Feeling stressed? It could be a sign that there is something in your life that you should or shouldn’t be doing. If you’re shouldering your share of stress, here’s some tips to help you de-stress and take a load off.
1. Do something that makes you happy.
When was the last time you did something you truly enjoy? Read a book that wasn’t work-related (ok, so I’m guilty of this). Go take a walk just because, and notice how beautiful a flower can be. Go to coffee with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Play a card game with your spouse or partner without the TV. Go see a movie.
Sometimes we feel like we can’t take time to relax because we live in a world of go, go, go. But you should take them time to relax and do “not” productive things. These things are crucial to your mental health, and therefore not a waste of time at all!
2. Think about your stressors, and how you can alleviate the problem.
Sometimes we know exactly what is stressing us out, but other times we don’t immediately know why we feel stressed, we just do. Take a few moments to think about what is making you stressed. Identify it, and then try to think of solutions on how you might be able to overcome or alleviate your stressors.
Are they because of a couple big tasks you’ve been putting off? Doubling down on getting them done can help relieve your stress. Are you stressed about a big even that’s coming up? How can you distract yourself from the event or prepare yourself ahead of time so that it isn’t as daunting.
3. Simplify Your Life.
Sometimes the stress we carry around is simply the result of having too much to do and too many responsibilities piling up at once. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – simplify your life. It’s easy to let stuff (tangible or otherwise) take over and accumulate.
Sometimes you have to edit your life and get rid of things that are not making sense, or making you unhappy. Is it easy? Sometimes not, but having the courage to take control of your own life is worth your sanity in the long run. So think about everything you own and everything you do. Are you really doing these things because you really love them and they make your life better, or are there somethings that you don’t really love but do because you think you have to? Those might be things you can cut.
4. Will this matter in 5 years?
A good more experienced friend of mine gave me some great advice several years ago: when faced with the day to day stuff, ask yourself, “will this matter in five years?” If the answer is no, then don’t sweat it.
I also like to think about the 80/20 rule. If the stuff that is bogging me down is the 80% of things that don’t really matter as much in the long run, don’t sweat it. Focus instead on the 20% of things that matter most.
5. Concentrate on what is good in your life, and how to attract more of the good.
Almost everyone on the planet is talking about The Secret, and for good reason. Concentrate on what is good in your life, and you will attract more of it to you. What you think about it, you will bring to your life – so make your thoughts good ones!
6. Review this list.
A great list from Jobacle on 50 things you can do to destress. Take 5 minutes to read it, identify a few things that you think might help you de-stress, and then do them. You won’t be sorry!
How have you learned to manage your stress? Share with us in the comments below!
