Live with less stress by taking time to build life infrastructure and habits that let your deal with it, instead of bearing it.
Over 70 percent of people deal with stress, and almost 80 percent deal with stress to a level that affects their physical health, according to the American Institute of Stress.
Stress is a problem of modern society, from the lack of boundaries related to the instant messaging world, FOMO from social media, and not to mention stress related to career. While some people struggle more with stress than others, about 30 percent of people have extreme stress says the American Insitute of Stress, it can also arise at any time in people who don’t have a history of it.
That feeling of being heavy, scared, tired, muscle ache, even headaches are all symptoms of stress that affect physical health. As shown in the stats, most people who experience stress also experience the physical aspects.
It is so important to find ways that help you to combat stress, which is a personal choice. Everyone has their own way of dealing, here are 10 easy ways to deal with stress any day.
10 Eat A Healthy Meal
When people are stressed, they tend to crave their comfort chips or sweets but the science shows that doesn’t help relieve stress symptoms in the long term. When a day is quite stressful, or even the entire week, try to eat healthy foods like leafy greens and vegetables, which follow an anti-inflammatory diet. This diet has been shown to improve stress that is both related to mental and physical health.
9 Stay Hydrated
When you are working a lot or constantly on the go, it is normal to need a few coffees. Although, caffeine intake could heighten your stress levels. When craving a caffeine fix, reach for a water bottle instead.
Each time that you do have a coffee or tea, accompany it with a glass of water to balance out your hydration. Utilize apps or set hourly reminders to stay hydrated, your stress and skin will thank you.
8 Take 5
If you are feeling stressed to the point where you aren’t being productive, take a 5-minute break. In that time, do anything to help you summon the mental energy to keep going. That could be having a coffee or tea and staring out the window, reading a book or magazine, doing sudoku or even going for a walk.
Step away from the situation that is stressing you out, and come back to it feeling recharged.
7 Go For A Walk
Get some fresh air and clear your mind by taking a walk, plus you can work towards your daily 10,000 steps. It is amazing the difference between staying inside all day and changing your environment for as little as 5 minutes.
Reconnect with the world outside of your sources of stress, remember there is life outside of this situation.
6 Get Some Exercise
Exercise is a great way to channel your stress and anxiety levels. Some folks struggle to make time for exercise when they feel stressed, but actually doing it almost always makes someone feel better.
If you struggle with the mental block of making time for exercise, do what is accessible to you such as walking, stretching to promote healthy breathing, yoga for toning or even a super quick workout video.
5 Talk It Out
Communication is always the best policy, and whether you need to talk it out with someone about an issue or just vent.
Ask a friend or family member if you can vent to them or find a time to talk, not everyone has the mental capacity every second of the day. Get out of your head by talking about what is on your mind, sometimes just talking out loud can help to find solutions.
4 Do Something Fun
Sometimes in the heat of it all, you just need to let loose from your obligations and have fun, in whatever way you prefer. If that means going out with friends, plan a night out. Or take a day trip somewhere outside of the city.
Even just allowing yourself to have a mental escape, or a mental health day from your responsibilities is a great way to recharge and come back stronger.
3 Treat Yourself
Treat yourself to something that makes you feel good or valued. You work hard, and not for nothing! If you are stressed, let yourself indulge in some personal TLC whether that be finding a Groupon for a massage, going to a spa, or even sitting down for a fancy piece of cake in a beautiful cafe.
2 Let Yourself Rest
Let yourself rest, there is nothing more productive than giving yourself the time to recharge those batteries.
In a hectic work schedule, it can feel impossible to get done what needs to get done all while finding the time to rest. It is vital to make time, or stress levels will just be heightened.
1 Reprioritize Your To-Do List
One big source of stress could be your long to-do list. Reprioritize tasks based on urgency and importance to get work done, and make sure it is a manageable load. Having unrealistic expectations for yourself about how much you can do in one day will just prolong the list and the stress will pile on.
Be honest with yourself, your capacity and get done what needs to get done first.
