Your Low-Stress Guide to Leveling-Up Your Bedtime Routine
Are You Burnt Out or Depressed?
(Youll find it featured in the Most Popular section.)
Ready to start the challenge?
Instead, this exercise improves your mental fitness by walking you through eight simple (and fun!)
First, youll take the pulse on how youre feeling (stressed?
Our life has been tipped upside down.
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Add them to your daily to-do list or set calendar reminders if you have to.
for do that, you better set aside a few minutes every day to check in with yourself.
Step two, notice if youre talking to yourself.
Is the quality of the talk positive or negative?
Is it stress-inducing or stress-relieving?
Then, step three is to check in with your body and listen to it, Ryan says.
Your mental health can impact how you feel physically, says Dr. Richardson.
Your emotions and your thoughts control your body, she says.
Your body is, every moment, responding to whats going on in your head, she says.
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Your coping style is something that you develop depending on your childhood experiences, Dr. Soph says.
you could identify yours by monitoring the knee-jerk reactions you have when you feel out of sorts.
And, on the opposite side of things, this will help you remember who might benefit fromyoursupport.
Worry time is amazing, she says.
Most of us have this kind of free-floating anxiety.
Our brains are negatively skewed, so worries arise all the time.
Avellino said that she often uses her dream time as a pick-me-up in the afternoon.
Dream time is a space where you’re able to really let your imagination go wild.
Naron suggests reaching for new plants and new colors.
Bring greenery in, she recommended.
Bird song is another way you’re free to bring that in, or natural scents.
(Hello,bird sounds playliston Spotify.)
But thats all the more reason to make the effort to reach out, says Dr. Soph.
The more we can connect with other humans, the better were going to feel.
[Practicing] mindfulness is helping you to center yourself, says Dr. Richardson.
Especially during a time where were using so much technology, our brains are so overstimulated.
For me, my meditation is reading devotionals.
Even when you find what works, have mercy with yourself, Dr. Richardson adds.
If you want it to be a daily practice, have some grace and mercy with it.
Not sure where to start?
Check out theseaffirmations for calm, or thisstress-busting deep breathing exercise.
Today, its all about trying and seeing what clicks for you.
Day 11: Make a to-do list for your day or week
Got a stressful week ahead?
(LOL, of course you do!
We all do!)
Write it outits a classic problem-solving coping mechanism that really works.
The moment we write it down, we give our brain a break.
Were not holding everything in mind, says Dr. Soph.
And that will secure your brain atonof energy in the end.
And the easiest way to do that is to re-connect with your breath.
Naron recommends trying this resetting breathing exercise during times of extreme overwhelm.
Plus, it only takes three minutes.
When we do that with people, the benefits are two-fold.
Afterward, you have something to talk about.
Hello, social connections, goodbye,talking in circles about the news cycle.
This starts a vicious cycle, she says, which can ratchet up stress and anxiety levels.
Apps likeFreedom,In Moment, andAppDetoxcan act as your screen-limiting sidekicks.
To do this, Dr. Soph recommends using the STOP technique.
All it means is that multiple times throughout the day, you say the word STOP to yourself.
Your quarantine relationships will thank you.
Think of 30 minutes of movement as a shortcut for becoming one with the right here, right now.
So go ahead: Try thatYouTube yoga class,sweaty slider workout, ordance cardioroutine.
Thats why Dr. Soph is all about celebrating even the smallest victories to promote happiness and positivity.
We always overlook the small win.
Were always looking for things like, Did I get a new job?
What grade did I get on that piece of work?
Were going for bigger, bigger, bigger, she says.
The small win is the thing that can give us those small boosts throughout the day.
Theyre the things that are often linked to our values, roles, and our goals.
win of the day.
Things like cooking a healthy lunch or taking a dance break can also land in this bucket.
Remember: Promotions arent the only things worth celebrating in life.
So no more watching old episodes ofFriendswhile you fall asleep, okay?
In the app:Hungry for more smart sleep tips from Dr. Soph?
fire up the Mental Wellness Challenge in the HNP app and grab the Sleep hygiene block.
This gives you an opportunity to say, Do you remember that thing?!
(Heres how to create a shared album using theApple PhotosorGoogle Photosapp.)
Plus, it allows you a temporary escape from your current surroundings, says Dr. Richardson.
What does it look like?
Paint a picture in your head, and let your worries float away for a little while.
Just note that this isnt for everyone, says Dr. Richardson.
Exert some controland do some goodby giving back in some form to a cause in need right now.
Youre doing something thats outside of you… that shifts from this very self-oriented way of thinking to Ah!
Im making an impact on the world and maybe Im a good person.'
In other words: Giving back is good for youandhumanity at large.
Itll do good for you and the world.
We know thathobbies promote good mental health.
And, in part, its because hobbies are often creative.
Today, try your first go-around at a new hobby.
Almost as soon as we start breathing more deeply, well start to feel calmer and more relaxed.
Youll feel calm and centered in no time.
Lets get strolling, everyone.
Now that were all inside, the chances of making new acquaintances have greatly diminished.
But there are some bodywork-style techniques that you could incorporate into your at-home self-care practices, like EFT.
Try it out for yourself today with this30-second technique from Reiki master Kelsey Patel.
Emphasis on smalldont expect to master a deep clean in one day.
We should always break tasks down into smaller parts, says Dr. Soph.
When I think about cleaning one area, the tension in my brain decreases.
It feels manageable, and I can be realistic about getting it done today, she says.
In the app:Get more help putting this idea into practice by selecting the Let your stress go!
block in the Mental Wellness Challenge course and following along with the meditation.
Well, that kind of cathartic cackling actually has a lot of legitimacyfor stress relief.
Day 31: Pick the practices you want to keep up all year
Day 31!
We knew you could.
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