5 Easy Ways to Relax (plus, a #giveaway)

I think it's safe to say that most people despise Mondays. Regardless of what you do for a living or how frequently you work from Monday through Friday, we've all started yet another week. Another set of five days until those two golden days arrive: Saturday and Sunday, days of rest and relaxation or non-stop fun and excitement. But, in case you've forgotten somewhere in those last two sentences, today is Monday. Day of stress, perhaps. And yet, it doesn't have to be. There are easy ways, in my opinion, that you can infuse a bit of relaxation in your Monday. Or any day, really. They're quick, they're easy and they hardly cost a thing.

1) USE LOTION. 

I have this little pot of coconut body butter from The Body Shop in my clutch at all times:

It does a wonderful job moisturizing my dry winter hands, but it's the scent that really gets me—It smells like every tropical vacation I've ever taken, which then reminds me of how relaxing those tropical vacations were. So for as long as it takes me to rub the lotion in, and then as long as the scent stays on my hands, I am relaxed. So find and use a lotion that reminds you of something relaxing.

2) LISTEN TO MUSIC.

Music has the power to heal, restore, motivate and (insert word here). So use it. You've no doubt already built up a collection of good tunes, right? Turn to those tunes when you're feeling stressed. There's bound to be something that'll unwind you. For example, right now, I'm mega-obsessed with the Phillip Phillips' CD. He's totally my new favorite running buddy—and he doubles as some nice background, chill-type music. 

(Warning, genius idea here: Put on your coconut lotion and cue up some Bob Marley or Jimmy Buffet. Tell me it doesn't take you right to the beach.)

3) STRETCH.

There's really no excuse for not stretching. It doesn't take long, can be done anywhere and is most-excellent for your body. Especially if you sit at a desk all day, and especially if that desk job is super stressful. That was me back in 2009. But it always felt so good to stand up for a minute, shake things out, bend over and throw my hands over my head. I still do it all the time:

4) GET SOME FRESH AIR.

Sometimes, just opening a window for a few minutes and letting in some air is all it really takes to rejuvenate the room you're in and, consequently, the state of mind that you're in. If you have time to actually get up and go for a walk—do it. Give that to yourself, even if it's just for five minutes. Five minutes spent relaxing outside, perhaps outside of your "toxic" environment, will do you some wonders.

5) DRINK A WARM BEVERAGE.

There's something about a nice, hot cup of coffee, cocoa or tea that I find to be so instantly relaxing. Maybe it's the warmth of it all. I dunno. But I do know that I've been using the heck out of my Keurig. I've also been trying to drink more tea. I got an awesome blend from my sister for Christmas that's citrusy and delicious and wonderful. I find Green tea to be too bitter, so I'm always on the hunt for tea that's totally flavorful, yet still serves a purpose. About a month ago, I got this lovely gift in the mail to help my cause:

It's a selection of herbal teas from Traditional Medicinals, complete with a teacup and a reusable shopping tote. I'm not really up on all that herbs can do for you, nor do I know for certain whether or not they actually work, but hey...I guess they're worth a try for problems like digestion, bloating and sleeplessness, right? I'm pretty sure you can find Traditional Medicinals teas in most grocery stores, but you can also take a shot at winning exactly what you see above if you feel so inclined—so gracious of Traditional Medicinals to offer the goods to you, too! 

To cap off this post about 5 easy ways to relax, I'd love for you to leave a comment with YOUR favorite easy way to relax. I'll choose one winner at random this Friday, so you have until Thursday, February 14, 2013 at midnight EST to enter. (Unfortunately, this giveaway is only open to residents of the United States. Sad face.)

Alright, so tell me—What is one easy thing you do to relax yourself?

Note: I purchased the lotion with my own money...or maybe it was a Christmas gift, I can't remember...but the tea was sent to me to review. All opinions are my own, obvi. And I would have put "drink a warm beverage" on the list regardless of the free tea. So there. Bottoms up!