We’ve been focusing on staying sunny while social distancing. Which has certainly been its own challenge. The current pandemic has brought about such a roller coaster of emotions and feelings for many of us. Our mental health has definitely been put to the test. If you’re a parent like us, trying to work from home and save your small business, feels very different these days. It generally involves a toddler meltdown before we’ve even had a cup of coffee to soften the blow. It involves a lot of tears, a lot of coffee, and a lot of pausing to take deep breaths.
Maintaining a household and any semblance of normalcy has had our stress level through the roof. While the following actions, tried and true, are our saving grace, it’s still easier said than done much of the time. Know we are all in this together, though we are safer apart for now, we love you and wanted to share some of the following tips that have been helping us de-stress at home while adjusting to our new normal.
Mindful Mediation
We’ve been having a challenging time navigating all the noise surrounding us. Noise from our inner voice, noise from the news and social media, and noise within our household between children, partners, and neighbors. There are dozens of techniques when it comes to meditation. We have always been fans of mindful meditation. Now, more than ever, with the consistent feeling of being overwhelmed, we have needed this practice to help quiet our minds and tackle daily obstacles.
Awareness is key with any form of meditation; however, mindful meditation is a practice that harnesses the breath to stay present in the moment. It is a practice that can be utilized throughout the day, especially during stressful moments. And let us just say, we’re having a lot of those right now. Mindful meditation can be as simple or complex as you would like it to be. Why it works for us? While we can’t seem to find uninterrupted time to ourselves to sit in Full Lotus, contemplating our being, we can pull off our asana practice and an awareness that brings us back to the moment. Simply put, it makes us nicer humans.
Sunshine + Fresh Air
We wouldn’t have a bikini company if it wasn’t for our love of having fun in the sun in our TeenyB. Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, helps fight disease, reduce depression, and boosts weight loss. One of our biggest tips to staying sunny while social distancing: let the sunshine in! Sit with your windows open, breathe in the fresh air, feel the breeze on your skin, and the sun will instantly lift your spirits. We know it is hard right now, we are fortunate enough to live in the sunshine state and walk in our backyard to get some Vitamin D.
We recognize many individuals are in apartments or colder climates, but that does not mean the sun is obsolete or Vitamin D is unobtainable. Balconies, windows, certain foods, and vitamin supplements can help provide a source of Vitamin D. Our favorite dish that helps boost our Vitamin D and our mood involves bourbon-glazed salmon with a lemon asparagus risotto. Salmon is a great source for Vitamin D in addition to its high praise as an Omega-3 source. Not to mention cooking with the windows opens brightens our mood most of the time. Try going for a walk after your meal to aid indigestion and maximize the benefits of getting some fresh air while feeling the sunshine. Just don’t forget your sunscreen!
Reading
What’s one of the best ways to de-stress at home? Reading! We were not surprised that a 2009 study [1] from the University of Sussex revealed that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. While the book does not have to be the top of a best-seller list, be sure it is something that captivates you. Fiction is a great place to start, since you can immerse yourself in the world that the book invites your mind to explore. When you find a story that captures your interest, your heart rate naturally slows, your body and muscles become more relaxed, easing the stress and tension you may have been experiencing. It is noted that after just 6 minutes of reading, you can experience these effects, you can emerge a nicer person.
It’s also a great way to check in and see, once you finish reading the book, how it makes you feel. While much of the time it is hard for us to process our emotions, this is a great lens to review and see what emotions or thoughts arise. Start the book at the beginning of the week that way you will have something to look forward to each day! Not to mention the feeling of satisfaction once you have completed the endeavor. Your empathy and compassion will see improvements as well.
Water + Greenery
Mother nature in all her wonder. Whenever we feel like we are floating, unable to gain traction, and overwhelmed in our day to day life, we turn to nature. The calming sensation that water provides combined with the grounding awareness that sand, dirt, and plants deliver, we can feel our muscles relax with the cool touch of water and the sweet scent of blooming flowers. Nothing helps us unwind quite like gardening. Sure, it is a physical activity, which helps to reduce stress organically.
However, the components involved in planning and nurturing a garden all help to reduce stress and anxiety. You can grow your own food, gain Vitamin D exposure, express your creativity, and experience mental focus and clarity. That all sounds like a win-win to us. There is something about gazing out and seeing the fruits of your labor, figuratively and literally.
If a backyard garden isn’t an option, consider a window box or an indoor plant. Having the color of greenery visible in your environment, according to a study published in the journal of Physiological Anthropology, touching and smelling indoor plants, can reduce physiological and psychological stress. Scientific evidence also suggests that having greenery around can elevate mood and improve your mental function, not to mention they can act as a natural humidifier, improving the air quality you breathe in.
Consider starting with an indoor herb garden, you’ll have some fresh herbs on hand while cooking at home! Our personal favorite is basil, as it tastes great in an array of dishes and cocktails. If you are unable to experience water outside, how do you incorporate the water element then? Try taking a warm to hot bath. This is a known remedy to loosen tight muscles, which are a common side effect of stress. Let the water wash over you, cleansing the stress, calming your mind and relaxing your muscles. You can use this time to develop your meditation practice as we mentioned above. Add some additional calming elements like aromatherapy, candles, and a sound machine, to create a serene space for you to escape stress.
Getting Active
While we haven’t been as consistent as we would like. We know the importance of staying physically active to fight stress and anxiety. We love a good sweat sesh, typically in the form of Pilates or yoga. We love rotating in some cardio and weights too. Really, we just like to move. Working from home, taking care of children, running a business, all of these stressors have really thrown us off our game to be honest. When we do pull off maybe a 15 minute workout from home while balancing a toddler and a crawling infant, we still feel a sense of calm and accomplishment. Our new cardio consists of chasing tiny humans while keeping them alive though. Man, are they fast. Taking a walk, climbing the stairs, stretching first thing in the morning, even pulling out a plank while waiting for something in the toaster oven, it all adds up and helps our mental and physical well-being. Gardening seems to be a consistent one for us too, as we mentioned above, talk about doing 100 squats without even realizing it. Your body will feel the labor of tending to a garden. Whatever gets you moving, try to stay consistent. We all deserve to feel our best and reduce stress when we can.
A Bikini Perspective
For us living in a bikini is a way of life. So naturally, we try to incorporate all these tips while we wear our favorite stress reducing bikini styles. Our sporty bikini styles fit the bill when it comes to accomplishing physical activity, gardening, meditating, reading, and navigating this new way of life. Getting our Vitamin D in a TeenyB is helping us through quarantine, we hope you will find our knotted sport top, sport crop, or sport bra top as much of a mood booster as we have. These supportive bikini top styles win us over because they go great with a pair of shorts while gardening or a pair of leggings when getting active inside or outside the house. If you’re in a position to go full bikini, check out some of the sporty bikini bottom styles such as the surf shortie bottom, banded Brazilian bottom, or our high waist bikini bottom styles. These are great bikini options when looking for something that provides coverage, flexibility, and comfort. A bikini perspective sometimes helps change things up and keep life fun.
References
[1] Lewis, D. (2009), Galaxy Stress Research, Mindlab International, Sussex University, UK