I have always been the kind of person who is in my head- never able to not overthink things. With my mental health being a big struggle this year and college being a never-ending stressor, I've been looking for ways to get out of my head and find a little bit of serenity in my life.
It's definitely not an easy thing to find, but I thought I would just share a couple of the things that help me find a bit of peace lately.
Swimming: This one is the newest on the list and I've only been doing it for two days, but let me say, it's one of the few things lately besides medication that has been able to get my anxiety levels down. I head to the gym alone and just find time in the pool to just relax. My body is still recovering from what it endured in my high school days (a post more about this is in the works), and I've noticed that working out on something like an elliptical can still be really hard on it, but swimming isn't. The anti-gravity of it feels so good and although there might be other people around me, swimming laps or jumping off the diving board, I'm alone, but it's one of the few times where I'm alone and not overthinking, because I'm really not thinking at all.
Reading: When it comes to reading, it's something I've never been a big fan of. Lately, however, it has been something I'm trying to force myself to do. One of my classes has these activities that we have to sign up for every term and since last year I have been signing up for the book clubs. It's a nice way to have to force myself to read, because I have to do it for credit, but it's not a boring textbook, and it can help me meet other people in my college. Last term we read "Girl, Wash Your Face" and I immediately fell in love. I was very skeptical of the book at first, but once I started reading it, I was hooked. Conveniently, after the book club finished, the author, Rachel Hollis, came out with her next book "Girl, Stop Apologizing" and I have been reading that one as well. I've never been much of a self-help book kind of girl, but this one was really good, I actually think I'm going to make a post all about Rachel and her books. I also read two books last year- "Bossypants" by Tina Fey and "#GirlBoss" by Sophia Amoruso. Of the two, I loved "#Girlboss" the most, especially because I loved the show that came from it and Sophia's firey attitude, but "Bossypants" was great as well.
Naps: Now these have been a favorite for a while, and they're not the most productive, but sometimes you just need a nice afternoon nap. Naps are great because they truly turn my brain off, not just distract it. They can be bittersweet though when my dreams turn into whatever I'm stressing about, so be careful with this one.
Body Care = Self Care: This has been a practice I've been doing for a really long time that helps me a lot with my self-esteem and it's one that you can work easily into your routine- a little extra body care. For me, this looks like taking hot showers, using nice and oily body scrubs, taking baths with candles as the only light and soaking in bath salts and bubbles, lathering my body in lotions, putting on my oversized clothes and granny panties to get comfortable, and more. The simple skincare that we often forget or are just too lazy to do can make a big difference. I feel more like myself when my legs are freshly shaved and my skin is soft from the scrub and lotion. Even if it's just five minutes of distraction from the rest of my life, it's a distraction I'll take.
Finding peace and relaxation is something I'll never be perfect at. I still constantly overthink things, but at least I can find times in my day to take a breath and take some time to myself without worrying about myself, school, or anything else that is going on. I can just be- and that feels really good. I hope that maybe these tips are things you might enjoy and add into your life to maybe find some serenity.
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