If you're a person who, like me, endures chronic stress, sometimes it feels impossible to take a step back and relax. For those of you who aren't familiar with chronic stress, simply put, you get stressed frequently and it can be quite debilitating as it can alter your physical state and your well-being. For me, stress does affect my digestion, my skin, the quality of my sleep, makes weight loss more difficult, often reduces the ability for my immune system to properly protect me and can exacerbate issues you already may have. 

I'm a planner, I'm someone who worries a lot and someone who carries their work home with them even when the day is done which can be a lot for myself or anyone to handle. Luckily, I continue find new ways to help with the stress. Whether or not you have chronic stress or regular stress, check out my tips below for relaxation:  

Breathe. Quite literally the most obvious thing to do is to take a breath. My SAVIOR of a meditation app, Calm, is the best money ever spent. This app has a ton of guided meditation for different things such as Sleep, Anxiety, Managing Stress, Mindfulness and even Sleep stories - stories that when played help you fall right to sleep. You can try out the app for free and upgrade if you feel like it works for you - I highly recommend it. 

Stretch. Stretching can be as simple as doing it while lying in bed or actually getting up to do some yoga. I began doing yoga for 10-15 minutes right before bed recently and the simple act of lengthening your body, removing the tension from your neck and spine just puts your body at ease. Even if stretching is difficult for you, I guarantee that it will take your mind off of everything that's going on in your life for the duration of this activity. This can be done in the morning or in the evening or both! 

Work out. Yep, I'm sure you've heard this before. Good ol' fashioned working out helps relieve stress. For me, I notice I have heightened stress when I get into the office when I haven't worked out in the morning. For me, working out in the morning isn't just a workout, but it's knowing that I've gotten up early to be productive that day which often means the rest of my day with also be productive. If running is your jam, go running outside, enjoy the scenery and weather. All in all, get moving early - the earlier you can 'check' something off of your to-do list, the better you'll feel about the rest of your day. 

Dosist. Sometimes none of the above cuts it. Sometimes I need to just chill right at that moment. The most efficient way for me - taking my "Calm" Dosist dose pen with me wherever I go for whenever I may need it. This brand carries a variety of weed pens but this one has very little TCH so I'm able to go about my day unphased but with the effects of calmness.  One dose is all you need to put your body and mind at ease.. 

Relax with a friend. When I get stressed and overwhelmed, I have a tendency to lessen my interaction with friends because I feel like I need all of this time to myself to accomplish everything that I need to get done. Sometimes you do but sometimes you really do have to step back and make that time for others. More than just hanging out with a friend to unwind, having a massage or spa day with a friend works wonders for your psyche. 

Take a walk. If you like in CA, more than likely you spend half of your day at work a huge portion of your day making that commute. If something at work is overwhelming, take a walk or sit outside for a few minutes. You can forget to do something as simple as that with meetings, calls and work itself but it'll improve your work happiness, trust. 

Laugh. or Cry... I'll often watch funny YouTube videos or comedians to get a good laugh in. Also, I'll also watch a really sad movie - crying really does release a ton of tension you might have. Let. it. out. 

Somethings I don't recommend: 
+ Binging to a Netflix show may sound great in theory as it takes your mind off of the present. But if you're like me who already has difficulty sleeping, this can often make you feel worse. IF you're going to watch anything, watch 1 movie and fall asleep. 
+ I also don't recommend eating poorly. I'm SO guilty of this but when I eat poorly, I go into a cycle of trying to feeling bad then overcompensating by eating too healthy where it becomes unbalanced and difficult to upkeep which causes more stress. Have a cheat meal, sure. But rampaging for days only causes more stress. Been there. done that. 

In addition to the above, these are some other calming products that I use and recommend below!