47 Ways to destress for introverts
Wellbeing is being at home in your body and mind. For me, it’s about feeling a sense of calm, being at ease and feeling content with where I am right now, at this very moment. No bullshit, no gimmicks. There’a a shitload of reasons why stress and anxiety can creep into your day to day and for me over the years these have been many and varied. Being an introvert, I live in my mind a lot of the time… so it’s super important for me to create habits and routines that serve me well.
I went to a talk the other week by a well known nutritional biochemist. I’ve seen her before and she’s good. I’m a common sense girl, and ideas need to be backed up by science for me and this particular woman knows her shit. Especially when it comes to the biomechanics of our hormones and our minds.
One thing that struck me though, was that I was listening to advice on stress from a woman who had no dependants and clearly no financial limitations or concerns. She spoke about the day to day stresses of the modern woman.
Kids, family, work… all the things that need to be done… emails… but nowhere did she mention some of the things that many us us deal with on the daily.
The whole busy woman syndrome thing is interesting. Yep, I reckon a lot of women, kids and men, go from one thing to the next, work commitments, kids commitments, home commitments. The never ending cycle of soccer practice, doctors visits, work deadlines and time pressures. Some of that in my opinion is a choice.
You choose to let your kid do ALL THE THINGS. They probably don’t want to do it anyway. And, no they are not going to be the next All Black/ Silver Fern/ Black Cap…. We made a choice in our family to let our kids do things they really wanted to and quit the rest. But I digress.
Thing is. Nowhere did she mention the stresses that are not one offs, or life events… things like, the unrelenting sleep deprivation that goes along with babies and toddlers, the daily struggle of raising neuro-atypical children, the stress of caring for dependants who are chronically or critically ill. You can’t self talk your way out of theses stresses. And as an INFJ, I tend to take on ALL the the emotions and everyone else too!
Yet, she did make a great point. That stress has a direct opposite and that was in fact, trust. And I’d go so far as to say that when we trust our abilities, our bodies and our own minds to walk through the hand that life deals us, we are in fact lifted up and buoyed by the power within us.
I created a list of good shit that can help in meaningful ways a while back. When the shit hits the fan, it’s good to have a go to list of things you can do that will make a difference.
These are meaningful and purposeful things you can turn to at any time to calm your mind and bring about a sense of wellbeing. None are an immediate elixir by themselves but when you routinely practice a handful of these on the regular, you’ll start to know which ones bring you peace.
Some might seem a bit woo woo for some of you, but trust me! And, if you’re an introvert like me, these will ring true for you!
For me, when I’ve had a stressful day, I go to bed with 30, 34 and 35! On the daily, I walk, do yoga and (try to) cut out inflammatory foods.
47 ways to destress – when you are an introvert
- Bathe – simply get in water, the shower, a bath, a spa
- Walk, even if it’s just up a hill or around the block
- Head to a beach, pop your toes in the water and sand
- Routine, this creates calm and space
- Yoga, you don’t need to be good at yoga to DO yoga!
- Dance class, or some form of expressive movement
- Body work, osteopath, chiropractor, physio etc – find your thing
- Acupuncture, I swear by this!
- Massage, focusing on yourself and your body
- Creativity, paint, write, draw, bake, cook!
- Less social media, be mindful of how you’re scrolling your life away
- Say no, pick where your energy goes – especially if you’re an introvert
- Skin care, choose a simple and easy routine, that feels good
- Therapy- everyone should have a good therapist!
- Yin yoga – try this one- its restful and rejuvenating
- Plants, get some. Water them!
- Stretch, before you get out of bed and regularly throughout the day
- Candles, treat yourself to some scented indulgence
- Hydration, feeling grumpy… drink a glass of water, tired? …water…
- Nutrition, feed your body and mind with good food – give it what it needs to be happy
- Probiotic foods, treat your gut well
- Prebiotic foods, set yourself up for a healthy mind and body
- Rest, forget being busy or on all the time
- Naps- not just for nanas!
- Sleep, sort your routine- get 7-8 hours every night
- Simplicity- ditch the drama, get some routines that work and create space for yourself in your physical environment
- Essential oils, create the atmosphere you enjoy most – energised, calm, peaceful, uplifting
- Act with purpose, create your life
- Enjoying tasks, you GET to clean your house, make your bed and wash your car!
- Gratitude, be mindful of stopping to smell the flowers, what went well today?
- Trinkets, bracelets, rings, necklaces… things that matter to you… and calm you
- Sprays, bach flower, herbal remedies
- Slowing down, take stock, one step at a time
- Chakras, be mindful of where you carry energy and stress
- Mantras, self talk and affirmations
- Volunteering, be of service
- Being present, live in the moment – not yesterday or tomorrow
- Walking through the moment, not pushing it away
- Allowing emotions to come and go, everything ebbs and flows in time, this too shall pass
- Bath salts, soak for stress
- Service, to yourself, your family and friends and your community
- Ashwagandha, great for stress
- Magnesium, for muscles and sleep
- L-Theanine, for anxiety
- Breath, let it flow
- Palo Santo, burn it, cleanse your space and your physical being
- Pat your dog , dogs are life.