September was national self improvement month, so I’m a little late, but every month should be self improvement month!  And what better way to achieve your best self than to conquer the stress that brings you down, makes you sick and puts you in a snippy mood?

So here are a few stress relieving tips that I find useful.  Hopefully they will help to ease your stress by relaxing you and boosting your mood.

1. Take a chill-pill…literally

• Try these calming tablets, found at Walgreens and Whole Foods.
• Sip this calming de-stress drink mix, found at Whole Foods or online vitamin shops.

2. Lotion up

• Smooth this cooling, calming cream, by Templespa, over your face and neck
• Rub some Tiger Balm (icy hot) around tense muscles of the face and neck area- temples, jaw, shoulders..(careful not to get it close to your eyes though!)

3. Use lavender everything

• I always have lavender oil on hand at home.  It’s great for mixing a couple of drops with lotion, or just sniffing the bottle!  Dab some on your pillowcase or pulse points. Sachets are another good option– keep it in your drawers so your clothes smell like calming lavender, or place it on your pillow before bed (cuddling with it is also ok!).  See this one from L’Occitane. I also like to keep a lavender rollerball version at the office. Amazon.com has plenty of lavender options- even drinkable varieties (side-note on that: lavender champagne is THE best, and it’s on my to-do list to buy lavender syrup to recreate the amazing lavender champagne cocktail I had in Hvar..see this post).

4. Light a candle

• Light a lavender candle (I’m telling you, lavender everything.. oils, drinks, candles..).  If you aren’t able to light a candle where you work/live, try one of the fake styles that flicker, like this one from Bed Bath & Beyond.  Candles help to create a more comfortable, relaxed environment.  It’s a bonus if it’s giving off a lavender or rosemary scent.

5. Add a plant to your space

• Nature is a natural mood booster, so if you can’t be outside, bring the outside to you.  A cactus or succulent are good choices— see this article from WellandGood.com.

6. Enjoy Tea Time

• Sip this Yogi de-stress tea or try a basic chamomile 

7. Play soothing music

• Listen to a soothing waters/tranquil station on pandora (unless the ads will make you even more upset than you were to begin with ha..”shutupp, Alexa Von Tobel!”), and then maybe just play a long vid on youtube.  If you’re at the office, pack earbuds.  Here’s a 6 hour zen meditation on youtube. 

8. Laugh

• Take 2 minutes to laugh really hard at a funny video, it’s good for your health. This one always gets me (kitten pawing at dog..watch the whole thing!)

9. Shake it out

• Don’t sit still for too long– sitting just makes you even more tired and lethargic, so try doing some jumping-jacks or run up and down the stairwell to get your blood flowing and to release those endorphins.

10. Create a happy space & “me time”

• Create a happy space for yourself, whether this means a comfy nook with soft pillows and soothing candles or a de-cluttered workspace.  Even if it’s one tiny space that you feel happy, and everything else is chaotic and cluttered, it can make a huge difference.
• Schedule some “me time” each week to enjoy that happy space you created for yourself– don’t stretch yourself too thin, you will be a drained version of yourself while trying to make it to all of the events, rather than choosing the most important ones and showing up refreshed.  Fight that FOMO.