I am always striving to bring a little more calm into my life.

I’m not the most serene person in the world.  I get pretty easily stressed out although I have been doing my best over the years to try to stop stressing out so much and to try to feel calmer! I don’t think I’ll ever breeze through life with barely a care but here are my tips on how to bring a little calm into your life.

Find a green space

Studies have shown that getting out in green spaces improves mental health and well being.  Go and sit in your garden or find your local park or green space and take a bit of time there.  It will make you feel calmer, happier and you’ll be less stressed out. My favourite green “space” is Tollymore Forest Park. I have spent long and happy hours getting lost in the trees and now I love going there with the kids.  Laura  has already touched on how awesome it is in her latest post on her local adventures so check it out!

Listen to music

It’s that simple. Stick on a song that you love and turn up the volume. Have a dance if the notion takes you. Music is a great mood enhancer and if you feel overwhelmed just stop and listen to some music. When you listen to music it can help distract you from feelings of stress and upset. When I’m feeling overwhelmed sticking on a good tune really helps. I can’t stop myself from dancing (even if I’m stuck in the car) when my favourite songs come on.  Music is an instant stress buster for me and I feel so much calmer afterwards.

 

 

 

Take a moment and breathe.

Stop for a moment and fill your lungs. It doesn’t have to be a long moment, just enough time for a few deep breaths.  We tend to be so intent on rushing to do the next thing that we don’t give ourselves time to just breathe. When I’m stressed out and rushing around my chest gets tight and I don’t take a proper breath. If I stop to fill my lungs  it really helps me slow down and feel calmer. If you don’t get the oxygen you need your body and mind can’t function properly so I suppose it makes sense. Just taking a moment to breathe has definitely helped to stop me from exploding in anger when I get upset.

Move your body

Go for a walk, do some exercise, have a dance or just stretch. Physical activity boosts brain power and there are definite links between exercise and mood. If you don’t want to go all out to produce some endorphins by getting all sweaty just stretching can help relieve tension. Yoga Journal has some great stretches for doing at your desk to help loosen you up and calm you down. Recently I’ve been making an effort to get back to doing yoga everyday. I take just 15 minutes to practice in the morning and I am a lot more chilled out for the rest of the day.

Declutter to Feel Calmer

For me this is a tough one because I’m a naturally messy hoarder.  I hate getting rid of things that might be useful some day.  Especially tough because I’m a crafty person and I see everything as potential useful. Old things can always be taken apart, cut up and used again for something else. But how calm do you feel when you are surrounded by piles of stuff?  I always feel calmer when everything is in it’s place and there’s space to move. Tripping over another pile of fabric or standing on toys the kids have left lying around definitely stresses me out.

Take half an hour out of your day and dedicate it to finding your calm. I know it makes the rest of my day seem a lot easier! I’d love to hear your tips on how to find my inner calm! Do you have anything that you find works wonders?