7 ways to calm your mind

Stress is something we all deal with and experience during our lives. It is something that overwhelms us, leads to anxiety, depression, physical health conditions and leaves us feeling simply unhappy. While stress is a part of life and sometimes unavoidable, there are  simple things that you can do to help relax your mind when you are feeling this emotion and start your day off on a positive note.

I am the type of person that gets stressed very easily, regardless of how many times I tell myself not to sweat the small stuff or that it is simply not worth stressing over, I still find myself stressed almost every day of the week.

Although stress is an emotion I experience more that I would like too, there are simple actions I do to help reduce my stress and calm my mind while I am feeling overwhelmed. I thought I would share with you 7 ways how I calm my mind.

1. Mindfulness/meditation: Mindfulness is something that we are starting to hear a lot of. It is a calm mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. At first I found this hard to perform as I found my mind was unable to focus on the present and instead I was getting stressed out from all the noises that were around me. With practise this has become such a powerful and positive way to calm my mind when I am feeling stressed and allows me to stay in the present moment rather than in the long distance future.
2. Have a relaxing bubble bath: I find running a nice bubble bath, dimming the lights and lighting some candles really helps me to relax and destress. If you don’t have a bath, lighting scented candles, turning off the lights and showering with an aromatherapy shower gel distresses me also. It is a nice way to unwind. The feel of the warm water running down your body, the smell of the beautiful candles burning in the air and the dimmed lights really do put your body in a relaxed state and for a moment all your worries disappear.
3. Go for a walk/ exercise: Doing some kind of exercise or just simply going for a nice walk is a good way to release the tension in your body and focus your mind on something else. I find when I go for walks that I am focused on watching people around me, the ocean, the dogs running around and the sounds of them balking. For the short while that I am walking, my mind is completely focused on something else and calm!
4. Colour: It sounds strange to some people that an adult may colour in a colouring book but these days there are a variety of adult colouring books with beautiful images to colour and if I say so myself it is one of the most relaxing and distressing things to do. You are so focused on staying in between the lines as well as choosing the right colours that your attention has been diverted from your worries onto colouring in.
5. Go for a massage once in a while: Having a massage is self explanatory really. It is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress and tension within your body. You walk out of the massage room feeling so relaxed and sleepy that you have completely forgotten about your stressors. I love getting massages and try to get one as often as I can as I find this really does help me.
6. Essential oils: These oils are said to calm and soothe the mind. They help promote a meditative state and may even reduce anxiety and stress. Lavender, Frankincense and camomile are just some of the many essential oils out there used to destress and calm your mind. They are usually put into a diffuser allowing them to diffuse into their air and fill the room with their luxurious scent. You can also put them on a cotton pad under your pillow while you sleep.
7. Drink some herbal tea and read a book/magazine: This is one of my favourite things to do before bed. I am obsessed with herbal teas, I find they have so many benefits for my body and really do help me relax and unwind before I go to sleep. Reading a book is also something I find really redirects my thoughts and helps me get into sleep mode.

I am currently searching for a new book to read so if any of you have any suggestions I am open to anything! 

I hope this post helps many of you destress and calm your mind. Remember, stress is a normal part of life and something we cannot be rid of completely, however there are many things we can all do in order to help deal with the stress we are experiencing and calm our minds. Stay positive and in the present!

Until next time honey’s,

Soph,xo

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