2432: 8 Simple Ways to De-Stress and Rejuvenate When You Can't Take a Vacation by Mirna Segal with Tiny Buddha

[00:00:00] Now before we start, you might want to check out our other podcasts covering topics like personal development and minimalism, money, health, relationships, and more. So to optimize your life in other areas, just search for Optimal Living Daily in your podcast app. Now on to the show.

[00:00:18] Hello everybody and welcome to another bonus episode here on ORD and I'm your host Greg Audino.

[00:00:23] This week we'll be sharing previous audio from our health show, Optimal Health Daily, which you can find along with all of our shows by searching for Optimal Living Daily in your podcast feed.

[00:00:34] So with that, here's Dr. Neil with the post as well as his insightful commentary as we optimize your life.

[00:00:43] Eight Simple Ways to De-Stress and Rejuvenate When You Can't Take a Vacation by Mirna Segal with tinybuddha.com

[00:00:52] Quote,

[00:00:53] If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.

[00:00:56] If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.

[00:01:01] Ajahn Chah

[00:01:02] It's a common theme. Jobs keep piling up, new problems arise, and deadlines are nearing.

[00:01:08] Taking time out for yourself to de-stress and rejuvenate is so far down the to-do list you don't even consider it a possibility.

[00:01:15] But the long-term effects of putting yourself last are real, especially because they take a while to show.

[00:01:20] They creep up slowly until one day, you've burnt out.

[00:01:24] When I was in this position, it didn't end too well.

[00:01:27] The combination of dealing with long-term insomnia, hairdressing full-time, and studying led me to exhaustion.

[00:01:33] I had adrenal fatigue, and my body was so tired that everything hurt.

[00:01:38] My eyes were constantly stinging, head continuously throbbing, and my muscles were always sore from never getting the rest they needed.

[00:01:45] I eventually quit hairdressing, because there's only so long you can function as a zombie with sharp scissors in your hand.

[00:01:51] But I left to pursue my own business, which brought with it even more work.

[00:01:55] I had to find a way to recharge constantly throughout the day, if I wanted to keep up with such an involved career.

[00:02:02] You are your own most valuable asset, and no matter how important another task is,

[00:02:07] if you don't dedicate some time to yourself, you'll burn out.

[00:02:10] The harder you push, the harder you'll fall.

[00:02:13] I learned how to find time to dedicate to me while working, studying, and sleeping only two hours a night.

[00:02:19] I'll show you how you can do it too.

[00:02:21] One, let go of shoulds.

[00:02:25] Let go of telling yourself you should do certain things.

[00:02:28] If it's not a necessity, don't overthink it.

[00:02:31] Shoulds are guilt trips disguised as obligations, which add to extra stress and eat up time.

[00:02:37] Even if you don't do anything else I mentioned in this post,

[00:02:40] let go of telling yourself you should do tasks you don't need to do or even want to do.

[00:02:46] The ones I constantly struggle with are,

[00:02:48] I should get up earlier to get more work done.

[00:02:51] I should do yoga every day.

[00:02:53] I should spend less time on my phone.

[00:02:56] Whenever I catch myself saying these, I smile and simply reword it.

[00:03:00] I should do whatever makes me feel good right now.

[00:03:03] And what is that?

[00:03:05] Sure, there are times when we need to push ourselves to make healthy choices.

[00:03:08] But if you're too tired to go to the gym,

[00:03:11] and it would make you feel good to take a walk through the park,

[00:03:13] that gets the job done too.

[00:03:15] This one change in perspective will make you feel lighter and happier throughout the entire day.

[00:03:21] 2. Find a short, relaxing exercise routine.

[00:03:25] Whether it's stretching exercises, yoga, or a moving meditation,

[00:03:30] a short routine like this is ideal.

[00:03:32] You address three things in one go.

[00:03:34] You give yourself 15 minutes to yourself,

[00:03:37] you get your blood flowing to your head and around your body,

[00:03:39] and you relax and stretch out your tight muscles.

[00:03:42] Rather than choosing a 15 minute power yoga session to quote unquote,

[00:03:47] make it worthwhile,

[00:03:48] find something that feels good,

[00:03:50] that allows you to feel centered.

[00:03:52] Don't worry about how many calories you'll burn.

[00:03:54] This is purely for pleasure.

[00:03:55] There are plenty of guided videos on YouTube,

[00:03:58] so you don't even need to go to a class to reap the relaxing benefits.

[00:04:03] 3. Spoil yourself.

[00:04:05] No matter how small it is,

[00:04:07] get out of the house and get something done that makes you feel good.

[00:04:10] Haven't brushed your hair properly in a month?

[00:04:12] Go to the salon and get a hair treatment.

[00:04:14] Shoulders are tired and achy?

[00:04:16] Get some acupuncture or a massage.

[00:04:18] Even when the budget doesn't allow for indulgence,

[00:04:21] remember that you are fully qualified and capable of looking after yourself.

[00:04:26] Try soaking your feet in a tub of hot water with Epsom salts

[00:04:29] while listening to a podcast,

[00:04:31] maybe this one,

[00:04:32] relaxing music,

[00:04:33] or even an audiobook.

[00:04:34] You want this to be an enjoyable time out,

[00:04:37] so listen to your body and let it tell you what it wants.

[00:04:40] 4. Get away for a day.

[00:04:43] You may genuinely not have the time right now to leave for a day,

[00:04:47] but what if you committed to going in three weeks' time?

[00:04:50] Could you aim to get everything done before then,

[00:04:52] or book the rest in for when you return?

[00:04:55] Changing scenery and getting away from your usual routine

[00:04:58] will do wonders to your mind.

[00:04:59] Leave everything and decide that on this one specific day,

[00:05:04] nothing else matters.

[00:05:05] 5. Set yourself a daily routine.

[00:05:08] I first learned about efficient daily routines from a book called

[00:05:12] The Miracle Morning.

[00:05:13] In a nutshell,

[00:05:15] this routine consists of completing the six most efficient

[00:05:17] personal development practices every single morning.

[00:05:20] These include meditation,

[00:05:23] affirmation,

[00:05:24] visualization,

[00:05:25] exercise,

[00:05:26] reading,

[00:05:27] and journaling.

[00:05:28] I read The Miracle Morning when I had insomnia.

[00:05:30] Falling asleep before 3am was a good night,

[00:05:33] so the idea of getting up an hour early

[00:05:35] wasn't even something I'd consider.

[00:05:36] But I knew there was something to it.

[00:05:39] So instead of mornings,

[00:05:40] I would find time during the day to complete these.

[00:05:42] And not always all at once either.

[00:05:44] 10 minutes of reading on my lunch break,

[00:05:46] 10 minutes of exercise when I got home,

[00:05:49] 10 minutes of journaling and visualizations before bed,

[00:05:51] and so on.

[00:05:52] If I ever found myself sitting there doing nothing,

[00:05:55] or worse,

[00:05:55] mindlessly flicking through social media,

[00:05:57] I would try to complete another one.

[00:06:00] Though this wasn't the correct way to do it,

[00:06:02] it introduced me to a world of self-love and forgiveness.

[00:06:06] I forgave my mind for not falling asleep when I needed to.

[00:06:09] I forgave myself for the anger I felt when I was tired

[00:06:11] and cranky every morning.

[00:06:12] And I decided to give myself the love I deserve.

[00:06:16] By doing these short practices throughout the day,

[00:06:18] you prove to yourself you're worth this time to serve you.

[00:06:22] And the best part is that it doesn't require

[00:06:24] a big chunk of time to benefit.

[00:06:26] Quote,

[00:06:27] The moment you accept responsibility for everything in your life

[00:06:30] is the moment you gain the power to change anything in your life.

[00:06:34] Hal Elrod, The Miracle Morning.

[00:06:37] 6. Find a hobby.

[00:06:40] What is something you love to do?

[00:06:41] Something you're yearning to do, but don't.

[00:06:44] Can you find a community group that does this on a regular basis?

[00:06:47] Imagine connecting with like-minded people while doing something you love.

[00:06:51] When you reconnect with an activity you enjoy,

[00:06:53] you'll fall in love with how it makes you feel,

[00:06:55] which means you'll make it a priority to do it regularly.

[00:06:58] Whether it's an art class or salsa dancing,

[00:07:01] fulfill this desire you have, and it'll naturally lead to letting go of stress.

[00:07:06] 7. Leave criticisms and gossip.

[00:07:09] Express gratitude instead.

[00:07:12] We've all been there, even though we know it makes us feel terrible and accomplishes nothing.

[00:07:16] Instead, talk about your latest achievements or something fabulous you notice someone else doing.

[00:07:21] Tell your friend that you love what she's been doing lately and ask her what she's learned from it.

[00:07:25] Not only might you learn something new, but showing gratitude and appreciation is the quickest and easiest way to feel excited and alive.

[00:07:33] Do you ever notice how you light up when you're pumped about something?

[00:07:36] How you start talking three times faster and can't even express in words how happy it makes you?

[00:07:41] We could all benefit from raising each other up and celebrating accomplishments,

[00:07:45] and it would lead to building strong, happy, and powerful relationships.

[00:07:50] And number eight.

[00:07:51] Find a song that makes you go places.

[00:07:54] You know the ones that give you goosebumps and make you forget about the rest of the world for those few minutes?

[00:07:59] Keep those songs handy, whether they're on your phone or saved on YouTube.

[00:08:03] Then when you need a break, all it takes is to plug your earphones in and listen.

[00:08:07] You don't always need to do something to fix a problem.

[00:08:09] Sometimes all it takes is to let go, surrender, and let your problems and stresses melt away.

[00:08:15] Dedicating time to yourself is essential to de-stress and rejuvenate.

[00:08:19] And as you can see, these ways are achievable no matter how busy you are.

[00:08:23] The aim is to do small, purposeful practices throughout the day to truly make your moments count.

[00:08:28] Which one will you start on first?

[00:08:34] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:08:36] 8 Simple Ways to De-Stress and Rejuvenate When You Can't Take a Vacation

[00:08:40] by Myrna Segal with tinybuddha.com

[00:08:44] Dr. Neil here again with my commentary.

[00:08:47] I'm a huge fan of the book, The Miracle Morning.

[00:08:49] I read it, I think it was a year or so ago, and it still stands out in my mind as one of the best books I've read recently.

[00:08:55] What I like about it is it's so actionable.

[00:08:58] The author provides actionable, simple steps that you can do right now.

[00:09:02] Which if you've listened to this show for any extended period of time, you know I'm a huge fan of small, simple steps.

[00:09:08] And when it comes to stress, Myrna is absolutely right.

[00:09:12] It's additive.

[00:09:13] Meaning if we don't let the stress go, it keeps piling up.

[00:09:17] So I love using this analogy of carrying this hypothetical backpack.

[00:09:22] And with each stressor, you're just adding a weight to that backpack.

[00:09:26] It's like adding a five pound plate and then maybe a 10 pound plate, depending on how bad or how stressful that thing is.

[00:09:34] If we don't empty that backpack at some point, you're going to get physically exhausted.

[00:09:40] You can't carry around that much weight or stress for long periods of time.

[00:09:44] Your body will start to suffer.

[00:09:46] You'll have aches and pains.

[00:09:48] Your back may start to hurt.

[00:09:50] Your shoulders and your neck.

[00:09:51] Oh, and of course, those are symptoms of having too much stress as well.

[00:09:55] But if you start lightening the load, you'll be able to stand up straighter.

[00:09:59] Your back and your neck are going to feel better.

[00:10:02] Your muscles won't be as sore.

[00:10:04] You'll get a moment to hopefully lie down and rest.

[00:10:07] So that's why it's so important to unload that backpack or find ways to de-stress.

[00:10:12] And also, I want to make this distinction.

[00:10:14] What Myrna is talking about is not necessarily spoiling yourself, as she said in tip number three, all the time.

[00:10:21] These are for moments when you feel like you really need it.

[00:10:24] We could always find the excuse that, oh, I've been working so hard or I don't have the time to do dot, dot and dot.

[00:10:30] So I'm just going to spoil myself today.

[00:10:33] No, she's saying use this when you really need to de-stress.

[00:10:36] Use it when it's starting to add up.

[00:10:38] But don't use it as an excuse all the time to avoid doing the things that you need to be doing.

[00:10:44] Because if you avoid stuff, that's going to add more stress to your backpack.

[00:10:48] So what are some of the best ways to de-stress?

[00:10:51] Yes, absolutely. You could get acupuncture or massages.

[00:10:54] You could, of course, exercise, do meditation.

[00:10:57] But she's right. Gratitude is one of the best things you can do.

[00:11:01] Getting some social support. Hanging out with people that you actually like hanging out with.

[00:11:05] Play with a pet. These are all relatively easy ways to de-stress.

[00:11:10] Sometimes just taking a 20-minute nap can help tremendously.

[00:11:14] And of course, don't take a nap in class or while you're driving or while at work.

[00:11:18] But if you can find time on the weekends, it'll do wonders. Even just 20 minutes.

[00:11:23] And then, of course, once you've had that break, the other problems probably haven't disappeared.

[00:11:27] But hopefully you'll have some perspective and be able to dive right in and tackle those jobs that need to be done.

[00:11:32] All right, that wraps up today's episode.

[00:11:35] Thank you, as always, for listening and for being a subscriber of the show.

[00:11:38] Have a wonderful rest of your Thursday.

[00:11:40] And I'll see you tomorrow for another Q&A episode and where your optimal life awaits.