Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month? We all experience stress at some point in our lives. Whether it’s preparing for a sales presentation, worrying about bills, or running all over town from kid activity to kid activity, stress can creep up on you.
Some of you probably tensed up just reading that sentence, but don’t fret! I’m here to share some of my favorite apps and resources to alleviate the stress we all face in our daily lives.
Take a deep breath, Frisco, and try these six simple ways to de-stress.
An App a Day Keeps the Stress Away
The Shine App — This is my top favorite app that I use every single day. The app offers a daily short meditation (I like to start my day with this!), a daily check-in feature to assess your emotions, a question of the day you can share with other community members of the app, an evening meditation, and a library full of topic-specific resources for things like stress and anxiety, sleep practices and productivity challenges.
Ritual — Ritual is a wellbeing app that focuses on all of the dimensions of mental, emotional, spiritual, and social health. I love this app because it offers a variety of well-rounded, self-guided practices like journaling, mindfulness, reflection, and prayer. You’ll hear from a variety of experts in the wellness space! Turn it on during your morning commute to work or before bed to shake off the stress of the day.
Endel — One of the newest apps I’ve discovered is Endel. It offers personalized soothing sounds to help you relax, focus or sleep. It’s pretty cool; it has an algorithm that helps customize soundscapes for those high-anxiety moments we all face. I’ve only been using it for about a week, and I’m hooked! There’s something about calming sounds that make everything better.
Self-Care is the Best Care
Horizon Hot Yoga — Yoga is the perfect way to de-stress. Beyond the physical postures, learning to breathe deeply with intention can be useful all day long. Horizon Hot Yoga offers a variety of classes for beginners through the most seasoned yogis. Among them, try Hot 26 – a class focused on 26 different postures and two breathing exercises, and Yoga Nidra – a practice that will allow your body to be completely relaxed by lightly withdrawing from your five senses.
BEYOND Pilates — Maybe a consistent, challenging workout is what you need to keep your stress in check. Sweat the stress away with a 50-minute Pilates class that will leave you feeling both mentally and physically stronger. BEYOND will teach you how to put your mind to your muscle to take your movement and your body to the next level.
Culture A Day Spa — Unwind from a stressful week by booking a massage therapy appointment that your body will definitely thank you for later! Culture A Day Spa offers a variety of massage options like hot stone, deep tissue, Swedish, as well as a customizable option designed to fit your specific needs. Or, try their other luxury spa services, such as facials and body scrubs!
Although it’s a normal part of life, stress is still a negative force that can have a serious impact on both our professional and personal lives, not to mention our health. Just keep breathing, Frisco, and please tell us, how do you destress? Leave a comment below.
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