Whew. Back in 2010 I was in 4 weddings- one was my own, we bought a house, I started a new job and we rescued Bradley. It was the best year of my life, but very stressful. After graduating college and living on my own in DC, I definitely was hit hard with working in the real world and dealing with everything on my own. I never really learned how to cope with stress until this past year with help from a therapist and my family. (Yes, I went to therapy- I am not in it anymore but it truly helps and I recommend it to ALL!)

What I do to chill out and relax:

-Light a candle and read. I am a huge bookworm (ask any of my friends) and I love nothing more than to sit with my kindle in bed or on our hammock outside and relax.

-Take a walk on the beach. Not everyone is so lucky to live 5 minutes from the beach but I have learned by just going down there and putting my feet in the sand- how amazing it truly is.

-Take a bath. Oh how I love my baths. I don’t take them to often- barely any in the summer but the winter is more relaxing to do so. I love getting fun bubble baths and just taking some time to myself. Try it!

-Go to the gym, do yoga or just deep breathing/stretching. When I feel anxious in the mornings, the best thing for me to do is going to the gym to get out of the house and burn some calories. My dad is a gym rat and has been since he was a kid and now I see why it helps him so much.

-Talk celebrity gossip, read magazines and watch reality tv. Why? It gets my mind off of my stressful situation and helps me forget for a bit. It is mindless fun and I love it! I have a DVR so I can fast forward through commercials and any ridiculous parts!

-Lay in the sun even if it is for 5 minutes. Yesterday I went outside in my sweats and just put my face in the sun for a few minutes and I felt like a different person!

-Read a page from my daily devotions book, pray or say 3 things that I was grateful for that current day. This has really helped me spiritually and mentally get through some tough days. I keep my devotions book right by my bed and I prefer to read it at night, unlike many who read it in the morning. Prayer- I have learned not to just complain and ask God for stuff- I thank him all the time now. Last week I won an argument with my insurance over a payment and I thanked Him right away for the strength and courage it took! Three things I am grateful or thankful for could be anything- from having your favorite meal (tacos lately) for dinner to taking a walk with Bradley and Dave. It is the little things in life that we are so lucky for. Sometimes Dave joins in too and says his 3 things of the day. Try it. 🙂

What do you do to relax?? (Keep it clean people 🙂 )