Having a rough day? Feeling stuck in a rut? Tired of being frustrated and overwhelmed? Ugh! We know exactly what that’s like.
For times like these, it is helpful to have tools you can quickly rely on, that don’t take a ton of time or energy, and are easy to remember. Here are three you can use (and they are even free!):
Get outside
One of the quickest ways to reset your mood is to stop what you are doing and go outside. This action is helpful for several reasons:
- You are changing your scenery, which helps refresh your thinking mind.
- You are physically moving, which leads to taking deeper breaths and getting blood pumping throughout your body. This in turn leads to an increase in oxygen in the body.
- Being outside gives you a chance to see and hear nature. Maybe the sun is out or you can feel the wind on your face – all of these things put you in the present moment. Even in the middle of a city, there are still birds (ok, ok, they’re just pigeons…but they count!), parks, and trees.
In the moment, you will likely tell yourself, “I don’t have time!”, “I don’t feel like it,” or “There’s no way something this easy will help me.” But guess what – you do, you should do it anyways, and it will. Every time our founder, Alicia, gets stuck on the business, she goes for a 5 minute walk with her dog outside and either the problems vanish, or she comes up with the solution while on the walk. Try it!
Hum along to get along
We told you these were easy – are you scoffing yet? Well…don’t!
Humming actually helps reset the vagus nerve, which helps run the autonomic nervous system. Translation: this nerve evolved to tell your body whether you are safe or should run. When we live in the permanent stress that is modern society, our body thinks we are under literal attack. Our digestion gets weird, we take shallow breaths, we can’t sleep, sounds make us jump. Humming also has the added benefit of bringing in extra oxygen due to deeper breathing.
All you need to do is hum for 1-3 minutes – you can hum a single sound, or you can hum your favorite song (Chappell Roan, anyone?). Make it yours!
Visualize your favorite place
Another easy, effective, and fun way to reset your body and mind. Simply take a seat, get comfortable, and really imagine your favorite, most relaxing place. This can be somewhere you have been before, or you can totally make it up! For example, maybe you imagine the perfect home that makes you feel all cozy and safe inside.
Really imagine the details – not just what you can see, but also what you can hear, feel, and even smell. Do this for roughly 3 minutes, or until you start to feel your muscles relax. Since we know you will use this one a lot, you can use the same place every time, or mix it up based on what your body needs.
And that’s it!
Let us know which method is your favorite in the comments below, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter if you want more tips & tricks like these!
