Hello Posse!
I hope everyone is having a great week and is happy and healthy. I don't know about you, but I am exhausted. I am having a difficult time focusing lately, I'm not sleeping, and honestly, I'm kinda b*tchy. My husband seems to think it is from the stress of trying to get everything set for the book release. I do stress a lot when a book first comes out, that is true.
I pay a professional editor, I edit the book, and my mother does too. You would think with this many eyes on it, we would catch everything but once in a while something still slips through. Some readers are quick to point out mistakes they find. Now, I do not mind that at all, I take that information as helpful, but I wish they would also tell me what they think of the story along with the editing critique.
I think the release along with the continuing CoVid19 saga the world is facing and having to go out in public next week for the first time in 3 months just as towns in our state here in Germany are being locked down again, all adds to my stress. Not to mention my dad (who is the face of Stephen) is in the hospital right now for tests and I'm on the other side of the planet. Because of all of this, I thought now would be a good time to do another self-care blog for anyone who might need to de-stress as much as I do.
I want to share with you 6 Tips to Mitigate Stress with Self-care by The Talkspace Voice (<-- click here). Follow this link to read their take on these six steps. Below you will find my comments on their six steps.
1. Consider doing less
This one is a hard one for me. My husband often tries to do things like vacuum the apartment and dust so that I can keep working on writing blogs and designing ads but being OCD it is very difficult for me to relinquish that control. Luckily he has a degree in emotional therapy and understands my struggle and helps me let some things go. It is okay if things doe not get done how you want 100% of the time. Sometimes it is better to "not sweat the small stuff".
2. Make time for reflection
It is easy to get negative with the ongoing pandemic. I am here in Germany and all of my family and lifelong friends are in the US. When I find myself focusing too much on what I am missing, I have to take time to notice and appreciate everything I do have in my life. I have an incredible, supportive, loving husband. I have a dog who instinctively works as a therapy dog for me. I have parents who still cheer my accomplishments even though we are so far apart and they have so much going on in their own lives. It can be easy to over look things like this sometimes, but they are really so very important.
3. Take a vacation
Actually going somewhere will have to be on hold for a while longer, but that does't mean you can't take time off work and relax at home. My husband and I are going to take some time soon and just enjoy being able to not work. I see lots of movie marathons, BBQs, and Fortnite squad battles in our future!
4. Commit to regular exercise
My husband has been doing so good at this since the stay at home orders came. He is down about 50 pounds (or more) since it started. He has a serious walking regime and works in other exercise with it. He has even found he kind of likes yoga. I'm starting to walk more, but I hyper extended my knee when the lockdown started and have been trying not to go to the doctor. So my workouts are going much, much slower.
5. Soak up the sun
Vitamin D! Getting some sun time is very important to mood and overall health. This is how our body creates vitamin D. Just 15 minutes a day can do a lot to improve your overall well-being. Just don't over do it. If you wear sunscreen, be sure to wait for at least 10-15 minutes after you have been in the sun before you put it on. Otherwise, the sunblock will prevent the rays needed to produce vitamin D from doing their work.
6. Practice meditation
I have been doing this more and more lately when I am starting to feel stress take hold. It is amazing what a little positive visualization and focused breathing can do for you. I have even been looking as buying a Tibetan singing bowl. I have found certain tones have an incredible effect on my constant headache. It really is interesting.
I hope you will give a few of these things a try and be sure to go to The Talkspace Voice and read what they have to say about their six topics. Also, please keep in mind, I am not a medical professional and this is not to be taken as medical advice. It is merely my personal take on how I am dealing with stress. I hope you find this information beneficial and have a stress-free rest of your week!
Below, I am sharing a video on self-care for men. Too often men are expected to be the perfect, soldier who is never bothered by anything. As if somehow being human and having stress makes them less masculine. Nothing could be further from the truth. Men need self-care too! I hope you will check it out and share it with the men in your life. Heck, please share it with everyone.
Peace be with you!
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