7 Favorite Ways To De-Stress!

I’ve found that the easiest philosophy when it comes to de-stressing is to be kind to yourself. Generally, we are much kinder to other people than we are to ourselves, but you’re a person too - so why not treat yourself like one? Life can be extremely stressful and while there are tons of ideas and recommendations out there for how to de-stress, I’ve found that figuring out what actually works for you is most important. Although I do find some de-stressing recommendations (i.e. art) to be extremely helpful, not everything I use to de-stress is the most conventional strategy, but maybe they are strategies that might work for you as well!

Embracing My Artsy Side

I work a normal 9-5 job in a standard office where I stare at a computer for long hours and send lots of emails. This doesn’t leave a ton of room for creativity, so during my free time, I like to embrace my artsy side! For me, coloring, painting, or playing an instrument are awesome ways to de-stress because they are activities that I enjoy, even if I’m not that good at any of them! :P Whatever artsy activity floats your boat, embrace it as an opportunity to disconnect and de-stress. 

Mundane Household Tasks

After working at a computer all day, I actually find mundane household tasks to be an awesome de-stressor. I like to plug in my headphones, blast happy music, and run around cleaning/throwing things away. After I’m done, I feel so much more accomplished and the clean slate of a spotless home just puts me at ease. 

Testing Out a New Make-up Look

Make-up! Testing out new make-up and rediscovering old products is something that quite simply makes me happy! I think the ability to essentially transform my face makes me feel refreshed and really gives me a new perspective on an old problem. 

Eating Your Favorite Foods

Yes, I know, you’re not supposed to eat when you’re stressed out - but sometimes, food really is comforting! Everything in moderation, right? When I’m really having a hard time, I find that settling down and just enjoying food brings me back down to earth. My personal favorite de-stressing foods? sushi, chocolate, and of course, ice cream :) 

Writing a To Do List + Putting It Off!

Usually, when I’m stressed, it’s because I feel like there are too many things to do and not enough time. When I’m feeling out of control, it’s helpful to sit myself down and jot down everything that needs to be done. Once it’s all down on paper, it looks less intimidating and I can level-headedly plan out a method for attacking the situation - which includes putting some things off!

Dance or Boxing-Based Workouts

I feel like magazines are always telling me about yoga and meditation and how they are perfect for de-stressing. I’m not going tell you to meditate/become a yogi because A) everyone and their mom tells you to do that and B) I’ve tried both of those and it really doesn’t work for me as far as de-stressing goes! While I love doing yoga, when I’m stressed, all I can think about during shavasana are the 1.5 million things I have to do when I rush out of the class! Instead, I’ve been gravitating towards dance and boxing-based workouts because they are a fantastic way to keep my brain distracted from all the stress and to let out all of my pent up energy! 

Visit a Library

I honestly think that libraries are one of the most under used and under appreciated resources. In what other situation can you go to a gorgeous building with tons of free books, movies, magazines, etc etc etc and use them for as long as you like? I love visiting our local library without any agenda other than to de-stress by burying my nose in whatever books strike my fancy that day. Plus, it’s always wonderful to be able to watch the different people that visit the library - little kids with their parents, sweet older couples who spend the entire afternoon reading together - it can really help me put things in perspective.   

Some of these strategies are definitely a little out of the box, but I've found that they work very well for me and maybe, if you're just as odd as I am, they'll work for you too! What are your favorite ways to de-stress? Life can get crazy so I'm always looking for new ideas! 

Thanks for reading ♥

Spring To-Do's!

Spring is such an inspiring time. I love taking everything in as the weather warms up, plants start to grow, and the days get longer. The change outside always inspires me to change up my days so I thought I'd share some of my top to-do's of spring! 

Romping in Rain Gear: I love my rain gear (aka my awesome rain boots and awesome rain jacket)and spring gives me the awesome chance to actually use it! While I'm usually happier on sunny days (I hate getting rained on when I'm not prepared!), if I dress up in my rain coat and boots for the sole purpose of stomping in puddles, the rain really isn't so bad :)

Reading & Writing in the Sun: As the days get longer, there's more sunlight! Sitting in a little patch of sun just enjoying the brightness and warmth is already amazing in its own right, but when you combine that with reading a new story or jotting down new ideas, it's pure bliss ♥

Plant Something: This spring is the first time I've actually tried to take care of a plant and I have enjoyed it so much more than I thought possible. I grew up in a house full of plants (my mom has a gift) and after moving out, I didn't notice how much I was missing the brightness that plants bring until my boyfriend, David, brought back a couple of plants for our apartment. I love the mini-orchid that sits on my desk and can't wait to start planting my own little herb garden this spring!

Spring Cleaning: I find that spring really is a fantastic time to clean out junk from my apartment. It's that time when you're switching between all of your winter/summer clothes, making it easy to pinpoint which pieces you never wear and should probably donate!

Coffee Shop People Watching: When the weather warms up, that means there are more people out and about - and for me, that means more people watching! Call me a creeper, but people watching is one of my favorite pastimes. Everyone has a story and it's fascinating to see how people interact with one another. Plus, sitting back and enjoying my coffee isn't bad either ♥

What are your favorite things to do in spring? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading ♥

Things I Love: Spring Favorites!

Every season there are always a handful of new things that I snatch up or old things I find in the depths of my storage space that really deserve a shout out but don't always fit into any one category! Here are the things I've been loving this season!

Lavender Nails: Admittedly, this is a style I've been loving for the majority of the past year – but it's most appropriate for spring! Lavender nails are so pretty yet classy at the same time. My favorites are the lavender shade in this pretty gel set from BMC and this classic OPI one!

Mini Orchids: I've never had much of a green thumb (plants die as soon as I touch them, I swear), but my boyfriend gave me the cutest little mini-orchid for valentine's day and ever since, I have been trying my hardest to keep it alive – so far so good! It has really added so much extra brightness and color to my desk area that I'm thinking about getting a couple more for the rest of the apartment! 

Pact App: Like most people, I give up on my New Year's exercise resolutions usually within a couple of weeks of making them. I try to stay active, but when life gets busy, it can be very hard! If there has ever been an app that has motivated me to start working out more, it's this one! Pact is an app that allows users to make a health-related pact (whether that's eating more vegetables or working out 4 times a week) and users will either earn money if they keep their pact but lose money if they don't keep their pact. For me, the idea of losing money for not keeping my pact is actually more of a motivator than earning money for keeping my pact (the amount of money you earn is minimal) but either way, it has effectively motivated me to hit my 10k fitbit step goal regularly!

Dried Mangos: I am obsessed with all tropical fruit but unfortunately for me, living in the Midwest means zero tropical fruit (that's any good at least). Dried mangos have become my lifeline to all things tropical, plus, they make me think I'm eating fruit when in reality, I'm probably eating straight up sugar :P

Harvest Snaps: This is a new discovery for me as I've been trying to replace the junk food in my apartment with healthier munchies. Harvest Snaps are these crunchy little dried snap peas that actually taste way better than the horrible description I just gave – just trust me on this one. I still haven't quite figured out if they're actually any good for you or if they're just "less bad" but given that I have a pretty bad habit of snacking when I'm bored, I've found it safer to have these snacks around rather than potato chips!

Cute Post-Its: Planner addict over here, guys. And what is a must-have for planner obsessed girls? Cute Post-Its. I love decorating my planner with spring inspired colors and cute post-it notes provide both decoration and function :)

Podcast - Here to Make Friends: I've been listening to this podcast nonstop for the past week - it is so addicting! If you're a fan of the Bachelor (sorry not sorry) then this podcast is a 110% must listen. All of the hilarious commentary on this podcast is exactly on point and they do a fantastic job of poking fun yet appreciating the show for exactly what it is.

Coffee Mugs (that declare my love of coffee!): I have always been a little obsessed with buying mugs but recently I've been really into buying mugs that declare my love of coffee directly on the mug. I feel like these mugs have really helped me enjoy my mornings and embrace the fact that, yes, I'm addicted to coffee, and not afraid to admit it! :)

Some of the coffee mugs that are currently on my wish list: 

What are your favorite things this spring? I love taking the time to just sit down and appreciate the little things that I love every season – especially when they're re-discoveries! Happiness is really in the little things :)

Thanks for reading! ♥