How to embrace your RESET

Happy Monday, friends! Who else is struggling to tackle the work week ahead? It's never easy getting back into the Monday groove after a weekend that was equal parts productive and relaxing. In fact, I've been struggling so much lately with finding a balance with work, blogging, freelancing and life in general that I've been trying to get better at dedicating one day out of my week as my official day of RESET.

A reset day is time dedicated during your week (or day) to help your mental state reach a state of calm. A reset day can mean a lot of different things depending on the person; to me, resetting is eliminating anxiety in relation to work, blogging or freelancing.

There are a few ways I RESET, primarily before the start of the week, to help alleviate the work week blues. Here are some of the ways I reset:

DURING THE WEEKEND:

Turn your work mail notifications to OFF on the weekends. Unless I'm working on a specific project that calls for my attention on the weekends, I have been trying to get into the habit of turning my mail notifications to OFF on my phone so they don't pester or stress me out during the weekend. I don't turn them back on until Sunday night or Monday morning. I've found it's made me more present in situations and let's me turn off my work brain when it isn't being used.

BEFORE THE WEEKEND IS OVER:

Get organized. Keep your planner and to do lists updated. Sunday is my day for grocery shopping, meal prepping, booking Orange Theory Fitness classes and doing errands around the apartment. It's also the day I go over my weekly planner to insert any plans, weekly to do's or goals for the week ahead. I personally enjoy writing in a planner because I love the satisfaction of crossing items off my lists and calendar! Dedicating one hour out of my week or 10 minutes out of every day after work to update my planner and to do list has been a huge stress reliever for me to stay on top of things!

DURING THE WEEK:

Lastly, discover your instant stress-relievers. It's been a journey balancing work, my freelancing business and my blog. Some days I feel extremely overwhelmed and lean on multiple ways of resetting to get me back into a healthy, happy and productive mindset! It's been a lot of learning to discover my top stress relievers, but I swear by them whenever I'm having a rough day or in need of instant anxiety relief:

Using mineral mists for instant relief - I swear by mists! I keep one at my desk and one at home, they instantly make me feel calm with 2-3 sprays on my face! The scent is soothing and the cool mist mentally 'cools me off' and brings me back down to a mellow state. This Coconut + Pear Refreshing Mineral Mist from Little Barn Apothecary (sold on THE STELL for $10) is one of my favorites to date! The fruit tang scent isn't overbearing and you feel refreshed almost immediately.
Indulging in a spa night - Treating myself to a personal spa night at home is one of my favorite ways to RESET. Typically, this will include a charcoal face mask, a restorative hair mask, painting my nails and taking a hot shower. Doing these mindless (yet beneficial) tasks are a great way to physically make you feel better while mentally resetting you.
Dedicating 20 minutes of 'me time' during the work day - No matter how busy my schedule is at work, I have been trying to get better at dedicating a minimum of 20 minutes to ''me time.' Whether this is taking a walk outside, eating lunch somewhere other than my desk or just taking a few laps around the office to get out of my chair - it's so important to RESET while you're at work and glued to the computer or whatever task you are working on. Just remember, if you are willing to MAKE the time you'll be able to TAKE the time.