We all have stress in our lives, right? It’s kind of unavoidable and it can even be a good thing sometimes. If we never had any stress about anything, we might just never get anything accomplished because we might not feel the need to do anything. Stress can be a motivator. However, too much stress or chronic stress can start to cause issues with our mental and physical health. If you’d like your mind and body to stay healthy, than you’ll definitely want to find some ways to reduce stress on a regular basis.
There are simple daily habits that you can incorporate into your daily life to help reduce stress. Just because you don’t have time for a weekend get away or days off from work on a regular basis doesn’t mean you can’t live a low stress life, healthy life.
Want to know what you can do on a daily basis to calm those nerves, keep reading!
Daily Ways to Reduce Stress
We generally don’t have a great day after not getting enough quality sleep, am I right? Your best chance at having a less stressful day is to start with a good night’s sleep. If you struggle with sleep, check out my post on how to improve it. When we are well rested, we are more focused, productive, alert, and in a much better mood. Also, poor sleep habits actually trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol. So, it’s not just in your head. Your body actually becomes more physically stressed as well.
Do you ever catch yourself replaying the to do list or the things you need to remember over and over again in your head? Does it stress you out to constantly be thinking about all the stuff you need to do and remember? The best way to get it out of your head and stop stressing about it all is to write it down. Keep a journal or a calendar. Start taking notes on the things you need to remember and even the things that are bothering you that seem to get stuck on replay.
Believe it or not, what we eat plays a big role in how we feel mentally as well as physically. Eating foods that give us the nutrients that our bodies need to thrive keep us well, mind and body. If we don’t eat well, we tend to get sick more often and have more aches and pains as well. Not feeling well often leads to a decline in our mood as well. I don’t know about you, but I’m much less likely to stress about things when I’m feeling good. Eating well also leads to having a good gut biome. Your gut biome has a huge impact on your hormones, including those that control stress and anxiety. So make sure you’re choosing foods that provide you with a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and protein every day.
Meal times can be a big stressor. We eat meals every day, so we have to deal with it every day. We have to think about what we’re going to eat, what we have time for, what we have available, and if our families will eat what is available. It’s a lot, isn’t it? That’s a lot of decisions to make every day just about a meal. To help reduce the stress of meal times, the best thing to do is plan ahead. Make all those decisions all at once. Sit down at least once a week and plan out the meals for the rest of the week. After you have a plan, go out and get the shopping done, so you’ll have everything you need to make all the meals for the week. Not having to decide every day and make extra trips to the store can save time and energy. Saving time energy can definitely be a great way to reduce stress. You’re more likely to make healthier food choices if you’ve planned ahead as well.
Ever notice how much more productive, focused, and happier you feel when you’re in a clean and organized space? Physical clutter in your home and work space leads to mental clutter. Mental clutter means more stress. So, even though it can take some time and effort to get organized and clean up the areas that you spend most of your time in, it will be well worth it. It will save you time and stress in the long run.
Research and studies have shown that exercise is a stress reliever. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Cortisol release is a “fight or flight” response. It gets triggered so that you are able to literally fight or run, both of which are considered physical exercise. If you do nothing in response to the release of cortisol, it has no purpose and makes you more prone to store abdominal fat. That doesn’t mean you should only exercise when you feel stressed. But, you will notice that the feeling of stress gets diminished when you get moving.
One way to take your mind off your troubles and a great way to reduce stress is by practicing Yoga and/or do some breathwork. Get out of you head and focus on your body, it’s movement and your breathing. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated. It can be as simple as sitting in a relaxing position and focusing on your breath as you take some deep inhalations and exhalations.
Another great way to reduce stress, is to get rid of what’s bothering you when it’s not worth the stress it causes. In other words, if there is something in your life that is stressing you out, but you have no control over, it’s time to let it go. Stress can motivate us to get things done, sure! But, if there’s nothing to be done, then the stress and worry is just harming you. So, I will repeat, let it go! Work on the things you do have control over.
Do you take on too much? Are there things in your life that aren’t really helping you or your family live the life you want? I know it can be hard to say “no” when people ask for help or invite you to things. We’re all busy and we can’t possibly do everything. Your health and sanity are worth prioritizing what’s really important to you. Say “No” to the things that don’t serve you or your family for the better. And remember, don’t feel guilty or stressed about saying “no”.
The Take Away About Reducing Stress
The above list isn’t a complete list of ways to reduce stress, but they are great ways to get started. Some of the above will take some time, effort, and planning, but none of them are complicated. They are simple things we can incorporate into our daily lives. They are totally worth your time and effort. You are worth the time and effort to live a healthier and more enjoyable life. If doing everything on the list above seems overwhelming, start with one or two of them. Do Not Stress about de-stressing! That would be pointless.
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