10 Totally off-the-wall things to do to

relieve stress

Did you read my last post about letting go of stress and fear? It’s super helpful and will give you a psychological game-changer whenever you are making the hold-on-to-it or let-go-of-it decision about stress and fear. In this post I will be giving you some off-the-wall ways to relieve stress. No, yoga is NOT included. I said off-the-wall!

1. Dance

Like nobody’s watching. Yes, you can do it girl, even if you have 2 left feet who cares? Dancing is a great way to let go of stress, and counts as exercise. Here’s a lady who teaches belly dancing for pregnant women. I loved it and had some fun during third trimester (this can definitely work for first and second trimester as well). I won’t judge if you don’t!

2. Go Swimming

Spending time in a pool is so refreshing. It’s great exercise and takes the weight of your hips and back as your belly grows. There’s also just something so calming about floating in water and letting the stress float away with each wave. (Clearly, I need to live near a beach.) Swimming was my go-to in the summer time and I would normally have a very restful sleep afterwards.

3. Have Something Sweet

Sugar, anyone? Do you know that you can’t cry and eat a candy at the same time? There is a science to this. Your tastebuds somehow outweigh your emotions because of the chemical released when you intake sugar. That’s about as much of it as I know. Now eat candy! Or chocolate. Or marshmallows (my current not-guilty pleasure).

4. Laugh

In my own experience I can really get a good laugh in if I just start laughing randomly (often by myself). Laughing helps release stress because your body is feeding off your happy (there is actually a science to this too… I just don’t know what it is. But trust me, this works). Okay, I know you are wondering to yourself, “And what do I do if I can’t make myself laugh?” Don’t worry. I cover that in point 5.

5. Watch a Comedy

I remember (before I was pregnant) when I was working at a particularly hard job. I would take my break in my car and watch hilarious Instagram posts from two of my favourite comedians. Man, that bit of rip-roaring laughter helped me get through the hard days. During pregnancy, my top three funniest comedians have been Trey Kennedy, John B. Crist, and Dude Dad. Oh, and a new one for you – Jean Shorts! 

When it comes to episode show comedies, I’m old school, like I Love Lucy old school. Because I love to laugh hard, like side-splitting, choking, I-need-air-or-I-might-die hard. That relief that comes after a good laugh is more than worth it.

6. Do Your Makeup

Okay, anybody who knows me personally probably just choked on the tea they were drinking. I like makeup…kinda… if I really want to look nice… maybe. But this is not about me (thankfully), this is about you. And I do know some women who say putting on makeup makes them feel better. So there you have it.

Also, jokes aside, I remember feeling like a woman again the first time I put makeup on after having my son (it probably took me 3 weeks to a month). Maybe it was that me-time where I got to breathe and put a few minutes into the beautifying process, Maybe it was me learning how to make room in my mind for my needs as well, not only my child’s.

Anyways, DO YOUR MAKEUP. 

If you want to.

7. Get Your Hair Did

THIS is more my thing! There they go, choking on their tea again. I have bouts of hair inspiration. It comes and it goes, but I do know for a fact that sitting down and letting someone else work on your hair and then leaving a salon looking picture-perfect is so uplifting! I mean, how can you put a price on that? 

Book your appointment, do your make up, go to the salon (or your friend’s house) and let your stress wash away down the sink with the shampoo. 

8. Get It On With Your Man!

During FIRST trimester? Yes! Why do you think you did your makeup and your hair??

When I was fighting nausea and fatigue and odour sensitivities and all that, my hubby decided that we should make love. Which is normally fine with me but I really did think that I would literally throw up on him. That didn’t bother him (in theory haha). But after getting hot and sweaty with him I did find that I actually felt better.

Intimacy with your partner also helps you both link up emotionally. That time together should be where you have a space to be honest and vulnerable with each other. Where you can have trustworthy conversations and where you can help each other release stress.

9. Eat Luxurious Food

I was going to write ‘Cook Luxurious Food’ but cooking might not be a thing for you right now. No problem. That’s what Door Dash, Skip The Dishes, Uber Eats, Your Mama’s House is for. If you don’t want to overspend, then don’t. Luxurious can mean foods that are special to you, and that often is defined as “homemade” (that’s where your mama comes in). Maybe you have friends who can cook for you or siblings who won’t mind making you a meal. Try it out. It will work. It’s that tastebud science thing, I swear!

10. Make a Mess

I’m talking about art, ART! And maybe number 8. 

If you like paint or chalk or markers, this one is for you. Try getting a large canvas or a large roll of paper and just throwing your art on it. Don’t think, don’t try to be smart about it. Just throw those colours down and let your creation grow all on its own. When you’re done you might find a story, you might find chaos; but whatever it is, you will find that you have left it on that canvas and now your brain has more space to think properly.

Let that stress leave you and make its mark on that paper. And if you want to get deep with it, burn that paper or crunch it up and throw it out as a physical sign to you throwing out your stress

So make a mess; hence the picture. Make a mess, let it all out and be okay with it, like that little girl.

Did I miss anything? Probably! Comment and add on to the list!

Love ya!

4 thoughts on “10 Totally Off-The-Wall things to Do To Relieve Stress”

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