Mar 31, 2022 - Beauty
My Red Flower lavender candle can make me relaxed even when I feel like I’m going out of my skin. The scent is better than any lavender candle I’ve tried, even far pricier ones, and believe me when I say I’ve tried them all. Now tell me: What brings you back to earth when you’re stressing? Please do share in the comments.
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Kim France
I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.
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I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.
During lockdown, I finally allowed my inner nerd and outer nerd to coalesce. So, daily mental maintenance for me is reading with my morning coffee (The Tale of Genji), and then later, vigorous exercise while watching anime followed by a bath, the current favorite being Dr. Teal’s Calm & Restore bath salts.
Correction: Dr. Teal’s Calm & Serenity is what I use (I don’t know why I always make this mistake and accidentally misname it.)
I definitely need to move when the stress gets high. My current neighborhood has lots of hills, so I go out and climb them at a fast clip. On airplanes, where I’m trapped and anxious, I always have many episodes of a purely funny/happy show to watch (something like Kim’s Convenience, for example).
I take GABA and it works like magic.
A lot of times my stress hits in the middle of the night! Then nothing seems to help too much, though I do rhythmic breathing and try to relax my jaw. When did I last sleep through the night? I don’t even remember 😀
That happens to me too sometimes. Usually after a while of trying to sleep, I give up and go make herbal tea, and watch mindless telly. I haven’t slept through the night in ages. And I am still complaining about the time change too! Things could be worse though, like if I ran out of tea.
Try Gaia herbs Adrenal Support – there’s a daytime and nighttime version. I am a lifelong insomniac and am learning it’s probably related to my cortisol levels, which this helps stabilize.
audio books and spider solitaire, usually, but not always, at the same time
I take a hit of very strong (24 percent THC) weed and find a small project to get absorbed in. No rules!
One of my dachshunds completely zonks out in front of scented candles (I’ve got one from Etsy that smells like old books, leather and vanilla). He’ll roll on his back, very dignified, all paws relaxed. Sometimes he snores. If I could bottle that, no one would ever suffer from sleeping disorders again 😉
If I don’t listen to my dogs snoring, I knit to relax. Knitting and K-Drama.
I love Pure Barre classes. I travel a lot so I go everyday when I’m home. It’s less than an hour and not only does it help improve my mood, but I have seen a big change in my posture and core strength.
Yogi honey lavender tea. No caffeine. I still add honey. And meditation helps me a lot!
Holy heck, you people sound so Zen. You’re all either from LA or Vermont. Anyhow, I just go online shopping and put shitloads of beauty products, jeans, bags and shoes in my shopping cart. Extremely satisfying and extremely soothing.
Ha! My version of this is Zillow. I can really lose myself in dreaming about real estate.
Sometimes I’m distanced from my feelings, so I don’t know I’m stressed until I find that I’ve spent 10 days searching for a new night cream and buying 3. And I have probably bought 100 pair of jeans in the last year, and returned 95.
I think I’ve found my people!
Jenny = Eloise (except I know I’m stressed and have returned 98 of the 100 pairs of jeans purchased since the pandemic began).
Ha ha ha ha — but *which* were the 2-to-5 jeans you-all kept? Bc I will completely cheat off of other people’s jeans shopping. I like mid-rise and flares or bootcuts. So, basically, things that don’t exist. … … … Francine, you crack me up!!
Madewell! Return to mid rise finally…
Lately, my husband has had to witness me lament over ill-fitting jeans with bad washes and return upon return. He’s even developed skills in assessing the quality and fit; “Those don’t look very expensive, Hon. I like the $200 pair better.” Words I never thought would leave his lips.
el oh el
1. Walk outside
2. Sweet Orange & Lemon candle
3. Read a little
4. Play words with friends for a bit
5. Lavender epsom salt bath
Hi Jen, who makes your #2 Sweet Orange and Lemon candle?
I let my dog sit on my lap. Fortunately, she weighs just enough but not too much.
Even when I’m not stressed, exercising outdoors is my jam, and I always feel better with an endorphin high. Browsing online rather mindlessly works when I want to turn my brain off. When I discover something that I think might want to come live at my house or push its way into one of my overstuffed closets I save it to a Pinterest board and reconsider later. For the desired chill effect, I find it important not to feel any guilt about how I’m wasting time. After all, life’s too short for that.
Walking or hiking in nature just about always helps me.
Nothing quite hits the reset button, though, like going back to my hometown for a visit.
Walking outside for 30-45 minutes and deep breathing on 5 counts (in-hold-out), for as few as 5 times.
Chamomile tea — esp a good one like Rishi’s — has saved me many an evening. From being over caffeinated, consuming too much msg, or just feeling wound up/unsettled. Add a good magazine like The Gentlewoman or Apartamento. We’re in business.
Walking outside and looking at pugs on Instagram 🙂
A walk with my dog usually does the trick as she stops so often to check her ‘pee mail’ that it isn’t a rushed process or one with a goal in mind. I also love a good puzzle.
Hiking on the trails by the ocean is like liquid Xanax for me. And when I can’t do that, it’s a combo of period films, a glass of wine and a big bowl of popcorn. I also swear by my CBD w/a small dose of THC for sleep – I’m off to la la land in no time.
Dark chocolate of course.
Have not found a reliable remed, yet. A friend of mine achieves serenity by doing puzzles (need to be wooden ones)
There is a South Korean woman with about seven cats with very distinct personalities who makes these hilarious cat videos. There are tons of them on You Tube (her channel is called Kittisaurus), and they’re all different. Sometimes she has them do challenges, or sometimes she makes movies with plots where she does different voices for all of them. My husband and I watch one every night before bed and they always put me in a good mood:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwcsDWGip6vtiZyCnvDoClQ
I love Kittisaurus! For similar vibes, check out the MilkyBokiTan and OwlKitty YouTube channels. This is my happy/chill zone (especially after approximately 2.5 to 5 mg of a nice mellow edible).
For me it’s all about exercise. My top choice for replacing spinning anxiety with calm is exercise outdoors in a beautiful spot so rock climbing or hiking. Climbing in particular requires being present in a way that interrupts any spiraling thoughts. Hiking or a trail run with a lot of elevation gain and some route finding can provide it too.
When I can’t get outside some yoga that starts with a strenuous flow sequence followed by grounding breathing helps a lot. I need to “burn” through some of the anxiety before I can access the peace.
I also exercise to burn through the anxiety. I’m back to swimming laps at my local YMCA, and it’s been such a pleasure to be reminded how swimming works for a brain reset as well as feeling really good physically.
Exercise that involves counting. Focusing on counting, breathing and where my body is in space helps me reset my perspective. And, if I’m fortunate enough to be near the ocean, some minutes standing in the sand watching the waves come in and breathing in the air, which is heavy with magnesium, restores me to my depths.