Relax, Unwind & Let Go

By Audrey Patterson

Let go of stress and breathe!

Do you constantly feel stressed? Research by bodycare beauty specialists Sanctuary Spa suggests that 4 out of 10 women feel that they are about to burn out and nearly half of all women admit to feeling “moderately or extremely” stressed at the moment.

“From the beginning of time women have been multi-tasking but in the 21st Century we have become overly attached to our busyness; busy and stressed have somehow become inextricably linked with success,” says Jenni Trent-Hughes, Life Strategist for Sanctuary Spa #LetGo campaign.

“In order to be really successful we need to #LetGo of these antiquated attitudes. Think of it as carrying a wagon behind you. The more that is in the wagon the harder it is to pull and the harder it is to pull, the more tired you will be and the less distance you will cover.

“‘Get present to your presence’. Take a long hard look at yourself. Is there a sparkle in your eye? Is there still a slight skip in your step? If you met yourself at a party would you think ‘Oh I’d like to be friends with her’?

“If you don’t like the answers to those questions then maybe it’s time for a rethink. Time to look and see what you can do, or stop doing, that will take you back to being that person. It’s in your hands. Time to take action and learn to #LetGo.

Me time is not selfish, it’s a necessity. People have got to understand that doing this stuff is no longer a luxury. We have got to calm down. We have to let go of things that we don’t need to be clinging onto.”

Here are Jenni’s top tips – and don’t miss this video!

7 WAYS TO LET GO

1 Say what you are grateful for every morning. First thing in the morning, before you say a word to anyone and start planning your day, ask yourself “what am I grateful for?” and whatever it is then say “thank you”. It doesn’t need to be anything grand or complicated, it could simply be “my family”, “my lovely soft skin” or “that the dog didn’t chew my new shoes”.

2 TT3 (Today’s Top 3 – things that you want to accomplish). They could be small things, medium things or giant things – but stick to just 3. Write them on a little notepad and cross them off when you’ve done them – don’t put them in your phone, write them on a piece of paper. At the end of the day rip the paper up into little pieces and throw it away. Remember to be reasonable with your TT3; Solve World Hunger, Cure the Common Cold, Learn Mandarin, is just asking for trouble!

3 TOT (Turn Off Time). Turn off your phone and or tablet for 30 minutes per day. You can divide the time if you’d like but nothing smaller than ten minutes each time and it must be off. Not on silent. Perhaps choose this for your commute home, when you’re preparing the evening meal or when you’re soaking in the bath. But always off. This is the most difficult for all of us but the most worthy. Sounds simple until you try it – you’ll find it scary.

4 Use your commute time as “you time”. Read a frivolous book. Look at holiday brochures. Meditate. DO NOT check your emails. DO NOT plan your next work day. DO NOT worry about the kids’ homework.

5 Have a bath and enjoy it. Sit in the bath and enjoy this time spent on your own. Close the bathroom door. Light candles, play some music, add a bath float or bubble bath. And enjoy this time out. Me time is not selfish, it’s a necessity. People have got to understand that doing this stuff is no longer a luxury. We have got to calm down. We have to let go of things that we don’t need to be clinging onto.

6 Stop and appreciate what’s going on around you. When was the last time you sat on a park bench for even ten minutes and did absolutely nothing? No searching through your emails on the phone. No playing games. Nothing. Looked at the sky, or as the saying used to be “stop and smell the roses”. You owe it to yourself and the ones you love; give it a try.

7 Say what you are grateful for every night. Last thing at night – every night – say “What am I thankful for? What was the best thing that happened to me today”. And whatever it is say “thank you”.

Having trouble sleeping? – see our top tips!