Put down the nail polish!

Finding the balance between pampering yourself to distress and managing work stress.

In my mind, you and I are sitting over a cup of hot cocoa and a plate of warm snicker doodles. ‘Tis the season, am I right? Can you think up, like, ten things that are great for distressing and relaxation? How about can you think of ten things that you, personally, do to distress and relax? I bet that list is a little bit harder.

The world doesn’t need another book with a list of ways to relax or distress. Honestly, you could just google that.  The problem isn’t coming up with new ideas. The real work is knowing yourself and how you operate. What would work for you? What can you realistically make time for? Find what is best for you and implement the tools into your life, making them work for you. What do you value? What are your boundaries? What is the foundation for your life? Do you need more things in your life or does distressing mean setting better boundaries, taking things out? What is your motivation? What is the why behind your life?

Maybe a massage, chocolate cake or a pedicure is helpful. Sometimes it’s about remembering to breathe. Other times it is about re-evaluating why you are facing the stress in the first place. Sometimes the only thing that needs to change is your attitude.

Podcasts are a great way to listen to new ideas and have a fresh paradigm shift on your perspective and you can do it while getting stuff done like your commute or folding laundry. Kristy Wright’s Business Boutique podcast recently featured Mignon Francois sharing her journey as owner of The Cupcake Collection. She realized that even in the Garden of Eden, work was required. Work isn’t something we choose to do. We can choose how we work but work happens whether we like it or not. Adjusting our attitude and perspective of work can make all the difference. So, basically, heaping more ways to relax onto an already taxed schedule won’t help you feel better but learning to manage your work and home life will make things a little easier.