8 Simple Stress Relief Tips

Most of us wouldn’t think of stress relief tips as lifesavers but…

Stress is one of the biggest health problems faced by people every day. Often we think of stress as part of life or something that we just have to accept. In a way that’s true, very few people never have any stress at all but it can literally be a killer unless stress relief tips become part of your day!

Stress can be a motivator and we all have a different tolerance for stress. However chronic stress can creep up on us slowly and get such a tight grip that it becomes debilitating. Chronic stress can lead to a variety of health problems as well. This is why it’s important that you learn how to handle everyday stress in a healthy way.

Below are 8 simple stress relief tips to help you live a better life

1 | Be kinder to yourself

So many people create their own stress by negative self-talk. Would you talk to your best friend or child the way you talk to yourself? Don’t allow yourself to think negatively about yourself. Instead, learn to focus on the positive things you do and not the negative. In other words for less stress, give yourself a break.

2 | Meditate Daily

It has been proven that people who meditate for 10-20 minutes every day experience less stress than those who don’t So, why not give it a try? If you’ve never meditated before, you can easily find free guided meditations online. It’s not as scary or as difficult as it might seem. When I first started to meditate my kids thought I really had lost the plot and imagined me sitting cross-legged and chanting and while that is one way to do it don’t let that put you off, you don’t have to do that. I often meditate without anyone realizing. When my husband is watching sport I can just put my headphones in, shut my eyes, listen to a guided meditation and the stress starts to drift away.

3 | Take a Break

Stress has an unfortunate way of making us prone to “angry outbursts” or at least irritability. So, if you are feeling stressed and you can feel the irritation or anger rising take a short break before you address the issue or respond to the person who is angering you. If you’ve been stressed for the majority of the day, you may find it helpful to take a 15-minute break just to clear your mind.

If you get an email that angers you it is very easy to send a less than professional response. Even if the email you received wasn’t professional don’t respond in kind. Be the bigger person, never get engaged in an email argument. If you need an outlet then type up an angry response BUT DON’T SEND IT!! Leave it sitting in your draft emails and go back to it the next day and tone the email down. When you have rewritten your response ask what a stranger would say about both you and the other person if they came across the email

4 | Breathe

Take the time to breathe in slowly and deeply. Breathing like this has been shown to reduce stress levels, remove toxins from the body and relax muscles, which is why it is often used during meditation.

5 | Tap Into Your Inner Artist

While you may not believe it, art therapy has actually been proven to reduce stress levels. Therefore, tap into your inner artist and eliminate stress by signing up for an art class or take up another hobby which is creative like card making, tapestry, calligraphy. Or you could take an easier route and buy an increasingly popular adult colouring book

6 | Keep Things in Perspective

It’s easy to get caught up with a pressing issue and blow it out of proportion. Always try to look at the big picture when there is an issue causing you stress. For example, will the outcome affect you 5 days or 5 years from now? If not, try not to stress about it – keep it all in perspective.

7 | Be more organised

While we don’t like to admit it, we can sometimes cause our own stress when we simply aren’t organised. For example, vehicles breaking down, a forgotten meeting, stressful mornings, not being able to find car keys when we are already late and other stressful situations can often be avoided if we plan ahead and get organized. Be honest with yourself, what area of your life needs to be more organized for less stress?

8 | Make “Me” Time

This might seem hard, especially if your children are young but it is VERY important. You don’t always have to be available to others. Whether it’s going on a 30-minute run, taking a bath or just reading a book – take time to recharge your batteries. There is nothing wrong with this just explain to your family what you are doing and why it’s important. If you feel guilty think of yourself as “leading by example”Self-care is not selfish – its survival!!

I’d love you to share your best tip for less stress. just leave a comment below.