Stress Management - Exercising for the Win

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

TANK || SPORTSBRA || LEGGINGS

Managing stress better has been a goal of mine this year.  Sometimes I manage it well and sometimes the stress that I am feeling consumes me.  What I consider stressful may be very different from what you consider stressful just as I may handle it differently than you do.  But there are things that we all can do to help manage and keep our stress levels under control.

This year has particularly been a very stressful year so far at work.  For those that don't know, I work full time in HR for a Fortune 500 company in addition to blogging full time.  And obviously #1 job is being a great Momma to my littles.  At times, the stress that "work" creates carries over into my home life.  In times like these, I quickly realize that I need to hone in on doing things that help me relieve some of that stress.

Exercising has play a significant role in helping me relieve stress...physically, mentally, & emotionally.  Outside of my normal workout routines, I've started practicing a bit more yoga as well as deep breathing techniques, which have certainly helped.  Taking 10-15 minutes to stretch during my day has helped me relieve stress & refocus.  And any time that I am feeling particularly stressed throughout my workday, I will step away and do some deep breathing exercises or go for a walk with our pups.

Spending time outdoors has been a great way for me to seperate myself from stressful moments and recenter.  Vitamin D is so good for you and just sitting outside for 10-15 minutes, getting a little sunshine and breathing in fresh air, is such a nice way to release stress.

Planning ahead as much as possible has also helped me manage my stress levels.  There are times where you just won't be able to plan ahead and something may happen that throws you for a loop so being flexible is essential to being able to handle those surprise scenarios.  After all, life wouldn't be near as exciting if every single minute of every single day was planned out.

At the end of my day, I almost always take a hot bath and allow myself quiet time with no distractions.  I truly feel like I am doing something for myself and giving myself the opportunity to unwind and reflect on my day.  And if I'm feeling particularly tense, I will add some epsom salts to help relax me and extract those toxins.

These are just a few of the things I do to manage stress.  I'd love to hear from you...what do you do to manage and relieve your stress?!

Hope you all have had a great week so far and as always thanks so much for stopping by!