A Simple Self Care Routine to Heal Stress Naturally (From Chaos to Calm 😌🌿

Hi my friends, today I'm sharing my simple self-care routine to heal stress naturally. If you feel stressed, hurried, overwhelmed, or simply just exhausted sometimes, then you're not alone. Life can get really loud and stressful sometimes, and I've absolutely been there too. In today's video, I want to share with you the simple self-care practices that I come back to again and again myself, especially on the harder days, and that make a huge difference in my life. I've learned these from personal experience, and also from reading and learning a lot about what actually works for calming down our nervous system and healing from stress. I am not a doctor or a healthcare professional, so I want to put that out there. This is just me sharing what helps me personally. But of course, my hope with this video is that me sharing what helps me to soothe and support myself will also be helpful for you. These are all small simple things that don't take a lot of time, and that don't require anything fancy or expensive. So they're just gentle grounded ways to bring a little bit more calm into your day, and maybe even into your whole life. So let's talk about it. As always, feel free to grab yourself something nice to drink and relax. I have a really nice cold brew green tea here that I made, because I'm very excited to say that this video is sponsored by my favorite tea company in the world, EQ tea. So I'll tell you more about them later. For now, let's begin with the first self-care practice. The first thing I want to talk about is something I do really really often, and I find this incredibly helpful. Especially on busy days when I have a lot to do and I feel like I don't have enough time to do it in, or I just have this general sense of like busyness and hurry and stress. This is quick, it's easy, and for me this instantly works. It's kind of a two-step thing. And the first thing is that I repeat the following mantra to myself a I have all the time in the world today. And then I just take a moment to physically slow down my movements for a few minutes, and try to deepen my breath at the same time. So let's talk about the first thing, saying to yourself I have all the time in the world today. I find this to be incredibly powerful and comforting, and the funny thing is that this works even when I feel like it's not true. Even when I feel hurried or stressed, or I have a lot to do, or I have this huge daunting task to do, so I don't feel like I have all the time in the world today, this still works. Words and thoughts have a powerful influence on our mood. And sometimes when I hear myself say these words, or think these words, it's such a relief for me to hear them. And sometimes I even get like a little tear spring into my eyes when I hear these words. And that's when I know that my nervous system isn't completely balanced at that time. So repeating this a couple times can help us to shift our nervous system from stress to calm, signaling safety to our body. And this is the perfect start to calm down a little bit, because our inner dialogue shapes the way that we move and feel. And what I do then is slow my movements down a little bit, which is hard when you feel like you don't have time and you want to get things done quickly. But try to slow down your movements because it only takes a minute or two longer. Just slow everything down a little bit to get out of that scarcity mindset when it comes to time. If I'm doing the dishes, if I'm running errands, if I'm busy at work, I take a few seconds to slow down my movements. You don't have to go super slow, but just to get out of that like tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk, like stressed hurried mode. And if you can pair that with slowing down your breath a little bit as well, and maybe even taking care to breathe down towards your stomach instead of keeping your breath up here, this is instant magic. This can help slow down the heart rate, it engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is otherwise known as the rest and digest system, and it immediately soothes anxiety. So next time you feel hurried and pressed for time, try this. Repeat yourself a couple times. I have all the time in the world today. And slow down your movements a little, and take some deep breaths. I really feel that even if this doesn't solve everything, there's a good chance that you will feel at least a little bit better. All right, let's move on to another one of my favorites, which is soothing self-touch. So for example, placing your hand on your heart, or on your stomach. You can stroke your own arm a little bit, or your shoulders, or press your cheek to your shoulder. So basically, skin-to-skin contact with yourself. I always feel a little bit weird and self-conscious talking about this, but this is something that I've been doing ever since I was a little kid, and I've always found it to be really helpful. It's quick, it's easy, you can do it anytime, anywhere. And we know that this does help to heal from stress. For example, a 2021 study found that self-soothing touch gestures significantly reduced cortisol responses to stress. And another study found that self-compassionate touch can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promote relaxation, and enhance the production of oxytocin, which is a hormone linked to feelings of connection and calm. Why I love this so much is that yes, it works, but it also helps to create a loving, supportive, compassionate relationship with yourself. And for many people watching, this this might be something that you have never actively done for yourself, because it's not something that we learn or talk about. And this is always available to you, so even if you're at work and you feel self-conscious doing this when there's people around, which I totally understand, then maybe try this when you're on a break or when you have a minute alone. Just give it a try. The cheek to the shoulder one, or to your arm, is my favorite somehow. It's super soothing, give it a try. And it helps if you're like not wearing a top here. I can't really show you because I have my mic here, but just yeah, it's it's really nice. Number three, the digital detox hour. Try to commit to one hour a day without screens or without social media to help reset overstimulated nerves and support your mental clarity. When you're stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, it can be so easy to just distract yourself a little bit and disconnect by scrolling on your phone, or doing scrolling on social media, or online shopping. But this can lead to more stress, or even if it's not that, to perhaps wasting time that you could have spent on other activities that are more helpful and beneficial for you. By selecting one hour of the day when you're disconnected from screens and technology and social media, you're giving your brain a chance to unwind and relax. So whether that is in the morning to set a positive tone for your day, or in the evening before going to sleep to unwind and relax, or you could do 30 minutes for both. This 2024 study found that digital detoxes are associated with reduced depression and lower cortisol levels, especially for people who reduce their social media usage. Our phone is a huge trigger for stress for many people, because that is where our work emails are, where the news articles are, where social media is, or I don't know. So it's very easy to see something and get triggered by it, and then start to ruminate on it, perhaps even interfering with your sleep. A recent survey found that almost half of Americans watch tv or scroll on their phone in bed when struggling to fall asleep at night. But we also know that bedtime screen usage is linked to poorer sleep. So this can easily become like this cycle, that only makes it harder for us to get the sleep and the rest that we need. For me, I try to have a digital detox hour both in the morning and in the evenings. So in the evenings it's quite easy for me, I just have my phone somewhere else and I'm doing other things. In the mornings, it is sometimes difficult for me not to automatically grab my phone and see if I have any work emails that have come in, or comments usually. Because I tend to get these during the night, because of the time difference. So sometimes that is a little bit difficult for me to not automatically grab my phone. But I notice a huge difference when I spend more time on my phone, as opposed to less time on my phone in my stress levels. Especially in the mornings and evenings. This next one is a little unexpected maybe, but it is something that always helps me out personally. And that is watching something intentionally that helps. So what I mean by that is watching something that's emotional, that gives you like permission to have a good cry, or something funny that makes you laugh out loud. Because sometimes we just need that emotional release. Sometimes I notice that I'm feeling stressed and my body just feels kind of like tensed up somehow, and it is because I feel like emotionally bottled up. And I don't know about you, but for me sometimes it's hard to access that built up tension and emotions and let it go without something that helps me to kind of coax it out a little bit. And that's when I do this. Watching a sad, not too sad film, or something that's like emotionally beautiful, can allow me to just kind of let go and release and have a good cry. And I especially like doing this when I have some time alone here in the apartment. I curl up with a blanket and a cup of tea. I have several movies that basically will make me cry as soon as I hear the opening song. So I'm always good to go. And yeah, when I feel like that, this is what I like to do. Just crying a little can already be so relieving. And this is not just in my head. We know that crying can help to decrease stress hormones, release oxytocin, and also activate that parasympathetic nervous system. So crying can help bring us back into balance. On the other hand, sometimes I feel like I don't need a good cry, but a good laugh. So when you know things have been stale and busy, and I feel like a little bit stressed, and I want to remind myself that life is fun, and to find the humor in life, I watch a funny movie, or a sitcom, or even just silly cat videos on youtube. Like there's a reason that people say that laughter is the best medicine. Because yeah, it kind of is. So next time you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself if maybe you could benefit from having a good cry, or having a good laugh. And watch something that helps you do that. Because it is a really like gentle and accessible way to care for your feelings, your emotions, without like stuffing them down and pushing them down further. And remember when I said watching it intentionally? That's right, that means not also being on your phone at the same time. So make it nice. Before we move on to number five, I quickly want to thank Ikkyu. And I'm always so excited to be sponsored by them, because I've been drinking their green tea for years, and they are my absolute favorite. Ikkyu is a small team located in southern Japan, and their mission is to support local producers and help them keep the Japanese tea tradition alive. These are people who have often dedicated their life to producing the best quality green tea. They're so flavorful, they have a beautiful deep green color, and they're full of healthy antioxidants that also help to combat stress in the body. They sent me some lovely teas again, and right now is shincha season, which means new harvest or first flush. So the teas right now are even more flavorful and healthy. I especially want to show you these two sister teas, Isami and Iyoko. These are so so wonderful, and I would highly recommend them. Isami is a really nice sweet green tea, super smooth, so much flavor, and without any bitterness. And Iyoko is also wonderful, deep green, really aromatic, and also very little bitterness. And you can brew this hot or cold. I love this as a cold brew too, it's so nice for summer. And because these have such high levels of theanine, they will give you that like boost of focus and energy, but in a very gentle way. So I always feel energized and relaxed after drinking these. All their teas come with brewing instructions, so anyone can make them. And don't forget, these are very high quality, so you can easily re-brew them three or four times. AQ gave me a discount code to share with you, so you can click my link in the description box, or use my code NUZEN at checkout to get 15% off on your purchase. Huge thank you to AQ, and let's get back to the video. These next two tips are about tackling your stress physically, because sometimes the fastest and best way to shift stress is to get out of your head and into your body. So this is a very quick little something that you can do a couple times a day, to just reset the nervous system and get some positive juju flowing. And I think this is especially helpful if you, like me, work at a desk, so sitting down. If you have a job that is very like physically demanding, you might hear me say this and be like, okay if I have a little break, I'm sitting my butt down on a chair. And I understand that, like that's valid. But if you, like me, like work sitting down a lot, then this can be like a one minute quick pick me up and stress reliever at the same time. So this is about interrupting that cycle of sitting down, like tight shoulders, maybe they're hunched forwards a little bit, your breathing is shallow, to just stand up and move. Not in a workout sense, but something that you can do anywhere. And I like to do this standing up, but if that's not available to you, then you can definitely do this sitting down as well. First you take a deep breath, and then move your shoulders up and down a bunch of times. Draw some circles with the nose, gently, don't force it. Then shake out one arm, and shake out the other arm. Shake out one leg, and the other leg. So you can do this super quick, or take a little bit more time, whatever you want. Just shake your body out. I always like to do a little stretch up overhead, maybe do a quick yawn or a sigh. And then stand and feel your feet on the ground. Take another deep breath, and you can close your eyes if you want, you don't have to. Just reconnect and feel the floor under your feet. Moving your body and shaking it out helps to release pent up energy, and reset the nervous system. And then by feeling your feet firmly on the ground, that is grounding, and it reminds you that you are safe. So this is a small action that can bring immediate relief, and create some space for yourself. If you're doing this in your own home, and you have a few more minutes to spare, then you can combine this with a really nice yoga pose called legs up the wall. And I love this one, I don't do this one enough. So you just kind of scoot your butt up against the wall, and then keep your legs up. It's okay if they're bent at the knees a little, and this is a gentle inversion that also calms the nervous system and reduces fatigue. So this is super nice to do. Feel free to give this one a go as well. This next one is also a really great way to heal from stress in a physical way, and it is called PMR, which stands for progressive muscle relaxation. I used to do this one back when I was recovering from burnout, and I have to admit that I kind of forgot about this one for a while. So doing research for this video reminded me of it. So PMR is a simple technique where you tense and then relax certain muscle groups in your body one at a time. And in my experience, this works surprisingly well to relieve stress first in your muscles, and then also in your mind and your emotions. A big 2023 study found that PMR can significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It works by engaging both the body and the mind, helping to quiet mental chatter while signaling to your nervous system that it is okay and safe to relax. You can do this sitting or lying down, whatever you prefer. And you can start with your feet. So try to tense up the muscles in your feet for five seconds, and then releasing them again for 10 seconds. And try to like release and relax. And then you can move up. So your legs, and then your butt, and then your stomach, and then your arms, and your hands, and then your neck and shoulders, and lastly the muscles in your face. So you can like squeeze them for five seconds. Not too hard, just squeeze them. And then relax and release for 10-15 seconds. Finish this off with a deep breath in and out. And you can continue sitting or lying down and chilling there if you have more time. If not, you can get up and move on with your day. So this exercise can take anywhere from like 5 minutes to 15 minutes, depending on how much time you have and how thoroughly you want to do the exercise. I definitely want to get back to doing this one again, because I used to really enjoy it. And I'm very curious to hear if you have ever tried this yourself, and what your experiences are. So let me know your thoughts in the comments, I would love to know. And the last one is something that has been an integral part of my self-care routine for years and years. And it's not like a quick exercise like the other ones are, but I did want to include it in the video because in my opinion, this might be the most important one. And that is to build a lifestyle that is naturally resistant to stress. Now something that I've never really liked, is when people say you just need to become more stress-proof. So that used to be a thing, like the idea that we should be able to handle a ton of stress without it affecting us so much. And sure, resilience is important and it is something that we can practice, but I never really liked the idea that we need to become this like superhuman robot that never gets fazed by stress. Because no matter how strong you are, chronic stress will affect you. What I think is much more helpful and beneficial, is to try and create a life that doesn't constantly create stress for us in the first place. So a life where there is more space to breathe and to rest, and to take care of yourself. This does involve lifestyle things like healthy habits, having strong relationships, or a support system, and things like that. But it also involves things that we can do more easily to support our well-being. It's things like setting realistic goals, instead of always piling on too much and then feeling like we're falling short. It's saying no more often, and making sure that we have enough quiet time in our calendar for ourselves. It's standing up for our needs, and setting boundaries, and protecting our peace when we need to. Or ensuring that we have enough time to practice the self-care activities that we need to feel good. Whether that is rest, movement, creativity, spending time in nature. Building a stress-resilient lifestyle isn't about becoming unbreakable, it is about building a life where you don't have to break so often. Where your daily habits can help to protect you from the chaos of the world. So just kind of like the foundation for a calmer life. So next time you're being hard on yourself and thinking I just need to be more stress-proof, take a little moment to ask yourself if that is really true. Like do you need more resilience to handle stress? Or do you need better support, better habits, or to create a life that doesn't keep pushing you past your limits? So what habits would help you to create a life that feels calmer, more spacious, and more sustainable for you to keep up in the long run? And that's the real question if you ask me. And the answer will look different for everyone, but it is a very powerful place to start. If you found this video helpful, I would love it if you could give it a like and subscribe to the channel if you haven't already, because that really helps me out. And if you want to learn more, I recommend watching this video where I also go into protecting yourself from stress. But that video focuses more on lifestyle habits that are proven to be very effective, and that I also try to do to the best of my abilities and that I find very helpful. So I will leave that video for you right there, I think, as well as in the description box. And I will also link it in the end card of this video. And of course, I would love to know in the comments what is something that you do that you find helpful to heal from stress and calm your nervous system. I always love reading your stories, so let's talk more there. Don't forget to check out IQT, I have a link and discount code for you down in the description box. And as always, questions, comments, conversations down below. Have a wonderful day and I will see you all again really soon. Bye bye. Alright, now for me to film the instruction of the shaking out of your body part of this video, because I don't have enough space in my office where I'm sitting right now to film this. So I'm gonna film that in the living room now and I can use it in the video.