My Top 3 YouTube Videos for Stress Relief During Testing Season (Or Anytime!)

I used to get a headache Every... Single... Day my first couple years of teaching.  Now, in my 6th year, I am finally beginning to find ways to manage my stress.  But I have the most difficulty during this magical time of year called Testing Season!  However, I have been mostly headache-free this year, and I credit it to many things.  There is all the typical advice, like drinking plenty of water and eating snacks throughout the day; managing your home/work balance; and exercising.  But I finally tried some new stress-relief ideas starting after New Years (My New Years resolution was to manage my stress).

 I had heard about yoga and meditation plenty of times from plenty of people, but I always had excuses.  "I don't have enough time.  Yoga looks too hard. What difference can it really make?  I'll wait until I can do it right by taking a class on it...."  Well, I am here to tell you....it works!  Even just 5 minutes a day of meditation or yoga helps me.  And don't worry if at first you feel like you are no good at meditation, and all those pesky worries keep flooding your brain.  Even starting with just a few seconds of successfully clearing your mind is going to help, and you will get better!

So, what are you waiting for?  Check out my top 3 favorite YouTube videos for meditation, yoga, and stretching.

Yoga for Complete Beginners: I love this video because it is definitely for COMPLETE beginners!  I would even consider it more of a full-body stretch/easy meditation video.  All I know is, at the end of the video, I feel blissfully relaxed and peaceful!

Neck Stretch Exercises for Pain, Tension, and Stress Relief: When I get headaches, it always stems from the tension in the tops of my shoulders and neck.  This video hits all my sore spots, including the back and sides of my neck.  My muscles always feel a lot looser after doing this video.

Guided Meditation for Relaxation: I love how this video guides me through every step of meditating - the breathing, clearing my mind, releasing my worries, visualization, etc.  The guide's voice is very calming and helps me relax.  I feel like my mind is a clean slate after this video, and I definitely feel like it's time well spent for my health.

Trust me, if you also suffer from stress headaches and haven't tried daily stretching, meditation, or yoga, you've got to give them a try.  I noticed a difference within the first few days of incorporating them into my routine!  Let me know what you think if you give these videos a try!