7 Ways To De-Stress

Life is full of little (and big) stresses that can turn what should be a joyful moment into an uncomfortable one. Some stresses are truly inevitable and are just a part of life, but others are unnecessary and can make us feel bad when there is no need to feel that way. Here are some great ways to make yourself less stressed so that you can focus on the important things in life and not worry so much about it.

Time Block

Feeling overwhelmed and as though you are never going to get everything done that needs to be done during the day is something that can cause a lot of stress, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Even the busiest of people can solve the issue, relax more about their plans, and complete everything simply by using the time block method. When you time block, you allocate set amounts of time to each item on your to-do list. You might spend 30 minutes answering emails and texts, for example, and an hour focused specifically on the presentation you need to give at work. Another block of time can be for housework or prepping dinner.

The important thing to remember when blocking time out in your day is that those blocks are time are solely for the activity you had planned – if you get distracted and start doing other things, you will become stressed again. You must also allocate the right amount of time – if you underestimate how long a task is going to take, you will stress yourself out because you haven’t finished by the time you ‘should’ be moving on to the next thing on your list.

Solve Your Aches And Pains

When you are in pain, you will feel stressed. You will also be less able to concentrate on what you are meant to be doing during the day, and that will make you less productive and therefore even more stressed. It is important, therefore, to solve all of your aches and pains as soon as possible. Some will require a trip to the doctor, and although this can be inconvenient and put more pressure on an already busy day, it is always worth it because afterward you will no longer be in pain, and that will help you achieve more in general.

Other small aches can be solved at home. Your eyes might ache, and this could be due to tiredness or perhaps an issue with your eye hygiene due to wearing makeup, both of which are easily solved – you can read more here. Or you might find that your joints are aching. This could be due to over-exercise with the right kind of warmup or warm down techniques. Taking supplements, eating the right foods, and sleeping well can help you with a lot of your problems and get you back on track.

De-Clutter

When you live in a house that is full of clutter, it can be hard to concentrate, and it can make you anxious and stressed, even if you don’t really understand the reason why. Take an objective view of your house and especially at the places where you spend most of your time such as the bedroom, living areas, or kitchen. If these places are massively cluttered, this could be the reason for your additional stress levels. Simply by de-cluttering and giving yourself more space, you can reduce that stress down to a much more manageable level.

Although this might seem like a big job, to begin with, if you concentrate just on the areas that bother you the most and clear those, you will feel much better. This will give you the impetus to do more.

One Step At A Time

When we are all so busy, and even the smallest tasks seem to consist of many different components, it is easy to become stressed out about them. Although this often can’t be avoided since it is the nature of the world we live in today, there is one important thing you can do to make it all a lot less stressful. Rather than looking at each task and considering all that needs to be done to complete it, break it down into steps instead. Smaller tasks are much less stressful and much more manageable, meaning that you are far more likely to complete what you need to do without feeling overwhelmed and worried. Take everything in life step by step, and it all becomes much easier.

See Your Friends

No matter how busy your life is, it is important to make plans with your friends once a week. This is your chance to have some time off and away from your hectic life, even if it just for one hour or so. It is also the ideal opportunity to talk through anything that is worrying you and get some good, honest advice about how to deal with it. The combination of this advice as well as being in good company and allowing yourself to relax more means you are much more likely to come up with a solution than if you continued to try to work through the problem.

Go Outside

Fresh air can work wonders when we’re feeling stressed. Not only will it make you slow down and take time to think things through when you step outside and breathe deeply, but your mood will also lift, and you will be able to see things in a much more positive light. It is especially important if your daily routine means that you are indoors for the majority of the time, perhaps under fluorescent lights. Even if you just step outside for a break, or at lunchtime, that can be enough to make you feel better. Taking a walk is even better if you can block out time for it.

Sleep

Staying up late to finish work is counterproductive. You will be too tired to do your best work, and you will also not get enough sleep afterward, so you will be less productive throughout the next day too. By going to bed at a reasonable time, even if your work is incomplete, you will be rested and ready to tackle the project in the morning. Getting the right amount of sleep means that you will be able to finish the job more easily and quickly, and at a better standard, than if you had struggled through it the night before.

Thanks to Ana