Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday and I hope the week is treating you well. 

3 Ways to Combat Stress this week 

Spend time with nature. Recently I have been really focused on making the most of the beautiful weather before it gets cold. While you can still spend time with nature in the winter, take advantage of the lovely colors and crisp air before they leave us once again. Getting some fresh air is a wonderful way to reduce stress even momentarily so that you can get back to studying.

Give yourself at least 30 minutes to wind down before you go to bed. You’ve probably heard this before, but it actually does wonders for stress in relation to sleep. Lack of sleep, or quality sleep can wreak havoc on the body and mind. Ensure more restful sleep by spending time in your sanctuary (a tip from a few issues ago) and saying goodnight to electronics before you do so. This is something I work on as I sometimes feel browsing social media can be relaxing at the end of the day – but I am wrong. Filling your brain with images, concepts and other stimuli right before bed is a recipie for a bad night’s sleep or at the very least weird dreams.

Cleanse your body by switching up your diet to mainly fruits and vegetables this week. This is not a diet tip nor is it propaganda for vegetarianism, it is merely a way to ensure your body gets what it needs. Supplements aren’t always absorbed by the body, thus it doesn’t get what it needs to function properly. Strive to eat at least one meal with no carbohydrates and double the vegetables or fruit as usual. Try this for a week and see how great you feel!

Peaceful Physicality

Stretch your Inner Child

While you might find yourself getting increasingly goofy and everything around you getting increasingly hilarious as you study into the wee hours, take a break to stretch in child’s pose.

Find a comfortable place on the ground that is relatively quiet and has no major distractions.

Stand with your feet on planted in parallel under your shoulders and align your spine.

Starting with your head, roll yourself down until your arms are hanging or touching the ground. Try to imagine each vertebrae folding individually and as you begin to hang, breathe deeply.

Plant your hands on the floor and move your feet backward until you are in downward dog, your back should be flat and your butt should be in the air – feet do not have to be flat.

Breathe deeply 

Bend your knees so that you are positioned on all fours, then slowly sit back on your heals with your hands and arms still stretched out in front of you.

Your forehead should be on the floor. Breathe deeply and stay here as long as you like or for at least 10 breaths.

If you want to stay in this position but want to change things up, or need to modify – put your arms at your sides; your palms should be facing towards the sky and you can rest your cheek on the ground with your head to one side

When you are finished, make your way to standing and thank yourself for taking the time to take care of your body and mind 

Thank you for reading, have a good Wednesday. Namaste – Gabi