The Easiest Ways to Reduce Stress

Most of us feel stressed at least some of the time. We work long hours in stressful jobs, there’s always pressure to do more, to earn more and to push for promotion. We’re all trying to keep other people happy and take care of our family and friends, and it’s tough. On top of all of this, we’re keeping our homes tidy, looking after ourselves and staying on top of other responsibilities and commitments, you might even have a side hustle. 

We also struggle with feelings of guilt and jealousy. We look at other people’s lives on Instagram and Facebook and it appears that they are doing everything so much better than we are. We want to work and earn money. We want to have kids and stay at home to give them the best possible start but at the same time we want to work so that we are good role models and earn a living and advance our careers. We’re so stressed out by all of these thoughts and feelings that it can affect our health, and our enjoyment of life, and it can feel as though there’s no other way to do it. But, there are plenty of ridiculously easy things that you can do to reduce your stress levels without making any drastic changes to your lifestyle. Let’s take a look at some of them. 

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Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Stress is affected by sleep, and sleep is affected by stress, it can be a vicious cycle that’s hard to break out of. You can’t sleep because you are stressed out, but you can’t manage your stress, because everything seems worse when you are tired. If you want to reduce your stress levels, you need to try your best to get a good night’s sleep. Take a look at The selected best mattress 2019 to make sure you are comfortable, spend time before bed relaxing and try to get an early night. It’s often true that things do look better after a good night’s sleep. 

Cut Negativity

This one is huge! Do you have negative people in your life? Friends and family, that never seem to have anything nice to say? That bring you down when you are already feeling low, and shatter your high when things are good? We’ve all know people like this, but you may not realize how much they are affecting your stress levels and mental health. It’s hard to cut someone from your life, but sometimes it’s worth it and absolutely necessary. 

Get Off Social Media!

Social media can be a fantastic tool. But, it can increase stress, pressure and feelings of jealousy. If people online are making you feel bad, you find yourself looking at their feeds with jealousy or you spend your time reading things that cause you to feel worry and pressure, it might be time for a social media break or even a total digital detox.  This ties into getting enough sleep – do not look at your social media feed prior to going to be. It can keep you up and totally stress you out.

Exercise

Exercise is such a fantastic way to reduce stress, but for many of us, it’s the last thing that we want to do when we aren’t feeling our best. But it’s worth it. Find a workout that you enjoy, and helps you to burn off some negative energies, and try to fit it into your day. I highly recommend yoga for stress. It is absolutely life changing.

Spend Time Doing Things That Make You Happy

It might sound obvious, but doing things that make you happy, spending time with people that love, and laughing, all help you to feel less stressed out. Make time for your friends, family and hobbies, and you’ll feel much better about everything else.  Do you like to cook, garden or paint? Carve out some time for yourself during your busy week to enjoy your hobbies.

Eat Well

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Your diet can have a significant impact on your stress levels. When we’re tired and stressed out, it’s tempting to skip meals, or eat fast food and takeouts. But it will only make you feel worse. If you enjoy cooking, spend time in the kitchen, preparing some healthy, energy-boosting meals, and your mind and body will start to feel much better. 

Experiment with Essential Oils

Essential oils at home, either in the form of candles or oils, can help to improve your mood. Lavender is a popular choice when it comes to relaxation and sleep, but experiment with essential oils for yourself to find what makes you feel good. 

Drink Less Alcohol

It’s also tempting to drink more when we feel stressed out. You might feel as though you need a glass of wine to unwind and relax. You could think that it will help you to sleep. It might. But, too much alcohol could also cause you to feel anxious and worried, increasing your stress levels and making it much harder to sleep. 

Learn How to Say No

We get stressed out because we try to do everything. Learn how to say no, and how to admit that you’ve got too much on and you need help, and your stress levels with decrease.