How To Comfort Yourself After a Stressful Day
It's just one of those days. You're stressed out and nothing seems to be going right. The week is dragging on. All you want to do is go home, relax and unwind. The question is, how do you comfort yourself? I like to think of myself as an expert when it comes to de-stressing after a tough day. I am here to share some of my tips and tricks with you and help you take some of the edge off.
1. Forgiveness
This is the first step to relaxing your mind and it has to be the most important step of all. Focus on forgiving yourself for everything that has happened during the day or week. Forgive yourself for the part you played that led to the stress you are experiencing. Choose to let it go and start fresh the next day, or if that's too difficult, verbalize your thoughts and feelings to whom it may concern. It's not worth suppressing your feelings and stressing yourself over it. Remember that your mental health is the priority here so let's keep the focus on “you.”
2. Permission
We’ve already established that “Forgiveness” is an important step but the second step is “Permission” which will further validate the first step. Forgiveness and permission go hand in hand. I want you to start by acknowledging and expressing your feelings and emotions in a healthy way. You might not understand fully why you feel the way you do or agree with your emotions entirely but, “please honor them”. Embrace all your feelings without judgment or over-analyzing them. Give yourself permission to feel. Understand that all emotions are valid; there is no supposedly ‘appropriate’ feeling for any situation. What you are experiencing is normal, so give yourself the time to allow the emotions to wash over you.
3. Write
Writing a journal has shown to reduce anxiety and stress. My personal experience aside, writing has even helped many of my clients. Get everything out of your head and onto a notepad or journal. Start with how you are feeling, write about decisions you have made, upcoming events, heck, even make a grocery list to organize your home environment. The possibilities are endless. You will never run out of things to write about the same way we never run out of things to think about. Writing will help strengthen your self-awareness, improve emotional intelligence and improve mindfulness.
Sometimes you might not even know what is upsetting you but writing it down will provide clarity in helping you identify and solve your problems. Get to know yourself on a new level. Writing is very relaxing and soothing, once you start you will not want to stop.
4. Get Comfortable
So far you have forgiven yourself and have comforted your emotions. It's time to physically take care of yourself. Take a nice hot shower or bath, preferably in low light. Hot water reduces muscle tension and pain. It can also lower blood pressure, while it improves blood circulation. Hot water also clears blemishes and promotes clear skin. Who doesn't want clear healthy skin right? I know I do, so indulge yourself in some self-care. Light some candles set a calm mood, put on your favorite PJs. Make yourself a drink. Give yourself everything you desire and love. You deserve it.
I want you to know that you are allowed to have bad days, you are allowed to feel things. Your feelings are real, you are not bothering anyone. Do not deny yourself the love and support you deserve. When you go to sleep tonight, I want you to remember, you did everything you can to make the best decisions. Be gentle with yourself.
This article was written by Celma, a regular contributor for Voile Chic Inc. Celma is passionate about helping you take your power back and be in control of your life. Shes all about ensuring you love yourself more. Just think of her as your online BFF. During the day she works with neurodiverse children and they are her heverything. Outside of work, she loves to explore, hike, watch documentaries and connect with people.