Fun fact for ya:
In the past year, 78% of people have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Well, I guess that’s not really a FUN fact… It’s more like a sad fact. But it totally makes sense.
Today I’m sharing 10 of my fav health hacks to help you de-stress.
Some of them you’ve probably heard of but now they’ve got a Hayley twist on them!
And, at the end of the article, I’ve got a free downloadable guide for you. It’s all about how to manifest the life of your dreams. Yup, for real.
10 Easy Health Hacks for Stress
Stress Hack #1: Exercise.
I hear you saying, “Duh Hayley,” but here’s the twist.
Adding aromatherapy to your workout!
There are several ways to do this.
Warm up - Choose an energy-boosting essential oil, like Cinnamon Bark or Clove. Massage it topically into your muscles before you warm. This will help loosen your joints and prep your muscles for your workout.
Prep your lungs - Respiration is an important aspect of your fitness plan. Rub essential oils like Eucalyptus and Peppermint on your chest and neck. This will help open up your airways and keep them clear during exercise.
Cool down - Practice some simple cool down stretches and give yourself a light massage after your shower using essential oils like Lavender and Lemongrass.
Hydration support - Add EO to your water to encourage hydration. Wild Orange is my fav!
Stress Hack #2: Laughter.
The Mayo Clinic shared some really cool health benefits about laughter.
Laughing causes you to take in more oxygen-rich air and it increases endorphins. It can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation – which helps address a couple physical aspects of stress. Plus, it decreases your heart rate and blood pressure.
All that from some belly laughs? Um, yes please!
Here are a few of my personal favs when it comes to getting my laughs in:
Call your funniest bestie and have her tell you a story. (Kids, husbands, and dogs are usually topics that make me laugh my head off!)
Listen to a super funny podcast. (I love “Smartless” with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” is another laugh-out-loud podcast to check out.)
Watch a funny half-hour comedy. (“Parks and Rec” is an oldie but a goodie. And obviously “Schitt’s Creek” is up high on the list.)
Stress Hack #3: Acupressure.
My go-to trick for back and shoulder tension is acupressure. Thanks to all the driving, sitting, and traveling I do, I tend to carry stress here.
I take a tennis ball and place it right next to my shoulder blade. You can use the wall with this technique, or lie down.
Place the tennis ball (or lacrosse ball, any ball that is firm but does have some give to it) against the muscle that’s experiencing tension.
Press against it firmly, but not aggressively, and roll up and down the muscle to help release the tension.
Using your breath and consciously relaxing the muscle are really helpful additions to this self-massage technique. To help aid this acupressure with a ball experience, I like to put some relaxing oil blends into my diffuser, turn on some calming music, and shut off the lights.
I give myself a good 20-30 minutes to do this at-home self-massage and WOW, does it make a difference!
By combining the physical pressure with relaxing sound and scent, it hits several aspects of my stress all at once.
Stress Hack #4: Cuddling.
There’s nothing better than cuddling on the couch on a cold winter’s day, under a blanket.
But guess what, you don’t need a partner to cuddle.
If you’ve got a pet (and they’re willing to put up with it), you can cuddle with them.
Or, cuddle a pillow! Holding onto a pillow while resting can replicate the sensation of a hug.
Research shows hugs can boost production of the hormone oxytocin, which is a “feel good” hormone. In fact, it’s sometimes referred to as the “love hormone.”
Oxytocin is associated with happiness – and has a particularly strong effect in women. Which makes sense since oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that’s produced in childbirth and breast-feeding. So it’s all about social bonding.
Hugging is shown to reduce stress and inflammation in the body too. So next time you’re feeling stressed, hug it out!
Stress Hack #5: Delegating.
This stress-reducing hack is for you busy moms, biz owners, and career women out there.
Yep, I can hear your collective groans all around the world right now! But here’s the twist… There are things you can delegate without hiring a team. (Or relying on your kids and husband… which you know how THAT tends to go. LOL)
You can get delegate everyday things, like
Or, if there are work items you want to get off your plate, you can hire a virtual assistant to help you.
Here are some great tasks to offload to a VA:
You can even have them help you with personal tasks, like:
Delegating frees you up to focus on the things that matter the most to you. And gives you more time to relax and unwind… without dropping the ball.
Stress Hack #6: Cleaning and Decluttering.
Having crap lying around everywhere overloads our minds with stimulation. This causes our senses to work harder than they need to - and on shiz that isn’t necessary or important!
It’s also a time-suck, because it makes it super hard to find what you’re actually looking for.
And, for many of us, it actually brings up feelings of guilt or inadequacy, because in the back of your mind you’re thinking, “I need to be more organized.” And if someone dropped by unexpectedly? OMG, even thinking about it makes you embarrassed and horrified, right?
So my tip here is to declutter your house and give it a good scrubbing. I promise you will feel a huge sense of relief afterwards!
Give yourself a morning, at least once a month, that’s a designated Declutter Day.
Involve the kids and hubs (if you have them), because I guarantee they’re contributing to the stressful clutter!
Put jackets away in closets.
Break down and recycle all those Amazon boxes.
Toss out old food left in the fridge.
Go through your pantry and remove anything expired or that you don’t use anymore.
Go through all your mail.
Donate what you can!
Then, once you make a plan to get all that clutter out of sight, it’s time to clean.
Personally, I love doTERRA’s premade cleaning products because they are all made with essential oils – and sometimes I’ll even make my own.
Essential oil cleaning products are great because they’re powerful, chemical-free, and smell great. When you’re all done, you’ll look around your house and feel the relaxation seep back into your body. Ahhhhhh!
Stress Hack #7: Creating Art.
If you’re thinking “Well, I’m not an artist,” maybe you’re thinking the wrong way about it.
You don’t have to be a great painter to paint. Or a good writer to write.
You can go old school and pick up a coloring book and a fresh box of crayons as part of your stress detox plan.
There are even adult coloring books, did you know that?
Think about the arts and crafts you did as a kid and see if you can remember anything that was your favorite.
Here’s the great thing about being an adult… You can do whatever the eff you want. LOL
Whatever brings you joy and inspires you creatively… there’s no reason you can’t just because you’re grown now.
Yes, kween, you do you.
Stress Hack #8: Light a Candle.
There’s something so soothing about candlelight. Especially if it has a calming, pleasant scent.
Candlelight has been associated with celebrations, spiritual rituals, and important moments for hundreds of years. It’s said that candlelight connects with the soul.
I love lighting a scented candle when I take a hot bath after a long day. I choose essential oils that are soothing to me, like chamomile and citrus scents.
There are even meditative and soothing practices you can do that involve gazing at a candle flame.
I even like having a candle going in my office when I’m working. Somehow, even if I’m not directly looking at, it puts out soothing vibes that help me focus and keep stress at a minimum.
Stress Hack #9: Breathing Exercise for Stress.
This is a breathing exercise from Dr. Andrew Weil, who is super well-known for the 4-7-8 breathing technique.
Here’s how it goes:
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 7.
Exhale completely through the mouth, making a sighing or whooshing sound to a count of 8.
That three part cycle is considered ONE breath. You can do this for 3-4 breaths to begin to feel more relaxed and at ease.
What’s crazy is this exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.
It slows your heart rate and increases oxygen in your bloodstream, which contributes to an overall slowing down of the systems that are involved in stress…
It reduces that fight-or-flight instinct and is great for helping you fall asleep at night too.
Have spinning thoughts?
Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique to refocus your thoughts on your breathing instead of the worries in your head.
It’s truly magical!
Stress Hack #10: Practice Gratitude.
This is a great one to do with your kids and family at the end of the day. It’s called “Three Good Things.”
Each of you will share three good things that happened in the day.
It could be getting a good grade on a paper. Or catching up with a friend.
Even something as simple as having a good cup of coffee that morning can be one of your “three good things.”
This practice helps cultivate gratitude, which is highly recommended as a mental health practice. It helps you focus on the positive things in your life, even when there’s so much negativity flying around.
If you live alone, you can keep a gratitude journal and write your “Three Good Things” each night. You could share them on social media. Or in a text to a friend.
It’s a natural mood booster.
I promised a free manifestation guide, didn’t I?
You can use this essential oil blend recipe for manifesting the life of your dreams.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not. The oils in this recipe are known to boost energy and focus… and help in setting boundaries. All important ingredients in leading an amazing life, right?
I know I covered a lot of ground here today, but even if you just choose ONE of these ten wellness hacks to try out, it’s a step in the right direction.
You can accomplish wayyyyyy more when you’re relaxed, creative, and at ease.
Which means reducing your stress… physically, mentally, AND emotionally!
Let me know in the comments below which hack you’re gonna try… and how it works for you!
I’ll see ya online…
XO,
Hayley