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If there's one thing we've learned in the last year, it's that stress is pretty dang inescapable. While it's impossible to totally remove worry from our day-to-day (after all, some stress is actually good for us), there are ways to minimize its impact and find harmony with it.
One such way is to weave more moments of self-care into our day. These moments allow us to make a conscious effort to ground ourselves and re-establish control over anything that may be increasing our anxiety, particularly throughout the workday. To figure out where to start, we tapped our friends at Boxed Water who know a thing or two about prioritizing one of the most essential elements of self-care: staying hydrated! Ahead, we share nine mindful ideas you can tap into today to bring some zen to your 9-to-5. These self-care swaps will help infuse a spa-like feel to your everyday routine and help you feel relaxed from the AM rush to your midday lunch break, all the way through to your wind-down bedtime routine.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
We know hydration is essential for our physical health, but did you know it's also vital for our mental health and mood too? Level up your water breaks by swapping out sugary beverages or plastic bottled water for one of Boxed Water's new natural fruit flavors. It's a sustainable choice thanks to the plant-based packaging, and a blast of lemon, blackberry, grapefruit or cucumber water will help keep you on pace for your daily hydration goals. Try the new Boxed Water flavors yourself with $5 off a Variety Pack using code BRITCO5!
Indulge in a morning bath
Wondering how to best reclaim the time we used to spend commuting? Dream up some uninterrupted you-time with a morning bath or a calming DIY facial massage.
Slow down your morning with a skincare meditation
It's easy to speed through your beauty routine in the AM, but what if you turned off auto-pilot and took that time to be more intentional in your process? We've got a full skincare meditation tutorial here, but some of the highlights of the 6-minute ritual include thinking about what you wish to release that is no longer serving you as you cleanse and exfoliate your skin.
Get a vitamin D blast
Now that spring is upon us, we can finally get back outdoors and prioritize lunch breaks away from our desk. If you don't have a yard to lounge in (I certainly don't), you can sit on your stoop to soak up some sun or head to a neighboring park for a picnic-style lunch. If your workload has you feeling strapped to your desk, it's even more crucial that you follow this tip to destress, fuel up, and revel in a natural mood boost from the sunshine.
Stretch it out
Ok, so maybe it's not realistic to squeeze in a sweaty workout in between Zoom calls, but stretching can be just as soothing and restorative for the body. Keep a yoga mat handy by your desk and add a 10-minute break to your calendar to work on your flexibility and unfold from your slouched desk posture.
Try a no-phone break
If you step away from your desk, but are still scrolling on your phone reading emails, it's not really a break. Seek out other ways to fill your break time away from screens, like flipping through physical copies of your favorite magazine, reading a chapter in a book, or pressing play on a podcast to give your eyes a rest.
Find your aromatherapy match
Scent is a powerful mood shifter. As many of us continue to work from the privacy of our own homes, there's never been a better time to experiment with scent and find what fragrances speak to you most. Candles and essential oil diffusers are an easy way to create a fresh vibe in your space, but room mists are also having a moment.
Journal your stress away
The benefits of journaling are far and wide: a) it's great for goal setting and manifesting and b) it can help shift your mindset and melt your worries away. Pause your nightly streaming marathon to jot down any stressors you encountered throughout the day, or to set intentions you have for the rest of the week, like making more sustainable choices or showing gratitude everyday.
When in doubt, send a meme
Feeling in need of human connection? Text a friend a meme that made you smile before you get ready for bed. Hopefully, you'll wake up to something positive in return!
Photography by Brittany Dawn. Art Direction and Styling by Kayla Haykin.
