Simple Ways to Lower Your Daily Stress Levels

It is so easy to become stressed out in the fast-paced and busy environment of our everyday lives. Balancing work, family, friends, and everything else can very quickly start to overwhelm us, and serve as a serious drain on our mental health and wellbeing. While it might, in our very darkest times, be tempting to drop all our responsibilities and go live a simpler life in a secluded cabin out in the forest, there are simpler methods of reducing stress levels you might want to consider first.

Being able to identify the common areas of our lives which lead us to stress and anxiety will help a great deal in being able to avoid them, or at the very least, lessen their impact on us and how we live our lives. To help you get started, here are just a few of the simple ways to lower your daily stress levels.

A Good Diet

At times, it may be difficult to always consume a balanced diet, especially if you’re always on the go and don’t have a great deal of time to cook and prepare healthy meals every evening. It can be oh-so tempting after a hard day to order a takeout and put your feet up as you wait for it to arrive. But in actual fact, a poor diet can actually lead to more stress and worry for you in the future. High levels of sugar are particularly dangerous, as foodstuffs high in it will provide an immediate burst of energy to start with, but then hit you hard with a period of low feeling afterward.

It is bad news too for coffee-drinkers, as high levels of caffeine will lead to decreased magnesium levels in your system, a substance which is crucial to maintaining energy in the long term. You should really seek to get five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, wherever you can squeeze them in, as this will ensure you have the correct vitamins and minerals bouncing around inside your body that will help you feel better both in your mind and in your body, too.

Traffic

The dreaded commute can often provide a daily source of stress and anger. Between being stuck in traffic jams that seem to stretch beyond the horizon, and dealing with selfish drivers who regularly cut you off or seem to think it’s OK to perform some crazy maneuver because they need to get to the office on time, it’s no wonder that road rage affects a staggering eighty per cent of drivers on the road today; but you need to get to work, so how are you going to be able to avoid this?

Well, if you have any form of public transport close to you, you might think about making use of it occasionally to give yourself a break. Not only will you be able to let the bus or train driver deal with all the other drivers striving to get to work, you can rest assured knowing you’re doing your part to help the environment, too. You don’t need to head to the bus stop everyday, but even leaving the car at home one day out of the week will give you a well-needed rest and the chance to catch up on a nice relaxing book or listen to your favorite music. You might even think about cycling to your job, which has the added benefit of giving you some exercise at the same time; another thing which will contribute to keeping you happy and stress-free.

Always be aware of large vehicles of the road if you do decide to bike it, however, as the last thing you want is for any accidents to occur. If you’re involved in any accidents, ensure that you acquire the proper legal representation, such as that provided by truck wreck lawyer Rand Spear in Philadelphia. You don’t want the stress of having to deal with the medical and financial consequences of an accident that wasn’t your fault.

Have a look at the alternative transport options open to you, and when you stop relying on your car to take you to and from your workplace each and every day, you should start to feel the benefits and improvement to your daily mood and demeanor, which will serve to benefit you in all aspects of your life.

Routine

If your life has a very similar day-to-day routine, it’s easy to slip into feelings of discontentment. As humans, we easily grow bored with monotonous, repetitive routines, and need things to be shaken up a little every now and then. This is why you should try to get out and do something different every so often to spice things up- maybe try out a new sports class or hobby, or even just take a weekend trip to somewhere you’ve never been before. Boredom is a major cause of depressive states, and even if you feel you’ve got the most exciting job in the world, doing the same thing day in, day out will naturally lead to you needing a little time doing something different. At the very least, get yourself out of the house and meeting up with some friends, if you can.

Adding a little variety and unpredictability to your week is a simple method of making things more exciting for yourself, and preventing things from becoming too stale. If you’re feeling stressed in your work life and have the opportunity to go on vacation, do so. Even if it’s just for a long weekend you will feel the benefit; a break is as good as a change after all.

Your mental health and sense of happiness is of paramount importance, so it is essential to take a break from work if you feel that it could help you out. Just ensure that you make the most of the time, and don’t spend it indoors or running errands that will serve to cause you even more stress-get out and into the fresh air, and savor a little time away from the nine-to-five.

Thanks to Wendy