Listen Live
St Jude banner

2. Find time in your day to simply “breathe”. It may be that your lunch hour is the only time that you are able to take your mind off of work. Make sure that you use any free time wisely that you are able to secure. Play soft music, try reading the “funny papers” (laughing is very relaxing), start reading your new book or write in your journal. Free time should be used to be “free,” so no working on your breaks!

3. Plan a “staycation”. We aren’t always able to travel to that tropical island, or to another desirable place away from home, but a mini “staycation” may just be the perfect getaway from the norm that you could use! For example, if you are a resident of the East Coast, book a hotel room for the weekend, catch a Broadway play or two, and eat at restaurants that you wouldn’t ordinarily patronize. Experience your city in a totally different way by planning a staycation!

4. Make time for mediation and reflection weekly. You would be the one to determine how frequently during the week you would need to schedule this quiet time, however, it’s important to unwind and think about where you are, where you’re headed, and what you may need to do differently. A study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison indicates that the practice of “Open Monitoring Meditation” (such as Vipassana), reduces the grey-matter density in areas of the brain related with anxiety and stress. You are important to your end goal. If you’re always sick or always tired, how will you effectively reach your end goal? Spend some time with your spouse; read a book to your children; have a visit with an elderly relative; sit quietly at your favorite coffee houseyou choose what quiet meditation and reflection looks like and get some of that time in for yourself.

It is very easy for us to get overwhelmed and we sometimes take out our frustrations on those closest to us. Let’s practice productive self-care habits to ensure that we are being good to ourselves! Stress will come, but make sure that stress will go!

Get Your Life! 4 Ways To De-Stress Instantly  was originally published on blackdoctor.org

« Previous page 1 2