How I try to chill the **** out

I'm not sure if it's Mercury, or that I'm just going crazy, or if it just really has been raining a shitstorm over my head these last few weeks but it's been overwhelming. I've just felt like everything, big or small, is too much - even the good stuff - so this week I've really, really, really tried to focus on relaxing at night and getting to a better mental place (without wine).

When I'm overwhelmed and stressed, watching TV and reading actually bother me more than relax me. I've found that to really zen out, I need to incorporate pretty much all of the below:

:::Phone calls - we all have our list of friends that we call for different reasons. If I need to be calmed down, if I need to vent, if I need to laugh, if I need to be distracted....I have friends that do each of those for me so it's nice to tap those resources.

:::Going outside - taking Roscoe more than around the block as the day settles is so relaxing. I normally find a reason why I can't take the 25 minutes, but when I do, I'm reminded that I love that time of day to be outside. The weather is perfect, everyone is getting home from work, it feels very cozy in my neighborhood at dusk. Sometimes sitting on our patio for a few minutes does the trick too.
 
:::Scented Candles - at 5 I like to light my candles and straighten up from the day. Since I work from home this my signal to put away the computer and try to start the night on a relaxing note.

 

::: Pintrest - normally before I start cooking dinner, I'll spend a good thirty minutes just binge pinning and totally zoning out.

 :::Hot Tea - After Joel and I clean up dinner we put a pot of tea on and when it's ready, its normally when I leave the living room to go chill out.

:::Magazines - books bother me, but US weekly is the exception to that rule so just zoning out with a few of the above (tea + candle, bath + dr.teals, etc) make for a super chill out moment

:::Lavender Bath - Dr. Teals  Lavender Soothe&Sleep is one of my top 5 favorite products in the world. 

:::Epsom Salt - if you haven't, you should try Epsom salt tonight. It's has proven qualities to relax your muscles, impact your blood flow, reduce stress and improve sleep. I try to soak in it as often as possible and can always tell a difference. 

 



:::Vix Vapor Rub - Joel is not a fan, but 'a little dab will do ya',  and for some reason, the rub takes me from physco to calm in seconds flat. I know it's not intended to do that, but like a chamomile spray, the smell and focus on deep breathing has major calming effects for me.

 

My list is very #basic but it works for me, and making a fuss of zening out helps me feel indulgent and so I try to rock the experience guilt free. Do you have any stressed out cure-all that I need???