Anyone else feel like they are struggling to get through each and every day? You may be familiar with burn out spreading through your workplace like a wildfire. Everyone looks like they are having an out of body experience from the level of stress they are experiencing, right? I know one of the biggest questions running through my mind right now is, what should I do to balance my life in the midst of the chaos. Todays answer: declutter my closet and donate 5 full trash bags of clothes (amongst other items). For some reason, cleaning either my closet or car makes me feel like my life is semi together. The feeling never lasts, but it is a good short term stress relieving solution.
I thought in this blog I could make a list of things that I do to balance my life, in hopes that it may help someone that is starting over or looking for alternative ideas for handling stress.
Organizing/Donating - This topic I know I just mentioned. However, I want to emphasize how important it is to just go through your things and decide which items bring you joy. If you do not wear it or use it, I would highly recommend donating it. Most of us have that sweater it is never cold enough to wear or those jeans we wish we could fit into in our closet. Clearing those out will free up space in your closet! Organizing & decluttering your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc, is also a good idea! When you are organized, you will find that getting ready for work is a quicker process because you know where things are!
Comfortable Pajamas/Soft Music/Fan - Sleep is absolutely necessary to feeling like you have balance in your life. It is important to feel comfortable in what you are wearing to bed. I'm very sensitive to materials and have realized that extremely soft, lightweight, and stretchy is what I need to be sleeping in! Playing soft music like nature sounds, jazz, indie folk, etc, can really help your mind relax. It is hard to tap into a place of calm when you work or live in an environment that causes you to have adrenaline running through your veins. But, I promise you can find that place of peace. Melatonin gummies that can be found at Walmart also help. Finding a good book or ones with pictures can aide in calming your mind. Often, people enjoy lighting a candle (just remember to blow it out!) or using essential oils before they fall asleep. ASMR videos on Youtube are videos I personally enjoy listening to before falling asleep.
Exercise - I've found that walking after work is often essential when it comes to being able to balance my life & sleep at night for me. When I get home from work, I am extremely keyed up from being in a medical environment for hours. I do choose to walk at night, under the stars, in a safe neighborhood. However, there are many different types of exercises that you can try. Youtube offers many free videos on different types of exercises, such as yoga or weight lifting. Work out dvds & books can be found at the thrift store. Even when I'm extremely tired, I try to push myself to exercise. I've started telling myself that I am exercising for my mental health (not weight loss). Being stronger and losing weight can, for many people, be a positive thing. But I also feel that, personally, if I focus on a number on the scale I will constantly feel defeated. Sometimes, if you flip your reasoning for doing something, you will find that you have more motivation.
Journaling - Finding a journal or notebook and just jotting down your thoughts, feelings, and goals can help you to balance your life. The journal does not need to be anything fancy. You can even find a journal/notebook at a local thrift store for quite cheap. My friend taught me about doing a "brain dump" before falling asleep. It is where you write down all the words you are feeling about the day or yourself, on a paper. For example: Tired, Frustrated, Inspired, Grateful, Happy, and so on. Just putting your feelings onto paper helps for you to release all that you carried on your shoulders that day.
Routine - Routines can be done in the morning or at night. I've always found routines to be important because they help give me direction and balance when I am feeling tired or stressed. It can take a few days (or weeks) to develop a routine or decide what to add/take away from one. Routines really do help aide you with waking up or relaxing at night. My morning routine has a few main consistent things that I implement. First, I set three morning alarms that are thirty minutes apart from each other. The alarms fall at 6 AM, 6:30, and 7 AM. After my first alarm, I keep my nature rain sounds on and usually fall back asleep. When I hear my 6:30 alarm, I turn on my Indie Folk Music and start to wake up. When the 7 AM alarm sounds, I know it is time to get up. Listening to music has really helped me adjust to my earlier morning shift that I now have. When I get up, the first thing I do is I make my bed. From there, I take all of my vitamins. Then, I open my windows to let the light in for my plants. Directly after, I start to get ready for work. The previous day, I hung up my clothes for work to prepare myself for work ahead of time. Having to make less decisions is something I am always thankful for in the mornings! Your routine will probably look completely different than mine. I highly recommend that you make a routine that is unique to you and your lifestyle. My nightly routine I definitely need to work on. I need more of a set work out/walk time, bedtime, etc!
I hope that these things that I have listed help you to find a little balance in your life. As I come up with more things, I will add them to this list above. if you have anything that helps you find balance in your life, please share below! I would love to hear about things that bring you peace in your daily life. Until next time, have a beautiful day.
Love,
Start Over Darling
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