Dealing with emergencies at work or in private life can be very frustrating and exhausting. It’s important that we know how to relieve stress naturally and relax regularly so that those small everyday troubles don’t pile up and become an actual threat to our physical and mental health in the long run.
1.SET INTENTIONS
The simple act of setting an intention to feel good that day will help you perceive everything differently. Even when something unexpected happens, once you have that intention you’ll be able to deal with whatever comes up in a more positive way.
2.PLAN, BUT DON’T OVER-PLAN
“I want to achieve this and this is how I plan to do it”.
Once you have a plan, you know where you’re headed and what the next step is. It helps minimize the stress and anxiety that come with uncertainty. Don’t forget to include self-care practices in that plan. When you make that plan, keep in mind that life does whatever it wants and you need to adjust as you move forward. So be nice to yourself and allow flexibility in your plan. You don’t want to end up constantly blaming yourself for not sticking exactly to what you’ve planned because other things come up.
3.MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Manage your expectations and be realistic about how much you can do in a day, week or a month. A good way to become more realistic about what you do every day is to start tracking your daily habits.
4.LISTEN TO MUSIC
Good thing is, listening to the music you love is one of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety. Listening to music can help reduce anxiety and improve heart rate, blood pressure and quality of sleep.
5.SPEND TIME IN NATURE
We’re surrounded by technology more and more, but we are made to be in nature and we’re made from nature.
When you spend half an hour in a park or on the beach, how do you feel? Refreshed, right? Like you can actually breathe now? Calmer?
6.EXERCISE
Exercise is very important for your brain health. When you exercise and move your body, you don’t just do it to look good, you do it because it makes you feel good and it affects other parts of your life too. So whether you’re stressed, in pain, not feeling good physically or mentally – do some exercise, at least 10 minutes and see whether you start feeling better.
7.EXPRESS GRATITUDE
It’s just that sometimes when you’re worried and stressed out, you don’t honestly believe that can help. But it actually can. Even research shows people who count their blessings are overall happier than people who don’t. Expressing gratitude for what is good in your life is one of the most powerful things you can do when you’re anxious, overwhelmed or depressed. It’s a reminder that life is so much bigger than this moment, this struggle right now.
8.REMIND YOURSELF: NOTHING LASTS FOREVER
Everything passes and what’s stressing you out today might not be relevant in a month or a year or 5 years. Life moves in a way nobody can predict, but one thing is for sure.
Nothing will stay the same, so keep yourself calm by reminding yourself this is not the most important thing that’s going to happen in your lifetime.
9.DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR SOMEONE ELSE
who are kind and help others are happier and when you’re happy you’re less stressed. If you’ve ever done something good for someone else, you know that warm feeling. It’s pretty magical. Fill your life with experiences that give you this feeling.
10.PET AN ANIMAL
Animals are adorable, playful and make our lives so much better. They don’t need to be productive, animals don’t need to make a career to feel like they’re worth it. They just are. Many of them even enjoy being petted by humans. Do it! Petting an animal can help reduce your blood pressure and cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone.
11.EAT HEALTHY
Stress can exhaust the body’s reserves for many vitamins and nutrients. Therefore it’s important that we still eat healthy, even we’re under pressure. Eating clean is a self-care habit, it’s a form of self-respect. When you make the conscious choice that you want to eat clean, you’re telling yourself: I’m worth it. Don’t treat your body like a trash can.
12.PRACTICE SELF-DISCIPLINE
If you’re stressed because you’re not doing something you know you should be doing, change it. Don’t let that thing become too big to handle in your head. Start and finish it. Practice self-discipline. It’s not very easy in the beginning, but it pays off. The more you do it, the more empowered, positive and proud of yourself you will feel.