5 Tips for a Less Stressful Life
Everyone’s life gets stressful once in a while, and it might not always be a bad thing. Evolutionary stress has been key to our survival, but it also needs to be regulated. Overall, small doses of stress have been found to help in accomplishing goals, increasing motivation, and in boosting one’s memory. However, too much of anything is never good for you, and stress can be very taxing on your immune system, as well as your general physical and mental health. During especially stress-prone times, like near deadlines or around exam periods, it is very important to take measures so that you can maintain a healthy level of stress.
Identify the cause of your stress.
There are many different reasons a person might be experiencing high of levels of stress. Whether it is your job, family, or something else, taking a step back from the situation might help you to decide what steps you can take to further help minimize the stress in your life to a manageable level. This might mean taking some time for yourself, yoga, or going to see a therapist, but it is important to recognize the stressors in your life before you can directly tackle them. Talking to someone about your stress might also help gain a different perspective and to create solutions that you can act on. Here are some general ways to help minimize stress in your life.
Create schedules and checklists.
To minimize stress and last minute endeavors or tasks, it is important to keep track of all of the important things that you need to accomplish and to prioritize them. This can help you become more efficient and create a momentum fueled with positivity, as cross off the things you have completed from your checklists.
Take some time for yourself.
It is important in our busy lives to find the time to take care of ourselves, whether that is sitting and relaxing for a few minutes, watching a movie, taking a bath, or spending some time with friends. Setting aside some time in the day to collect yourself will help bring things into perspective with what you want to accomplish and what you already have. Even just ten minutes a day can help you recuperate and prepare for the days ahead.
Exercising and Relaxation Techniques
Exercise has been shown to reduce susceptibility to stress and helps to boost your immune system. This can be one of the many ways you can take time for yourself to distract yourself from the stresses that you are experiencing. Relaxation can involve anything from listening to calming music, trying yoga, or deep breathing exercises.
Reasonable Goals
When building your schedules and future plans, it is integral to your stress management that you understand and realize the limits of what you physically and mentally can and cannot do. Therefore, making sure you form a set of attainable goals that you know you can accomplish, can make all the difference in preventing yourself from becoming overwhelmed and creating a happier, reduced-stress lifestyle.
If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed by the stresses of life or experiencing mental health issues due to stress; it can be helpful to talk to someone and get help. Please contact the professional team at Lifeline Connections! You can visit Lifelineconnection.org or call 360.397.8246 for more information.
