It’s not new information that most of us get stressed out during our day-to-day. Simply navigating through the insane 35W construction and traffic on the daily commute can raise your blood pressure and start off your day filled with anxiety and stress before you even make it into the office. And while there are great ways to relax after a stressful day at work, like taking a long bath, going for a workout, or binge-watching your favorite show, it’s harder to find a relaxing moment when you’re still sitting at your desk.
So here are 3 easy ways to re-center yourself wherever you are and take a moment to relax so you’re ready for whatever challenge comes next.
The Calm App
Awarded as last year’s favorite app by Apple, the Calm App has exploded in popularity with its main intention to help its users find mindfulness, reduce anxiety, stress, and help with focus and better sleep through meditations and calming soundtracks. The app has a wide collection of content that ranges from different experts speaking on mental health, sleep stories – where a narrator reads a story while you fall asleep, different nature soundtracks, calming music, guided meditations, and much more.
This is a great way to take a moment for yourself at your desk or during your commute that only requires you to open an app and click on a meditation or listen to some calming rain or ocean sounds. One thing to be aware of is while the app is free to download and comes with some free content, unless you sign up and pay after a 7-day free trial you will have limited access and options within the app. I’d say it’s well worth it to try out because even their homepage made me instantly calmer.
Netflix’s Moving Art
These incredible half-hour films will have you mesmerized and relaxed instantly. Award-winning filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg, known for his amazing cinematography that focuses on nature and the world around us, has partnered with Netflix to create the series Moving Art. Currently there are two seasons with each short film featuring a different theme such as the ocean, waterfalls, forests, Africa, Iceland, or the Galapagos. Set to beautiful and calming music, you’ll watch his amazing 4K footage and imagery of landscapes, people, and animals. Simply put this on in the background while you’re at your desk or take a 5 minute break and watch part of an episode on your phone and you’ll be relaxed in no time.
Calm Stick
Out of all three of these quick and easy methods to relax, the Calm stick is probably the easiest and quickest of them all. While the official name of the product is called Aethereo Stick Essential Oil Inhaler, that’s a mouthful so I call it the Calm stick for short. My mom gave me the Calm stick as a gift (yes, mom I took the hint) and I immediately started carrying it with me everywhere. It’s the size and shape of chapstick and filled with calming essential oils: blue cypress, frankincense, lavender, and melaleuca species. All you do is uncap it and take a deep breath, inhaling the essential oils. It only takes a moment. You can find it at Hy-Vee stores in the organic/health section and along with the Calm blend you’ll find other essential oil blends that help with focus, headaches, sinuses, and immune defense.
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