how allyson handles stress

me taking a meditation break during my jam-packed 10 hour day at sS, prioritizing small stress reducing activities like meditation on busy days ensure i stay calm, energized and productive.
dr. wayne dyer, a self-development coach and author of over 40 books says that "there is no such thing as stress, there are only people thinking stressful thoughts". this is a powerful concept to reflect on, especially as extremely hard-working, urbanites, grinding to stay on top of extremely competitive industries, and pay our insanely high bay area rents. as an individual who is quite sensitive to even the most mundane stressors such as my daily commute on bart, this was something i had already been working on adjusting in my life, but hadn't seen my stress so clear, until i read wayne's words. i often speak to clients about how my meditation practice has transformed my lifestyle, and continues to bring me to a place of peace, urging people to start a practice themselves. stress being such a huge factor in the acne-game, especially with those painful, deep inflamed lesions, it is important that our clients are doing all that they can to manage and minimize stress. this is where us estheticians come in at sS, acting as cheerleaders for our clients, often pulling from our personal resources, to inspire and motivate the life-changing art of stress management! while i am a huge advocate for self-care and that manifests in my life in various ways, meditation and positive affirmations have become one of the most important tools for taking control of stressful thoughts, feelings, and all of the manifestations that come from stress in my body (poor digestion, bad sleep, bad food choices, angry pimples). one of the most common things i hear from clients when i suggest they begin a regular meditation practice, is "it's too hard", "i won't be able to turn my mind off". for beginners, meditation can seem like an impossibly daunting task. most call to mind a time of complete stillness where the goal is to eliminate all mental activity, instantaneously reaching a place of calm, still "nirvana". i'd like to take this time to clear up this misconception about meditation, in hopes that it will remove some of the fear around starting a practice. personally my practice is all over the place, and that really depends on what i'm working with that day, week, month. some days when i sit and meditate, i really am able to focus my mind inward to a single point, such as my breath, how my body is feeling, or the point of contact with myself and whatever object is supporting me (my chair, bed, the floor). i feel euphoric and an overwhelming sense of joy, stillness, connectedness, and i can spread this energy throughout that day. other days i am unable to focus, i fidget, or can't find my center. this is completely ok, because meditation for me is not about not thinking, or judging the process of meditation - meditation teaches you to be ok, to find an ease, or a compassion for all moments: both the peaceful and the difficult ones. this is why it is so impactful, because it can decrease that tension and judgement around not- so- pleasant moments of stress in our life. we can learn to be at ease with an extremely packed schedule, or a difficult coworker. hopefully you are now inspired to combat some of your stress with the wonderful tradition of meditation, so here are some of my favorite resources, apps, meditation spaces, books, and teachers! meditation apps:
  • calm calm is an awesome meditation app that also includes stress management tactics, adult bedtime stores, walking meditations (great place to start meditation if you are concerned about sitting still) as well as uber relaxing nature sounds, that can be a great touch on a jam-packed day at the office, nothing like hearing the flickering of a fire to instill a little inner peace! i recommend popping on an adult bedtime story if you have issues winding down at night, a much better alternative to popping on a tv show.
  • headspace seems to be a great app for those scientific types, who are looking to increase synaptic connections, focus, productivity, and calm their nervous systems. for those of you who really like evidence-based practices, headspace seems to provide that, as well as amazing guided visualizations, and walking meditation.
  • simple habit was made specifically for busy-on-the go types, and has some very short but sweet meditations, also includes longer meditations for when you get the hang of it, a personal favorite, is the commuting meditation.
  • insight timer is basically an enormous library and meditation community, tons of great guided meditations, sound healing, and binuaral beats!
  • youtube is another great resource for finding guided meditations, inspirational talks, by amazing guru's like louise hay, gabby bernstein, or jack kornfield.
meditation spaces in sf bay area: amazing communities if you want to learn more about meditation, and sit with a community! other resources: being in balance- quick, easy read, that helps you to evaluate your thoughts and how they are impacting your life, i.e are my negative, stress-filled thoughts creating more stress in my life, or am i thinking positive, empowering thoughts that will ultimately lead to more happiness and less worry? the universe has your back - another great, empowering read that changed my life personally and helped me realize how powerful my thoughts can be, both positive and negative! 10% happier- great, comical read for those cynics, a meditation memoir written by a very high-profile business type about getting his life and stress together with meditation, check this out if meditation and self-help/new-age healing makes you cringe a bit, he also just came out with an app, 10% happier, subtitled "meditation for fidgety skeptics". when to meditate
  • first thing in the morning before i get out of bed is my personal favorite time to meditate, it really helps to set the tone of my day, and squash those early morning anxieties around what the upcoming day will bring. by starting my day with even a 5 minute meditation, i can begin centered, in control of my thoughts, fears, anxieties, practice gratitude, which will ultimately lead to more happiness and productivity.
  • setting an alarm to meditate at some point during your very busy work day is an amazing way to practice stress management. the mind is extremely clever, so just practicing meditation in your office space will increase positive warm thoughts that you will soon come to associate with your meditation space/office!
  • on your daily commute! this is a perfect time to meditate, instead of spending your bart or bus ride scrolling on the 'gram, give one of the earlier mentioned apps a try next time, this can reduce commute-related stress (see also our amazing blog sS tips for a better commute).

Not sure where to start?