5 Ways to Reduce Stress
Stress seems to be the currency of the busy. We often feel like we are not being successful if we are not overstressed and underhappy (yes, I know it’s not an actual word- YET). But, life is not meant to be overwhelming. Here are some helpful tips to live with contentment.
1. Simplify – Do you need to take a look at your schedule? Are there some areas where you could possibly cut back and create a little breathing room? How about clutter in your house? Clutter in your kid’s rooms? Clutter in your closet and drawers? I find that when I start feeling overwhelmed that if I will take some time to cull through my closet, pantry and house decorations and simplify then I will suddenly feel like I can breathe again. Sometimes we need to create the time and space to simply get a good night’s sleep. Ask for help from others. Georgia’s Dream Nannies is here to he
lp you find the right help for your household to reduce your stress and lighten the load.
2. Exercise and Eat Right– Yoga, deep breathing, walking, punching bags, kickboxing class. My favorite combination on a weekly basis is a couple of nights of spin class. I love the absolute physical effort it takes. Add in three nights of yoga to stretch out my muscles, increase focus and slow down. I feel like a million dollars when I can combine these two programs. Perhaps Zumba and kickboxing are your happy place, just enjoy letting go of the tension.
3. Prayer/Meditation – There are studies on top of studies showing a direct correlation between faith and less stress. Whether you find comfort, guidance or peace in prayer or simply in being silent and still and practicing mindfulness while focusing on each present moment, make sure to take time to remember that the little worries in each day are temporary and minor. Let go of the little things and create room to be thankful for all things.
4. Socializing – Whether taking time to laugh, enjoy a meal together, listen and help lighten a friend’s load, it is important to make sure we do not isolate when we encounter lots of additional life stress. I must confess, this is the hardest for me to put into practice. I often forget that it is more important to accomplish nothing other than being a good friend, or allowing a good friend to lighten my load, even if just for a few minutes. Cuddling with our children, our significant other, or even our precious fur babies, releases chemicals in our brain that reduce our stressed feelings.
5. Avoid Procrastination – Work deadlines, time consuming tasks at home, or several little necessary but time wasting tasks that start to weigh us down. They all contribute to stress and can keep us awake at night. I tend to be all or nothing in my approach to life, so this year I am trying a ne
w approach. If I finish a task or project all at once – great. If not, I will come back to it tomorrow. My mantra for right now is “something is better than nothing.” Learning to delegate to family members or household staff can be a huge stress reducer.
It is impossible to live a completely stress free life. Stress can actually be a good thing that keeps us motivated and moving towards our goals. Sometimes stress can be the mountain that won’t seem to move, or it is simply the little fire ant that keeps biting our foot, we can learn to manage it in healthy and productive ways.
