With every week, comes new responsibilities, more work, most of the time, more stress, and what seems like constant go go go. While I used to let myself submerge under the weight of these feelings and my large to-do lists, I have spent years developing my own methods of escape and ways to reset and rejuvenate to maintain my motivation to continue to work toward my goals. Here are some of my favorite forms of free therapy:

1) SPend time with mother nature

Living in Southern California means that the ocean is never too far away. There’s something about standing at the edge of the water in silence listening to the power of the waves crashing onto the sand beneath your feet, looking out across the vast sea, just imagining how far the water goes until you hit land again. It always fascinates me how large the world is and how small we are. I will take any opportunity I can to me near the ocean, because with how busy life can get, who knows the next time I will get the opportunity. Spending time with the ocean helps me to recenter my perspective. I remember just how small the small problems are in my life, and how short of a life I really have to live. It reminds me to make every second worthwhile.

2) Investing time into your Nutritional health

Nothing feels better than treating yourself to a delicious meal that nourishes the body. After a long day, my ideal evening would be to come home, take out my recipe book, choose a dish that fits my cravings, light a candle, turn on a chill playlist, sip on some tea, and enjoy myself. While that may not be a reality for every evening, just a few of those heal me back to my fullest. We all want to feel our best in our own skin, and I have learned that physical health is 90% reliant on diet. Your body is a temple, after all, you only get one. Food is simply fuel for our bodies. I have made a note to only consume foods that is produced by the earth, and in having this mindset, I have never felt more productive, I lack the brain fog that I used to, and I have consistent energy levels throughout my day, making waking up and falling asleep much easier. What we choose to put into our bodies affects every part of us.

3) Journaling

Sometimes all you need at the end of a long day is to dump all your thoughts in one place, my outlet recently has been journaling. Doing so has helped to relieve large amounts of stress and weight within me that I hadn’t even noticed I was carrying. Starting the day with gratitude has been something that has improved my overall well-being, along with the quality of my day. Spending the first fifteen minutes when I wake up expressing what I am grateful for, creating new affirmations, and writing my to-do list for the day has set me up for success and also shifts my mood right from the moment I wake up. I have noticed quite a big difference compared to scrolling through social media at the start of my day. Journaling has become a safe space for spitting out my emotions, feelings, and life experiences onto a page and giving me my own creative outlet.

4) Move Your body

Whether that means going on a long walk, scheduling a morning workout class, a 15 min mat pilates class at home, or a long run, this is how our body releases physical energy and therefore, releases mental stress. Our bodies aren’t built to be sedentary, it was built to take you places, to help you experience things and do things. This was the first thing that I ever prioritized when changing my lifestyle, and now, I cannot go a day without it. There’s something about taking time to invest in yourself.

There are a hundred and one different forms of free therapy, however, they are different for everyone. So I encourage you to begin your own journey in discovering what it is that brings you inner peace, relieves stress, and allows you an escape from society for a short while to assess your thoughts, goals, and priorities, and continue working your way down the path toward and new lifestyle, and the best possible version of yourself.