Over the past few days, my life has been getting more and more stressful. Due to some circumstances out of my control, I’ll be doing two jobs for the next few days. This means longer hours and a steeper learning curve.
Instead of heading to the office this morning, I headed down to Philadelphia with my new team. An iced green tea and unpictured spinach feta wrap were enjoyed during our smooth trip down.
In between work discussions I relaxed with some new music and enjoyed the scenery.
I forgot how much I love the Main Line suburbs and the Philadelphia skyline! 
I said a quick hello to the Schuylkill River as we passed over it! I can’t wait to return in two weeks and enjoy a run with Meghann along Kelly Drive!
While the trip down to Philadelphia was great, spending all day left me absolutely exhausted! By the time I got home at 8pm my feet were swollen and tired from visiting stores, my mind was whirling with the many unanswered emails in my work inbox, and I was stressed about what the next few weeks hold.
Over the past few months, I’ve discovered every unhealthy way to deal with stress including a few to many happy hours, too many sweets, and too little exercise. Luckily, over the past few weeks, I’ve done my best to fight stress and anxiety with healthy alternatives. But, nothing I’ve discovered melts away the stress of the day like a warm bath. Tonight that relaxing bath received an upgrade thanks to a new treat I purchased today: Ahava Muscle Soothing Eucalyptus Mineral Bath Salts. 
After hearing rave reviews of this product from friends and co-workers alike, I finally splurged today! 
This 32 oz jar of soothing bath salts doesn’t come cheap but it does more than any bath salt or Epsom salt I’ve tried before. The descriptions sums up these salts perfectly!
- 100% Pure Dead Sea Salts provide mineral healing to help relax tight muscles, soften skin, and release stress
- Therapeutic essential oils of eucalyptus revive tired, aching muscles
The smell is stronger than most bath salts but the strong eucalyptus scent is what ads to the sensorial affects. The salts literally pulled the pain and swelling out of my legs and feet!
In fact, I’m so in love with these salts, that I will be giving one away to a lucky reader! In order to help other stressed bloggers and readers alike, I want to dedicate a post to your stress relief ideas!
You can enter this giveaway a few different ways:
- Leave a comment on my blog letting me know how you best relieve stress and anxiety.
- Tweet about the giveaway: @healthyhappier is giving away @ahava muscle bath soak so you can soak your stress and anxiety away!
- Add me to your blog’s blog roll!
Please leave a comment letting me know that you did #2 and #3.
I will pick a winner, in the continental US ONLY, Wednesday at midnight!
I like to go for a long walk with my iPod. Just unplugging and breathing in fresh air helps the stress fade away.
I relieve stress by reading blogs with my feet up!
Those salts are pretty amazing. So are spinach feta wraps.
…and how do you relieve stress? If you want to be entered that is 🙂
With those salts and spinach feta wraps. 😉
I relax through yoga, massage, and eating healthy dark chocolate of at least 60% chocolate. By the way I also promoted your contest on twitter: @blindblog
I’ve picked up meditation. Well… slowly trying to do it daily. I’ve been picking up ways to do it anywhere, since I can’t always find a quiet place to hide. Its been amazing.
I’d be willing to splurge if this is really worth it! I’d love to check it out! Thanks for sharing, I love new products!
I relax through yoga, though a glass of wine sometimes helps a bit too 🙂
I call a friend! Sometimes just talking and letting it out really helps me 🙂
yoga is my favorite form of stress relief, especially when followed by a nap 🙂
I go for a walk.
I go to hot yoga whenever I’m stressed.
Yoga is my go-to form of stress relief. These bath salts look amazing… thanks for hosting such a great giveaway!
Tweeting accomplished… would love to try that stuff out!
So fab that you were in Philly! I live and work in Philly and am absolutely in love with the city. Especially the gorgeous skyline.
My healthy ways of reducing stress include running and doing yoga. Unhealthy includes too much napping and time spent on the couch reading blogs, while munching on skittles.
One of they ways I deal with stress is to make a list and start tackling it. I tend to stress myself out to the point of not doing anything, and by seeing it spelled out in front of me, it’s easier to start dealing with.
I tweeted the giveaway.
i like to head out for a quick walk. even if i’m at work, a little walk around the block is enough to clear my head and won’t make or break my productivity for the day. if i’m at home, or have more time, a run is great… and always, a bath and US weekly or something.
tweeted!
My best way to relief stress is to work in my garden pulling weeds.
Going out for a run always seems to help relieve stress and gives me an opportunity to do my best thinking. Taking a bath with bath salts would be the icing on the cake!
yoga, yoga, yoga! or a massage if I can swing it 🙂
nothing better than a long run followed by an ice cold beer!
The first time I ran 12 miles was the morning after a particularly stressful night. It’s funny how that stress ultimately led me to learn I had more running potential than I ever imagined. After that, two loops around Central Park was no problem!
Yayy Philly!! You’re going to be here again in a few weeks?
A few pieces of dark chocolate with some hot tea always helps me unwind. For some reason, the good-quality dark stuff just makes me sit down and savor it.
Yoga or running for me! But then a really hot shower or bath following always helps to add to the de-stressing. 🙂
I often work 2 jobs or more, if you count all the volunteer responsibilities I take on, not to mention life without work can be just as stressfull. These past few months have been even more stressful than usual, dealing with settleing a couple car acidents that left me and my body in forever recovery mode. With all that being said, even with out the stressful aspects to life my body needs a good soak from time to time! Let’s just say I buy my epsom salts in bulk 😉 I am known to take a couple e.salt baths a week, and drink magnesium calming tea as I do so, I figure I will get those stress, tense muscles from inside and out! Other ways I relieve stress and anxiety not only for my body but for my mind, is by practicing yoga every day if not at the least a few times a week. I thank you for this post and I plan on trying these salts out soon! Plus I love eucalyptus so it sounds perfect for me! Thanks – brit
Ps. Good luck with work!
I’m curious to try those salts. I think they’d be great after my longer runs for my marathon training!
I’ve completed #2 and #3 as well!
Twitter (@floppywalking)
And you’ve been on my blog roll for some time 🙂
Ps. I am going to do #2 as well. See you in the twitterverse!
ohh I love baths for stress relief, my other ways are napping, exercising, and cuddling with my puppy 🙂
I tweeted about your lovely giveaway! 🙂
Yoga always leaves me feeling relaxed and stress free.
My favorite way to releax and destress is to work out or cuddle on the couch with my bf
I tweeted!
Ashley, I’ve been reading for some time now, not sure if I’ve commented. I have a very stressful day planned and I am tired! I was planning on trying to get away with dry shampoo today but as soon as I saw your hair in that one photo I knew I would feel a million times better if I did my hair. And I do. So I guess my stress relief is having good hair! Oh and Cardio muscle class:)
I spend time with my dogs, Lola & Kota. No matter what type of day I’ve had, what kind of mood I’m in – they don’t care. They want nothing more than to hang out with me and tails are wagging like crazy!
I relieve stress by taking a hot shower or bath and watching mindless tv.
I relieve stress by lying down with a fun magazine/ book and I cook because I love spending time in the kitchen!
My best way to de-stress is music. Throw my earbuds in, crank the volume up and walk the neighborhood or track while singing along to every song….HEAVEN.
Or a nice massage always helps too!
My favorite was to relieve stress is have a fun girls night in. Complete will at home face masks, chick flicks and tons of laughs!
I like to relax with deep breaths, walks outside with lots of sun and fresh air, cuddling with my corgi, reading, cooking, and baking. 🙂
Oh this sounds so nice. I relieve stress by cuddling with my dog. he always helps me feel better!
The best way to relieve stress? What I should say is yoga but what I usually do is shop! 🙂
I relax with a bath almost every night! And usually a trashy magazine!
I have added you to my blog roll!
My favorite stress reliever is reality tv. It is so obnoxious that I can’t resist!
My fave ways to de-stress are in order:
1) Beg my hubby for a massage
2) Sip hot tea
3) Listen to music
🙂
I de-stress by running.
I de-stress by trail running.
running, yoga, or a hot cup of tea and hug from my momma- no matter how old I get she can always calm my nerves and make the world slow down.
Nothing relieves stress or clears my mind better than a long walk with my dog.
I second the comment about trail running… it’s so relaxing just to explore rather than going with a “typical” route.
I relieve stress by unplugging, going outside, and getting some exercise. Volunteering usually also helps to put my own problems and stresses into perspective. Great blog, BTW!
My favorite way to destress is a glass of wine and fun tv (like Glee or Grey’s) 🙂 though a run or yoga is a close second.
I also tweeted 🙂
this is just what i need! i find going to the gym before work makes my day so much less stressful 🙂
I relieve stress in all sorts of ways: get drinks with friends, exercise, eat way too much good food, take a long bath, etc. So healthy, some not!
My best way to relieve stress/anxiety? A quality workout followed by a trip to the sauna is my perfect method but, sometimes when I don’t have access to the sauna, I like to head over to the pet store and look at/play with some of the animals!
I like to bake! Baking just calms me down so much!
I relieve stress by going to a hot yoga class. When you’re that hot and sweaty, you can’t think about anything else but the present and the anxiety melts away!
Running is what helps me. I don’t do it enough!
I like to beat stress through exercise – either a run or yoga. Remembering to BREATHE and getting those endorphins always clears my head and helps me refocus on what’s important!
I just tweeted about the giveaway, and you are on my blogroll! 🙂
Sign me up! Those sound amazing. To destress, I usually put on my favorite music, read a book or magazine, or go for a run. Oh baking/cooking helps calm my nerves too. It takes my energy/stress and makes it productive.
One of my big challenges dealing with stress is that I tend to eat high fat, high carbohydratecomfort foods. I find forcing myself to replace these comforts with stretching or breathing exercises works wonders.
But I agree a hot shower or a bath is the best thing to reduce stress after a tough day at work.
Baking just calms me down so much! Sign me up!