As the world becomes a more crowded and busier place the demands that it places on it’s citizens is creating a stress epidemic of almost apocalyptic proportions.
So much so that now, most of the illness that plagues the Western world will have stress as one of its main contributing factors.
Thanks to stress, it seems like we are all getting collectively sicker with every year but it’s only us as individuals that can take the steps necessary to reduce (and almost eradicate) the stress that we allow into our lives.
In this blog post, I’m going to cover ten ways that you can implement into your everyday life that will help you better deal with stress and even prevent it from robbing you of your happiness.
Breathe Deeply. Practice Breathing Techniques Routinely.
A great deal of individuals seem to neglect how easy and beneficial this technique can be for eliminating stress, specifically in the heat of the moment.
I understand that the advice “take a deep breath” may appear cliché. However it actually holds true when it comes to stress. Take a minute or two out of your day to focus on your breathing. Sit up straight and close your eyes if possible, and put your hand on your stomach.
Slowly inhale through your nose, feeling the breath of air start in your abdomen and progress its way to the top of your head. Next, reverse the procedure as you exhale through your mouth.
It’s been said that deep breathing counters the results of stress by slowing the heart rate and decreasing the body’s high blood pressure. Buddhist monks have been understood to be very conscious of intentional breathing throughout meditation because of this.
Another approach you can use is to sit up in your chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands on top of your knees. Breathe in and out slowly, with deep full breaths while also focusing on your lungs as they broaden and contract in your chest.
Many physicians and scientists have really discovered that shallow breathing follows increased stress and deep breathing fills your blood with oxygen and in turn assists to centre your body and clear your mind.
Meditate For A Period Of Time In The Early Morning And Night
It should come as no surprise that meditation is an exceptional way to assist relieve your stress. When carried out properly, it should release your mind and allow you to concentrate on being calm.
Lots of people struggle with meditation at first, because it can be a little difficult. And in all honesty, it does take a bit of time to learn but it is well worth it in the end.
There are many great articles and even courses on how to meditate, however you can quickly start by just being in the corner or somewhere peaceful, closing your eyes and listening to music or, just taking in the noises around you.
Some meditation guru’s will even encourage you to listen to those natural sounds throughout the process, and to even burn some sort of incense to help break the stress that exists in your body.
Listen To Music That Promotes Your Chilled Out Mood
Listening to the ideal music is super crucial when you’re trying to lower stress in your life and find your inner balance. Some music can in fact heighten your levels of stress and tension when you listen to it.
One kind of music that scientists have shown to assist tension levels is “baroque” music. This music is based around a tempo of 60 beats per minute, which coincidentally has to do with the rate that our heart need to be.
Baroque music has actually been shown to increase the alpha waves in both the left and right sides of your brain which help in improving your learning ability, inner peace and even your imagination.
Because of this, lots of corporate fitness instructors have now incorporated this style of music during memory training sessions to much better help their trainees in enhancing both their comprehension and their memory.
Naturally, you need to focus on the kind of music that you like and which brings comfort to you. So this point will be different depending on who you are and what your tastes are.
Personally, I prefer ambient music over baroque but… Each to their own.
Exercise, Even If It’s Just For A Minute Or Two Each Day
I know what you’re think but listen, exercising doesn’t need to be all about power lifting at the gym or gruelling training sessions for some sort of marathon. All it can take is a simple short walk around the workplace, or even just standing up to stretch during a break to be the instant stress relief you need.
Getting your blood flowing releases endorphins and can in fact improve your mood almost immediately. If you find that you have more time to work out, that’s even much better.
They say that working out for thirty minutes each day is among the very best things you can do for both your mind and your body. Not only does it assist you in keeping fit, it also gets the blood pumping around in your body. While you’re doing workouts, there’s chemicals called Dopamine that is released from your brain that elevates your state of mind and you feel good.
Make It A Point To Eat Right With A Healthy Diet Plan
Studies have linked that stress levels are positively affected by a eating a proper diet. The issue is that when we’re overwhelmed and stressed, we frequently neglect healthy dietary routines.
This results in consuming sugary, fatty snack foods as a quick pick-me-up to satisfy our appetite, cravings and even our mood. Try to prevent sugary treats and strategy ahead if possible.
Fruits and vegetables are certainly a great option, and fish with higher levels of omega-3 fats have also been revealed to help reduce the symptoms and levels of stress. This suggests that a tuna sandwich for example is genuinely beneficial to both your mood and your brain as well.
Attempt To Drink At Least Eight Glass of Water Daily
I’m sure you know this already, however without water, humans and most living things on this planet can’t survive. After all, water has been stated to be one of the most precious resources that we possess on Earth.
With that said, to preserve your health, most medical professionals will recommend you consume a MINIMUM of eight glasses of water daily. This means PLAIN WATER.
While flavoured water or coffee is certainly a liquid, it definitely does not count towards that objective. You’ll really be impressed at just how much better you feel and less stressed you end up being as you hydrate more every day.
Limit Both Alcohol And Coffee Consumption
Alcohol and coffee are both great sources of stress, seeing as they both increase the heart rate and make us more vulnerable to stressful situations. If you can, try to restrict the amount of coffee and alcohol that you consume each day, and you will likely discover that your level of stress will reduce.
Some researchers say that consuming one to two glasses of alcohol (like a red wine) each day can be a more healthy option.
However given that we’re focused on decreasing stress, it’s a really good idea to talk to your doctor to check if this is the best choice for you.
Another thing to be careful about is that caffeine can typically provide you a “high” which
you will become dependent on with time. This certainly will not be useful towards minimising the amount of stress that exists in your life.
Arrange Breaks Throughout Your Day
All of us know how difficult work can be, whether it’s the working environment itself, the coworkers, or the tasks at hand. The stress of it all can all build up rather quickly.
One of the biggest mistakes that individuals make in their work life is to overlook taking breaks throughout the day to revitalise the mind. Thankfully, there’s no genuine legal service in the world that will require anybody to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week non-stop.
Researchers have actually shown that if you don’t arrange at least one hour for a break every day, you’re even more likely to have health concerns over a prolonged time period.
Always keep in mind that life is truly short in the grand scheme of things. Do not squander all of your time on work. Make the effort to go out and enjoy your day regardless of where you are. Make sure that you set up a number of (brief) breaks throughout your work day.
Even if you just take that time to go outside for 5 minutes to get some fresh air and a drink. That sort of break will help you to clear your mind and enable you to prepare yourself to take on the rest of the work for the day.
Identify At Least One Good Thing That Happened Today
Every evening all over the world, families and/or friends gather around and vent about their day and the events that it was comprised of. However, instead of producing a negative atmosphere from the minute you walk in the door and take a seat, try starting of on a different note.
Do this by exchanging good news and things that were positive about your day. It’s actually not difficult at all to address all the good things that happened in life, and as a result, you’ll find yourself more grateful for the things you have.
You’ll also find that you’re much better able to face stress factors and other unfortunate occurrences in your day.
Be Prepared (Get Ready For Tomorrow And The Future).
It holds true that absolutely nothing can be more demanding than walking into a situation and being completely unprepared. That’s why you must invest some time every day towards getting ready for the following day.
This could be as easy as preparing up a brief order of business and even cleaning up your environment and living area prior to you settling in for the night.
By better preparing yourself and organising your life, you’ll give yourself a better sense that you’re completely in control of the situation and can manage it. This really does set a positive tone for the day, night, and future days, which in turn can help you to get far more accomplished.
And there you have it… 10 ways to reduce the stress in your life. Which one resonates the most with you? Is there anything that I missed out? Let me know, I’d love to hear what you’ve done to reduce stress in your life.
