your inner self, you’ll be able to lead a more fruitful and enjoyable life.

So, let’s make today the first day of your new daily stress relief routine. Give the following strategies a try, and see what works for you.

Meditation

You’ll find a lot of useful information about meditation in regards to stress relief, and that’s because it’s such a good remedy. There are lots of different types of meditation out there, and you’ll need to find what works for you. Some courses can be provided in-person, while others choose to take advantage of videos and phone apps. Also, companies like Meditative Wisdom can enhance a meditation routine with beads and bracelets if you wish. It’s definitely worth exploring the power of this stress-relieving technique.

Morning Reflection

We live our lives in such a rush, and that’s often why we find ourselves in a position of stress. The best way to ditch this feeling is to simply take some time out to reflect. In the morning, a good strategy might be to take things a little more slowly than normal. Before you switch on the TV or head to the kitchen for breakfast, take a few minutes to sit in bed and relax. Maybe, you listen to some relaxing music? Maybe, you read a passage of a book? Allow your day to begin without the pressures of stress.

Keep A Journal

Some people who wrestle with stressful thoughts find it useful to keep a journal along the way. This can take any form you like, and there’s no pressure to fill it in every day. It serves a few critical avenues of stress therapy. First, it helps to release tension through a fun and creative medium. Also, it can help you to analyze the cause of your stress and look at it from a different point of view. Give it a try.

Disconnect

You’re in the kitchen. You’re making yourself an evening meal, and the phone rings. Now, you’re on the phone to someone while you’re trying to make food. Then, a Facebook notification arrives on your Apple Macbook. A Skype call comes through while you’re navigating this minefield of communication. You’re overwhelmed, and you lose all focus on what you were doing in the first place. Sometimes, it’s OK to disconnect entirely for an evening before you get overly distracted and overly stressed.

Be Kind To Yourself

This is a big one, and it’s the one you might think would come easiest. Actually, being kind to yourself is incredibly difficult if you set high standards. What one person might think is a fantastic achievement, the other might see as a dismal failure. Negative thoughts are a guaranteed stress-maker, and you need to be kinder to your inner self in order to ditch this source of mental strain.

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Create A Winter Wonderland In Your Home With These Cozy Ideas

Photo from: Pixabay

As fall starts closing in it’s certainly time to think about getting cozy and creating a warming and inviting feel in our home. Roaring fires, super soft wools, the scent of gingerbread and cookie dough and twinkling lights all bring magical elements to the home. And certainly a hint towards Christmas coming soon. And with that feeling in mind, here are some ways to create a winter wonderland feel in your own home.  

Faux Fur And Cashmere

Without renovating your rooms, there are plenty of accessories you can add come fall to create those warm and cozy vibes. Using tactile pieces and adding different textures to your space will instantly make it feel more inviting and snug. Faux fur rugs look wonderful in the bedroom and living room and convey the snugness of an Alpine chalet. Textured velvet throws over arm chairs add a sumptuous winter feel when thrown over chairs. And muted gray cashmere throws are the ultimate in luxe, cozy chic when thrown over the sofa or across your bed.


Photo from: Pixabay   

Fireplaces

The warm glow of embers is an instant way to get those winter wonderland vibes in your home. Nothing says fabulous fall is on the way more than a roaring fire does. And a fireplace can become the hub of a cozy living room. However, we are not all lucky enough to have a chimney in our house or a wood burning stove. However, one great round this is to invest in an ethanol fireplace. They look contemporary and chic and can be wall mounted for extra style points. They use bioethanol fire, are simple to install and look ever so stylish. With the flames of a real fire protected behind a sheet of sleek glass, your home will look like a chic boutique style hotel just in time for winter.     

Fairy Lights And Lanterns

Lighting should always be kept soft and inviting. Choose pearl bulbs over clear ones for your side lamps as these emit a soft tone of light. String fairy lights under bookshelves or across mantelpieces for a cozy feel. And for a more contemporary look bundle them together in a tall, sleek glass vase for a focal accessory in the room. Use paper lantern lights as a nod towards the fact that Christmas is coming and stack your candle in threes at various points in each room. Candles look beautiful and inviting in bedrooms and living rooms. But always make sure you are present in each room that you are lighting them in. Create a warm and relaxing ambiance with your lighting and it should feel super wintery in your home.

Photo from: Pexels

Adding In Autumnal Tones

Another quick way to bring fall into your home is to add in some rich autumnal shades. Use pillows, throws, artwork and flowers to bring warm hues into your home. Think lashings of orange, mustards, rusts and rich reds and olive greens. All set the scene for snuggled down on a winter’s night and getting cozy beneath your cashmere throws.

#JohnsonFarms in Kansas City ... Thank You for a Great Halloween Treat, Tutu!

I don't even know how many years we've been going to Johnson Farms. My mom doesn't live far from there so she was the first to tell us about it when my kids were tiny and we've been going for maybe 10 years if I had to guess. I just remember taking very tiny kids there, nursing there, pushing a stroller there (something I don't do anymore, which still feels weird = freeing and yet bittersweet).

This place is a great pumpkin patch and play area for the kids. There is so much to do and my kids are always occupied for hours. We usually try to go on a day when school is in session so we don't have a lot of crowds. This year we went on a NUTSO CRAZY DAY because schools were out on the day I scheduled us to go = a Friday that my husband was off work. Still, by around 3 p.m. most of the crowds take off and we have the place to ourselves.

Thank you, Mom (Tutu), for Halloween money for the kids so they could get into Johnson Farms and also get pumpkin donuts and apple cider slushes. We picked out our own pumpkins (one for you also, Mom!) and even had a late lunch there. The weather could not have been more perfect and we thought of you the whole time! Please enjoy our day in pictures at Johnson Farms!

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