Stress management has always been part of the beauty conversation but in the sense of encouraging relaxation through taking baths, lighting candles etc…

There will always be a role for relaxation in maintaining our stress levels but if 2020 taught us anything I think it is that to move forward we need to empower ourselves by making informed decisions about ways to  to calm, comfort and protect us against the new everyday stresses we face.

For example, at the beginning of this year I could have never foreseen that a cleansing hand gel would be this important in helping me manage my stress levels, or that I’d need skincare to help calm and soothe the irritation and breakouts caused by wearing a face covering.

Our new Stress Check™ range is the result of our very personal experience of 2020 and the challenges it threw our way – I now can’t imagine a day without it.

morning:

Because of our work on Circadian Rhythm I’m conscious of the impact that elevated stress levels can have throughout the day and so rather than focussing on winding down just in the evening I try to build in pockets of time each day to take care of myself and my family.
 
My new go to is stress check gentle wash which helps turn my morning shower into a time to collect my thoughts thanks to its calming fragrance of Ylang Ylang and Neroli. 
 
In the morning TV & news feeds are banned, phones are off as we set up for the day.

lunchtime

Lunch tends to be a soup or sushi eaten at my desk but I do try to get out for at least a 10 minute walk around the block to clear my head, get some sun on my face and breathe in some fresh air.
 
I will always have one of our hand sanitisers with me in case a walk turns into a coffee run, but I will also spritz my hair before going out with stress check hair shield – it’s a purifying hair mist, with 70% Alcohol, Vitamin B5 and nourishing essential oils of Ylang Ylang, Neroli and Camomile.

afternoon

We have a natural energy dip mid-afternoon and I find this can be a time when I really feel my stress levels rising; the day may be running away with itself, meetings can be back to back and it can be hard to focus with all the noise.
 
Stress check breathe out is a real hero in that moment; its fragrance of Neroli, Ylang Ylang and Lavender helps relieve mental stress and anxieties, to help clear my head as I roll it onto my pulse points and spend a moment taking deep breaths. 

evening

I have always been a believer in exercise as a great stress outlet (in a former life I was professional aerobics instructor) and at least four times a week I get to a yoga class in the evening  and by the time it’s over I’ve battled the day out on the matt and pushed myself physically.
 
I also know that a good wind-down is as important as a good wake-up and so even if I have to work late I’ll spritz myself with stress check mood manager to help keep my stress responses down and my mind clear.