Hi girls! As I'm sure you all know, stress is not a fun thing to deal with. If you have ever been stressed, as I'm sure you have many times, you feel angry, upset easily, or even sad. It can completely ruin your day or even week. Stress is especially common in teenage girls. Here is just a few things you can do relieve yourself next time you find you are stressed.

Listen to music (Feel-good playlist)-create a playlist with all the songs that make you feel relaxed or happy whenever you listen to them. Maybe it's that one Taylor Swift song that just makes you want to smile or a One Direction song that you are absolutely in love with. Whatever it is, you will have your "stress-reliever playlist" at hand whenever you are feeling upset. Listening to music can help you relax and calm down as your prepare yourself to deal with your everyday tasks and life challenges.

Face steams- Yes, this sounds like a funny thing to do, but at least for me, this is one of my favorite and most effective ways to relieve stress. Think personal facial spa or sauna! Start by boiling about half a pot of water (any pot  about the size of your face or bigger will work.) Cover the boiled water with tin foil to keep in the heat. Find your favorite scents, ones that make you feel relaxed, such as mint, lemon, tangerine, lavender, or vanilla. Add the scents into the water in either fresh form or scented extracts and oils. For example, a few drops of tangerine oil and a few lemon slices. My favorite combination is fresh mint leaves and lemon slices. Next, wash your face and pat it dry, then pull your hair up and out of your face. Place your pot carefully on a stool or on the ground and remove the tin foil. Put your face above the water (be careful not to touch the water or pot, it will be very hot) and drape a towel over your head to trap the steam. Relax in the scented steam as long as you want or until the steam wears off. Keep water nearby to sip on and stay hydrated. If you try this please comment what you think and let me know your favorite scent combinations!

Talk to a friend- Call your best friend up on the phone or go on a walk with buddies. Hanging out with people you love can help relax you and relieve your stress. That's not saying spend hours on the phone instead of finishing your science project...procrastination will only add to your stress later! But spending a little time to just relax and talk can really help.

Exercise- have you ever heard of going on a run when your stressed? Seems like the last thing you want to do to relax, but studies show exercise actually reduced your stress levels. So if you are feeling stressed, instead of watching TV go outside and go on a jog or play a little soccer. Whatever you love to do that can get your heart pumping.

Face masks- Treat your face as it starts to dry out in the cold with a relaxing face mask! To get rid of dead skin use a peel off mask. Start by washing your face and patting it dry. Then pull your hair out of your face and apply a store-bought peel-off mask. Relax by listening to music or watching TV while it drys. Once it is dry, peel it off for amazingly smooth skin! Apply some unscented or sensitive-skin lotion to keep moisture in your skin. If your face breaks out easily or is very oily don't apply lotion. You can also buy other types of face masks such as mud masks or you can make your own! One recipe is to combine oats with honey and pat it onto your skin. Facials will leave your skin feeling fresh, soft, and bright!

Protect your hair- Dry, cold air can really damage and dry out your hair, as well as giving it unwanted split ends! Keep it soft and moisturized with an anti-breakage spray or conditioner. I have recently been using Garnier Fructis Fall Fight strand saver and anti-breakage spray. You can spray this product on damp or dry hair and massage it into your hair. It conditions and strengthens hair to make it softer and prevent breakage. If you don't want to buy a product such as this one, try using olive oil! At night rub a small amount of olive oil on the ends of your hair or even throughout your hair (caution if you have thin hair this may make hair look oily.) Olive oil naturally softens, strengthens, will even moisturize your hair!
*I was not paid to advertise Garnier Fructis Fall Fight  it is all my own opinion.

Keep your skin moisturized- it can be hard to keep your skin soft and moisturized with hot showers, blasting heaters, wind, and dry or cold air drying them out, but don't worry! You can follow just a few simple tips to help have soft skin even in the harsh cold. First remember to DRINK WATER! You have probably heard this a million times but it's true, water is one of the best ways to hydrate your skin and avoid cracked lips and heels. It can be hard to drink water, especially for me, so try a tasty mix-in or flavored water. Secondly, avoid hot showers. Steaming water might feel nice in the cold but its sucking moisture from your skin. Turning the heat down a little will help your skin a lot in the long run. Finally, apply a moisturizer. Treat yourself to a new lotion or creme in your favorite scent! If you have cracked heels or lips rub some olive oil (it works for more than just hair) on your skin!