Breathe in. Breathe out.

Life right now is stressful. It is scary. There are a lot of unknowns and sometimes it is really hard to find the positives.

That means mental health is just down the drain. We might as well just forget about that.

Are you feeling really stressed? Anxious? Afraid of what might happen? Overwhelmed with school deadlines and readjusting to your new quarantine life?

Well, you are not alone. And that is why brixchicks wants to provide you with three ways to relieve your stress during this time and allow your brain to feel as bold, as inspired, as raw and as extraordinary as ever.

First, practice meditation everyday. I don’t know about you but meditation for me can sometimes seem silly. And who ever really has the time? Now that you are home though, go ahead and start putting this into your daily practice. Sit down in a quiet room and get really still. Focus on your breathing. Close your eyes.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

Do this for several minutes and allow your brain to rest for a second. Your eyes have probably been looking at a screen for a while, whether that’s for a Zoom meeting for class, watching tiktok for hours and hours (no shame), or staying up to write that paper due at midnight.

Your brain needs rest. Mediation will help you to slow down and stop the inner noise that is swarming in your head. You may not even realize it, but all of this inner noise is causing you stress which in return results in irrational decisions.

Speaking of too much screen time, the next tip is to put your phone down. How many times are you scrolling on Instagram or Snapchat and comparing yourself to someone else who seems to be crushing it during this quarantine and already lost 5 pounds?

You are beautiful. You are growing in this time in a way that no one else can. Don’t waste time and effort stressing out over what someone else is doing. That is just causing your brain to feel anxious and again creates an inner noise that you might not be able to hear if you don’t take the time to listen to your mind.

Lastly, go talk to someone. The best way to get this noise out of our heads is to call up a friend. Rant about how you are feeling. It’s okay to feel upset, frustrated and scared. But storing up all of those thoughts and feelings is like the world’s biggest marching band is playing in your head. There is so much noise you don’t even know what to do anymore.

Call your go to person. Go on a walk while you facetime, or maybe even see them in person (6 feet apart of course). Fresh air will help you breathe instead of being cooped up in the house all day. And not to mention you’ll get some exercise while being able to rant. Win win.

Take care of your brain. You are already experiencing something no one else has before, causing your brain to be in panic mode. Make sure you take the time to breathe, to slow down, to stop looking at your phone, and to tell someone how you are truly feeling.

After that, I’m a firm believer you will already start to feel bolder: you don’t have to hear any insecurities creeping in. You will be raw: girl, you’ve just gotten real with yourself and then told someone else how you feel. That deserves a nice cookie. You’ll feel inspired: that go to girl always has the best advice. You are and will continue to be extraordinary: there is no one like you and you matter.

Breathe in. Breathe out. You can do this!