A Moment of Calm for Stress Awareness Month

With April marking Stress Awareness Month, we sat down with our founder Chloë to find out her top tips to finding a moment of calm within her busy life…

“It’s so hard to switch off in this digital age. We seem to be attached to our phones and busier than ever. But it’s incredibly important for our mental well-being to take some time away from screens whether it’s doing something creative or exercising, you really will feel recharged and better for it.

Here are my top stress-busting activities:

Create

It doesn’t matter what you do, just the act of using your hands and concentrating on what you’re doing is great for your brain. I go to weekly pottery classes, and it is honestly the best part of my week! Plus, if you’re creating, you (usually!) have something to cherish at the end of it.

Other craft ideas include block printing (see Molly Mahon for inspiration), cross stitch, embroidery or art (life drawing classes might mean you meet new people too).

Top tip: Try lots of different things to see what you enjoy most and don’t be put off if you don’t create a work of art on your first go!

Cook

I guess this is creative too but it’s also a necessity. There are so many delicious recipes available nowadays – follow @tamingtwins or @mobkitchen on Instagram or buy a cookbook from Vinted or World Of Books.

The process of taking ingredients and creating a delicious meal is very good for the soul. I find the simple act of chopping vegetables really helps me switch off at the end of a busy day (maybe the glass of wine helps too!).

Top tip: Print out recipes and keep them in an organiser so you can find them when you want them!

Exercise

I am really bad at setting time aside for exercise so I try to walk the dog when I get home from work (especially now the days are longer). Just taking yourself off for 20 minutes is so good for you – you really start to notice the changing seasons and get to know your neighbours. Obviously trying to raise your heart rate is important so if you can start to turn your walk into a run, even better.

Top tip: Exercise with friends - I’ve just signed up to do a charity bike ride in June and I am feeling really out of my comfort zone so I’m buddying up with friends also doing the ride, that will really help motivate me!

Go & See

Head to an art gallery, a gig, the theatre or the cinema and immerse yourself in someone else’s creativeness. It’s pure escapism and a great way to calm busy minds.

Top tip: Sign up to local newsletters to find out what’s going on in your area.

Smell

Fragrance has such an uplifting effect on your wellbeing and lots of studies show that inhalation of fragrances highly affects brain’s emotional centre, and plays a significant role in mood regulation so choose scents that make you happy.

A bunch of flowers on your mantelpiece, a scented candle on your table or a bath packed full of essential oils (such as our Bubble Bath) will leave you relaxed and restored.

Socialise

Seriously nothing is a better stress reliever than hanging out with your friends. It doesn’t really matter where you go or what you do, it’s about being with those that know you best and have your back. I am lucky enough to have a strong group of girl friends but it can just be about hanging out with your bestie. Laughter is the best stress buster out there.

Get away

I always think a change of scene is great to get you out of a rut. It might be a holiday abroad to somewhere sunny (I think we’re all dreaming of that right now!) or a weekend away at friends, but the actual process of packing a bag and shutting your door behind you, you can almost feel your shoulders relax.

Top tip: Book trips in advance so you always have something to look forward to.”