Relaxation tools:

These are things that help me de-stress or wind down when I am feeling overwhelmed or if I need to take a small break to recharge my brain. To me, relaxation is something that adds a little joy to the day but still lets your mind and body slow down. These are tools I have found I go to the most for relaxation.

Read a book or magazine for 20-40 min. (preferably an easy read) that brings you joy. I suggest a light & easy or more indulgent read for the most relaxing experience. While I love informational, self-improvement and learning books I think swapping them out for something that lets your brain take a little break every once and a while is needed. I always go for a fiction book when I want to really relax. Set a timer for yourself and take a reading break!
Give yourself a mini beauty treatment and listen to your favorite music. Choose something to focus on like hair, skin, or nails and dedicate 20-30 minutes to treating yourself to a beauty treatment. Putting on your favorite music helps quiet your thoughts a little and brings in good vibes. Here are some treatment suggestions: A 3 step mini facial with a cleanse, toner, and mask. Exfoliate hands or feet and massage oil into skin & nails. Put in a hair mask and give yourself a scalp massage. Give yourself a facial massage. Dry brush your body & apply shea butter.
Make a tea or your favorite specialty drink. I’ve found that the process of making myself a tea, coffee, or smoothie can actually be quite relaxing. Taking the time to slow down and make the drink with care is a nice way to reset my mind and body. For example, when I’m making myself a tea for relaxation I make sure to be mindful and enjoy each step from choosing the tea to waiting for it to steep instead of rushing to the final result. Then I try to sit and sip my drink in silence until I feel my mind is clear.
Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy from essential oils has been shown to have a positive effect on mood for some. You can incorporate aromatherapy into any of the relaxation exercises above or to any of the meditation practices below by burning high-quality candles or using essential oils in a diffuser. You can also put a few drops of essential oil onto a washcloth and inhale as you hold it underneath your nose. I also like to add some drops of essential oil to my shower every once and a while. Essential oils I personally like the best for aromatherapy are eucalyptus, lemon, lavender, grapefruit, and rosemary.

Meditation tools:

I find meditation to be more of a wellness tool versus relaxation which is something that helps me slow down and reset. Meditation for me is similar to exercise; I like it a lot and I really like the results but it’s not always comfortable or easy. Some sessions feel great and others don’t. I find the more consistent I am the better results I can receive from a meditation session. The goal for me is to use meditation as a tool that can improve my overall mindset. I have tried some meditation apps in the past and have listed my favorite below. These are some tools I’ve gained from different meditation sessions that have helped me the most. You can take from this what you like and try it for yourself!

Positive mantra or affirmation: Find a comfortable spot to sit or lay down and close your eyes for 10 minutes. Choose something positive or an affirmation that you can repeat to yourself, in your head or out loud, whatever you prefer, over and over slowly for 10 minutes. Set a timer for yourself and commit to sitting still and repeating your mantra slowly to yourself. Check-in with yourself after these 10 minutes and see if you feel better!
Counting or following the breath: Again, find a comfortable spot to sit or lay down and close your eyes for 10 minutes. Count each inhale and exhale as you breathe. If and when you lose count just start over counting until your 10-minute timer is up. You can also choose to follow each inhale and exhale by repeating “inhale” & “exhale” to yourself in your head instead of counting. The repetitiveness of the counting or the “inhale, exhale” mantra helps quite any racing or anxiety thoughts. I find doing this for 10-15 minutes helps calm anxiety.
Headspace meditation app: When I first started meditating and wanted some direction I used the headspace app almost every day. There are great guided meditation sessions that let you adjust the time depending on how long you want the meditation session to be. I like a 10-15 minute meditation session best. These guided sessions gave me tools to feel comfortable to do a meditation session on my own in silence. I still revisit the app for specialty guided sessions sometimes. I recommended giving the free trial a try!
Breath exercises: In a previous blog post I wrote about the benefits of hot/cold showers I mentioned a man named Wim Hof who believes greatly in the benefits of integrating cold therapy into your wellness rituals. Lately, I have become more familiar with his breathing exercises and have seen other wellness bloggers and peers in the industry comment on how breathing exercises have been great in relieving stress and anxiety. I have tried the Wim Hof method breathing method as a meditation exercise a couple of times and I feel like my head is much more clear afterward! The key is definitely to commit fully to the entire exercise.

Finding what works best for you personally always takes a little bit of exploration. Take from this blog what speaks to you and what you feel you can implement into your life to aid in some stress relief or relaxation. Comment and let me know what tools you’ve tried and what works for you!

Relaxation & meditation tools.

scrub me secret: I’ve only included this one ‘scrub me secret’ for this post because it’s something that has helped me a so much when practicing and applying different relaxation and meditation tools to my life.

Commit fully to your relaxation/meditation exercise and see it through from start to finish. The process may feel challenging or frustrating at times but I’ve always found that just that act of committing to & completing something from start to finish gives me a boost of good energy.

Relaxation tools:

Meditation tools: