Stress seems to be the human condition these days. We love to talk about how stressed we are without actually working to eliminate stress from our lives. We go to work, sit in traffic, come home, deal with our families, try to have a social life, and internalize stress until it seems like we might explode.
Alleviating stress in your life is much easier than it seems! By adding in a few calming techniques for just a couple of minutes each day, you might just find yourself living a healthier, less stressful life in no time at all.
Here are a few stress-busting habits to think about adding into your day:
- Turn off the screen.
From emails to phone calls, text messages to Instagram updates, our phones and computers are constantly begging for our attention. Our fear of missing out keeps us glued to our screens rather than engaging with reality around us. We have a hard time putting work down when we carry it around in our pocket.
Learn to turn your phone off, or at least turn it on ‘do not disturb’ mode. Give yourself an hour or two of no-screen time during your day, especially before bedtime. You’ll sleep better and wake up more refreshed. Focus on your life, not social media.
2. Multi-tasking
Multi-tasking can make us feel stressed and conflicted as we pull ourselves between different obligations. Give yourself a break and try to focus on one thing at a time and you’ll find yourself accomplishing more, quicker and with higher quality. When you start to accomplish tasks, you’ll find that the pressure is starting to lift.
3. Get out of the house.
Add exercise into your routine, whether it is daily or weekly. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day can release feel-good hormones in your brain and get your blood moving enough to motivate you to keep going. When you start to feel better, you’ll find yourself able to deal with stress better than ever before. Rather than drink or eat your stressful feelings, run them out on a treadmill or join a community sports team. You can meet new people and work out your problems all at the same time.
If you feel stressed where you are, stop yourself from doing your usual routine and find a new location. It might be a new city, or just a part of your city you haven’t explored before. Changing your location can allow your brain to focus on what is around you rather than stress about things that make you anxious. Sit, relax, and take in your new surroundings.
4. Listen to music or look at art.
Simply appreciating someone else’s creation can be incredibly calming. Whether it’s listening to your favorite band or checking out a new art gallery in town, getting your groove back can go a long way towards your goal to de-stress your life.
Other ways to bust stress in your life include creating better eating habits, catching up with an old friend, getting a massage, or using essential oils. These are just a few small ways you can find peace and rest during your day to create a less stressful environment for yourself.
