April is Stress Awareness Month

I’m stressed.

It’s something we’ve all said a time or two before but, if you’re anything like me, it’s something you’re constantly trying to manage. April marks the true beginning of spring but it is also the designated month for stress awareness. Stress affects all of us and it’s time we talked about it and find ways to cope.

I wrote an article for Her Campus about stress and I’m excerpting part of it on the blog. Here’s a couple beauty-inspired ways to destress this month:

Stress naps are the best naps

Have you ever felt so stressed, so overwhelmed with your neverending to-do list that you opt for a nap instead? Yeah, that’s my go-to as well. Naps help us make sense of things and give our brains time to process information. And, after the long semester we’ve had we’re always in desperate need of more sleep.

My only advice, if you choose to nap your stress away, is to set an alarm. There’s a perfect amount of time for your nap to be restorative but anything over that time could actually make you feel more tired when you wake up. And, I’m not just saying this from personal experience. There is a science to napping. A short nap between 15-20 minutes is enough to give you a boost of energy but 90 minutes seems to the threshold between waking up happy or tired. So, if you are going to nap, make it a short(ish) one.

Jade rollers and sheet masks are the cure to everything

There is something magical about facial rollers. The crystals they’re made out of might have something to do with it but I also think it’s the ritual of rolling the cool stones over your face that is super calming. I use mine almost every night and sometimes in the morning if I’m feeling congested or puffy. Also, I love using these when I wake up from a night of partying. Nothing cures a hangover quite like a cool jade roller alleviating the tension out your face. Sheet masks have a similar effect on me. There’s nothing I love more than popping on a sheet mask before I got to bed. It’s a small way to treat yourself and practice some much-needed self care.

For more tips on how to destress, click over to my article on the Her Campus website.