Everyone has been stressed, had anxiety, or couldn’t sleep.  In this fast paced world, we all for the most part work, or have kids, feel pressured, have deadlines, etc.  So you’re not the only one.  But how to unwind after a stressful day?  

Put on Lotion: Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Eucalyptus Tea Body Lotion.  (Try saying that 3 times fast) The Eucalyptus tea aroma is said to be relaxing.  It’s not expensive it’s about $12, no harm in buying a bottom of lotion & trying it out.

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Eucalyptus Tea Body Lotion, $13

If you would like, this comes in a tube as well!  If you would like, you can get this scent in the body wash as well!

Earth Therapeutics Anti-stress Massage Lotion, $10

Earth Therapeutics Dream Silk Comfort Cream, $9

Valerian root & lavender are added to this lotion to help you nod off.  =)

Aveda Stress Fix Body Lotion, $12

This lotion includes essences of lavender, lavandin, & clary sage are meant to relieve stress.

Crabtree & Evelyn ‘La Source’ Relaxing Body Lotion, $24

This one is a little bit different (veering away from traditional lavender / chamomile) & has scents of oat kernel & sea algae, giving you a sweet smell of the sea.

For a body wash / scrub:

You can get the above Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Eucalyptus in a body wash as well, or try:

Nip & Fab Yoga Blend Unwind and Destress Body Wash, $6

Brand new on the market, this one has the scents of lavender, soft rose, & coconut to help you unwind.  If you’d like, they have this in a scrub as well!

Other stress-relieving items: 

Earth Therapeutics Anti-Stress Sinus Pillow, $10.50

This is a line of products worth exploring, Earth Therapeutics.  They have all kinds of tools aimed at pampering women.  I came across them when I was in Ulta, & also at Kohls.  And look at how adorable they are!  You will find eye masks, anti stress pillows, anti-stress comfort wraps, etc.  They have more items at drugstore.com!  I bought one of their eye masks for my mother.  =)

Take a Bubble bath:

Have a bubble bath!  One of the few things that we love to enjoy as women.  Village Naturals Therapy Liquid Mineral Bath, $13.  The above Aromatherapy Stress Eucalyptus Tea is also sold as a bubble bath in the same scent as well.  I’m reading one of the reviews on Amazon, & one woman says it works quite well on her autistic son who has anxiety issues.  If you can’t sleep: Village Naturals Therapy Restless Nights Mineral Bath soak, and Bath and Body works Sleep Lavender Vanilla Body wash and foam bath.  I have a jar of the Restless Nights Nights Mineral Bath soak one at home & it is relaxing. Tip: Buy Bath & Body works stuff of Amazon.com.  For whatever reason, it’s cheaper!

Put on a mask:

Lying in bed with mask on can be really relaxing.  There is Freeman’s Facial Mask, Anti-stress with Dead Sea Minerals, a steal for only $3.

Montagne Jeunesse’s Dead Sea Anti-stress Mask, $2

Montagne Jeunesse is actually a UK based company, & have been making skincare products for the past 30 years.  They have lots of these 1 time use masks that have silly pictures all over them.  They are quite popular at Ulta, & you can also find them on Amazon.  Made also with Dead Sea minerals, it’s meant to clarify pores, smooth skin, & have also stress relieving properties.

Freeman’s Facial Mask, Anti-stress with Dead Sea Minerals, $3

What a great deal!  Made with Dead Sea minerals, it also helps moisturize, clarify your pores, while lavender & bergamot help relieve tension.

Inducing Deep Sleep Therapy Mask, $15 for 5 sheet masks

Made by a Korean brand called Holika, these masks are infused with Lavender, milk, jasmine & cherry blossom to help you to go to sleep. =)

Breathing & meditation exercises:

I remember when I took yoga classes the instructor had us do breathing exercises, which are incredibly relaxing.  The key?  You should breathe through your abdomen.  (Meaning you should breathe deep enough for your stomach to rise & fall.  Put your hand on your stomach & breathe in as deep as you can.)  The best way to do this is with your eyes closed.  Breathe in for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4.  Supposedly some yogis can breathe for a count of 6 or 8.  And the great thing is that you virtually can do this anywhere.

A friend of mine, who’s a therapist, recommended me this meditation exercise.  Present.  Now.  Tomorrow’s another day.  Choose 2 from the following words / phrases and repeat them to yourself with your eyes closed.  I usually do this right before I nod off.

Go to the spa!

I prefer to go to the spa with a friend, but this is a personal preference.  Yes, spas are notorious for being expensive.  BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t find a good deal.  I can’t speak for all Americans, but there is a LARGE spa near me called Spa castle, and to go in is only $40.  And I can have all the access I want to their hot baths, saunas, & swimming pools.  Go for that back / foot rub if it makes you feel better after a long day.  Don’t know of a spa near you? Again check out lifebooker.com, yelp.com, as well as groupon.com or livingsocial.com.  A friend of ours got my husband & me a gift certificate to Spa castle from Groupon.  Like I always say, a good is deal is always waiting to be found!

Try Yoga or Tai Chi:

I live in NYC and a lot of New Yorkers are obsessed with yoga.  It’s a stressed out city & yoga is a great way to unwind & relax.  I’ve had a co worker who loves yoga & she tells me after doing it a few times a week, it helps her overall sleep in general.  If you don’t know of a yoga studio, many gyms offer yoga classes.  If you still don’t know of a place to take a yoga class, you can always buy a yoga dvd off Amazon.com and do yoga in the privacy of your own home.  And why not?  (When I do pilates, I do them in my own bed) Check below for listings of dvds, some of them are as cheap as $8.  For yoga studios / gyms, search on yelp.com, for discounts I would search on groupon.com or livingsocial.com.

I’ve mentioned this in my post on exercise, that my parents used to live in San Diego, which is pretty much warm / hot all year round.  My mom told me that there was a park near their house where people would get together & do Tai Chi.  I’m not a fan, but that sounds relaxing!  Meditation really does work wonders for the body, mind & soul.

Exercise!

If you feel sad / stressed, one of the best things for you is to exercise.  Exercise creates endorphins in our brain, which naturally make us feel happier.  I’ve known women who love to go for a run to forget their troubles.  Or dance!  That would definitely make you feel better.  If you have trouble sleeping, exercise during the day would help you fall asleep better at night.

Indulge yourself in (healthy) activities that help you relax:

For me reading is relaxing, so I would usually read to help myself fall asleep.  Keeping a journal could help you vent whatever your troubles are.  Write down all the things on your mind, & things worrying you before you go to bed.  And you know what they say: if you’re angry, hit a pillow.  If you’re really angry you could join a gym & kick the crap out of the punching bag.  It may sound silly, but hey, you’re getting in shape & you’re venting out all your anger & frustration, & you’d sleep better at night.

If you have trouble sleeping:

An hour or 2 hours before you go to sleep, turn off all electronic devices.  (No more tv, computer, or cell phone.) Do something relaxing like reading, writing, meditating, or yoga.  Try not to do anything stimulating.  Turn off all the lights in your bedroom, & limit yourself only to lamps / night lights.  This will help you relax & unwind before going to bed.  If you have to set your alarm to get up for work; turn the clock AWAY from you after setting it.  It’s said that watching a clock can make insomnia worse.  If you set this into your routine every night, it will help you sleep better.

Summing up:

Like every post I write, I hope this was helpful for you!  There are times when I’ve been really stressed out, and many of the tips I write in this post is from personal experience, and advice that’s been given to me.  If you are stressed, try 1 thing, or a couple of the things from my list. If you try any of the things in this post, I think the most important ones are the lifestyle changes.  Lotions are like frosting on the cupcake.  If you indeed are stressed, the most important question is, how do we cope with it?  Try ALL my tips if you want to.  It’s always better to de-stress the natural way, as opposed to drinking, smoking, doing drugs, or other things that are bad for your health.  And like any bad habit, it’s only a distraction from the real problem.  Usually my goal is to help people’s wallets; here I want to help your mind, body, & soul.  Relax.  Forget today’s troubles.  There’s always tomorrow.  

Links:

Yoga Dvds on Amazon