Take A Chill-Out Moment: Five Ways to De-Stress in the Midst of Madness
We’ve all been there. Stressful day at work, growing chore list, kids who have too many activities for us to monitor, let alone mastering the ability to keep up with the demand of organizing the schedules. Let’s not forget the doctor’s appointments, trips to the salon, the grocery store line and finally the moment when we realize that quarter of a tank of gas is not going to last until the morning. Why? Because it’ll be time to start this schedule all over again the next day.
With so many demands on our lives, we sometimes find it hard to relax, let alone think of what we can do during the rare occasions when we do find extra time. I’ve put together a list of five things that work wonders for my psyche.
1. Exercise
My favorite is yoga, specifically Vinyasa Yoga which combines the fluidity of movement, strength building technique and breathing. This form of yoga is the closest thing to meditation and it’s incredibly relaxing once you master the moves.
2. Music
If you haven’t already done so, then sign up for a music streaming service. For an eclectic, 
music obsessed person like me, this has been the best creation since Chocolate Glazed Donut coffee! For one flat rate per month, I get to listen to and download as many songs as my little MP3/4 player can handle. Tons of music streaming services exist out there. Be sure to research them carefully and choose the one that best fits your needs. I chose Google Play Music and XBox Music for my sons (this one works best for XBox Live members). But I’m still holding on to some darn good freebie services with Pandora and Spotify. These work well if you can handle the ads in between the songs.
3. Movies
Grab your family and take advantage of super bargain nights at your local theater. Carmike Cinemas runs a deal they call Stimulus Tuesdays where all movie tickets are 5 bucks before 5 pm and discounted by a few dollars for the night shows. But what really appeals to my family is the small popcorn and drink you can grab up for on $1.50 each! A fantastic deal. We usually wind up spending less than $25 for the three of us when we take advantage of this special. Have fun!
4. Reading
Books come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and price tags these days. I have almost every form of ereader you can imagine and am in the process of building a library. You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a fantastic e-library though. Sign up for list services like Bookbub or Bookgorilla in order to get great deals on high quality books delivered to your inbox every day. I’ve managed to collect the new Stephen King novel Doctor Sleep, Dan Brown’s Inferno and Deborah Harkness’s Shadow of Souls all for under 8bucks! What a steal, right?
5. Meditation
Last, but in no means the least. Sometimes all of the things I mentioned above can also sound like a big task. Especially after a 10
or 12-hr workday when all you really want to do is go home and chill. If you find yourself in that situation (I know I certainly do, quite often) then simply go home, kick off your work shoes and take a few moments to clear your head. There is absolutely no harm in simple peace-of-mind time.
No matter what you choose to do, remember to steal time for yourself. Your tired overstimulated mind and body will love you all the better for doing so. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll be featuring several different aspects of the items mentioned in the above five
sections.
Enjoy your day!
