5 Ways Alexa is Keeping My Mental and Physical Health in Check This Holiday Season
This post is sponsored by Amazon Devices & Services.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or so they say. Welcome to the holiday season—it’s a whirlwind of gift-giving, all the sales, holiday parties, and social activities galore. It all starts with Halloween, builds to Thanksgiving and just continues full speed through the end of the year.
While the holidays are meant to leave you all warm, fuzzy, lovely and cheerful, it’s also a very stressful time for many. On a poll I took on my Instagram Stories last year, more than 87% of us find the holiday season to be ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ stressful—that ranks navigating the holidays right up there with asking your hard-to-please boss for a raise!
It’s important to prioritize our mental and physical health so we can be the best version of ourselves during the holidays. After all, that’s the best gift we can give to our loved ones and a heck of lot more valuable than that air fryer you were going to get your sister-in-law.
My Amazon Devices, like my Echo Show and Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, are keeping my mind and body right this holiday season. It’s incredible how easy Alexa makes it to stay on top of my mental and physical health—all from the comfort of my own home (and you know this homebody loves a good at-home situation). Read along to learn more about the 5 ways Alexa is keeping me in check this holiday season by reducing my stress and getting my heart rate up!
GET ACTIVE!
Did you know that just 7 minutes of exercise first thing in the morning is proven to get your metabolism into gear, make you more positive throughout the day and less stressed? Just say "start 7-Minute Workout," and you'll be guided through a metabolism-boosting, fat-burning routine. Alexa goes at your own pace and will let you take breaks as you need them (love that girl), you just let Alexa know you need a break and when you’re ready to begin the next exercise. Easy peasy (and way nicer than that trainer at the gym down the street).
Another way to get active with Alexa is through the exclusive Peloton App for Fire TV (I am a HUGE Peloton fan, so this is something I’m very excited about). The Peloton App for Fire TV offers a way for Peloton’s growing community of 1.6 million to experience an extensive library of fitness content that spans six workout disciplines, in addition to cycling and running. With the help of Fire TV, these disciplines, which include strength, yoga, meditation, stretching, bootcamp and cardio, can now be enjoyed on the biggest screen in the home, in addition to on a phone or tablet. The Peloton App for Fire TV allows members to fully browse and navigate the Peloton platform using their TV remote, offering the full in-class experience, which includes workout timeline and countdown, closed captioning and estimated calorie count.
PRACTICE POSITIVITY!
You all know I’m a major fan of daily affirmations and mantras. Alexa is too! Whether you're stressed, need to lift your spirits, craving an extra dose of positivity or just trying to practice mindfulness on a daily basis, you can enable the Walking Affirmations skill to help you maintain a positive and strong mindset. Just ask Alexa for your affirmation, then receive uplifting mantras like, "I am enough” or my personal favorite, “The people in my life love me as I am.”
SQUASH STRESS!
If you’re anything like me, it can take a simple trigger to derail me and take me down a cycle of stressful thinking…especially around the holidays. When you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed, you can use the very helpful Stop, Breathe & Think skill to launch a quick meditation between 3 to 10 minutes long to help you hit reset and fight stress.
UNWIND AND GET GROUNDED!
I love yoga, and for me the best place to connect with myself and get my om on is in comfort of my living room. It’s warm (hello NYC winters), convenient and, most importantly, there’s really no excuse for me not to take a few minutes to practice yoga. There are hundreds of Yoga classes available on Fire TV. Some of my favorites are on Yoga TV, and Gaia. Lately, I’ve been drawn to the Yoga videos that focus on fighting stress and anxiety.
GET SOME SLEEP!
If you're trying to minimize your screen time before bed to help improve your sleep, Alexa can help you with that too! I absolutely love the Thrive Global for Alexa skill for an eight-minute meditation that promotes healthy sleep patterns and will have you drifting off to sleep quicker than you can ask Alexa to add eggnog to your shopping list.
