April is Stress Awareness Month. Stress can take the joy out of life and when we experience stress we can have an overload of hormones leading to a shortness of breath, feelings of panic and a sense of overwhelm. Stress can be due to a situation or an ongoing drain on our energy, but either way it can be helpful to have a few tricks up your sleeve to minimise its impact and to get to back to enjoying your life.
I could write a book on this, but here are my top 10 tips to get you started for reducing your stress levels.
1. Have a mindful moment
Mindfulness is about being present and in the moment. Stress tends to push our thinking towards the past (was it ok? did I do enough?) or the future (I have so much to do!). Having a mindful moment can take as little as 30 seconds but can calm your brain and give you space to think. Try an alarm on your phone for 30 seconds. Now sit comfortably and breathe. Take a look at your hands for 30 seconds. You can move your fingers and turn your hands over, but if you have a thought, lay your hands down then raise them and start again. This allows you to close down some of the conversation in your head to allow space for the important stuff. Take a look at our blog on mindfulness for more tips.
2. Laugh
Laughter is good for you. It can reduce stress and relieve pain. Laughing out loud also boosts your immune system. So take a look at YouTube for funny videos, boxset binge on your favourite comedy and share jokes with your friends. Even a fake laugh can get the process going. Here are five wellbeing benefits of laughter.
3. Find your creative side!
Music, whether you listen to it or play it is a great way to relieve stress. Dance around the kitchen to it, unwind in the bath with it, whatever works for you.
If music isn’t your thing, try something else creative like learning to paint or gardening. The purpose is for you to have an output, it doesn’t matter if it isn’t very good! Try something that needs you to focus on what you are doing now rather than what you think you should be doing. Want to grow you creative superpower? Take a look at our blog
4. Talk to a friend
When we are stressed our Cortisol rises and our field of vision narrows. It makes it easier to run away from a sabre toothed tiger but harder to see our options. Chatting it over can give us perspective on our issues but also help to find solutions more easily.
5. Switch off your screens
Computers, tablets, TVs and phones are a part of our lives, but they can also add to our stresses. Think about what you use them for when you are not working. Is it making your calm or adding to your discomfort? Limit watching stressful films or soap operas as your subconscious mind may struggle to tell the difference between real and imagined experience. You may be adding to the stress your mind is experiencing.
6. Spend time in nature
Spending time outside helps to reduce stress. Did you know that a recent study by Exeter University has found that the optimum time for benefitting from being in nature is 2 hours per week? So, make a date with friends for a dog walk, grab your camera and walk around the park or try an outdoor activity such as swimming. They are all great for a reset. Have a go at mindful walking and truly experience the joy of nature.
7. Set your boundaries
What are the biggest causes of stress in your life? When was the last time you said “No”? When you are clear on what you want in life it becomes so much easier to decide what to say yes to and what to say no to. If your busy life is giving you a busy and unhappy brain, consider what could you delegate, or let go of. What do you really want to do more if? We can all get over committed at times, and a good way to set a boundary and give time for yourself is to put fun in your diary before your time is taken up with the needs of others. This isn’t being selfish, this is enabling you to sustain your energy.
8. Journal your thoughts
During the most stressful times in my life I have kept a journal. This has enabled me to write down all of my thoughts and feelings, without being guarded. Keeping a journal also allows you to understand if there are patterns in your thinking or certain situations which are causing you increasing stress. Writing it down allows you to let go. You can put all of your frustration down on paper and either keep it to reflect on later or burn/shred it to let those feeling go. Take a look at our blog on Journaling, EQ and striving towards a better life
9. Check your self-talk and choose your mantra
Stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted may be how you feel but if you dwell on it your mind has nowhere else to go. It can become an even greater self-fulfilling prophecy. Give your busy brain some respite with a new mantra. A mantra is a positive phrase you say to yourself to recondition your thinking. You can also write it down and place it where you can see it throughout the day. For example:
“I always have time for the important things”
“I am loving and lovable”
“Every day I am fulfilling my purpose”
Read more about mantras in our previous blog.
10. Find your community
A great way to reduce your stress is to be around positive people. Charities and volunteer groups are great for giving you a purpose which is bigger than your daily stresses and a companion group of the likeminded. National Trust has volunteer groups which rebuild dry stone walling, clear areas of their land and help to preserve the countryside as a group and there are a lot of local organisations you could join to add that special diminution and perspective to your life. If your life is impacted by loneliness or stresses due to lack of money, finding your community could be the key to living a long and happy life.
Finally, build more balance into your life. Take a look At the four elements of wellbeing and see if you are supporting each area.
Mind – what are you telling yourself? Use some of these tips to get your thinking back on track
Body – food, nutrition and movement – what could you add in to your life?
Spirit – how are you supported? What could you join and who is in your life?
Vision – whose life is this anyway? What do you really want and what is not supporting the life you want that you could you say no to?
Keep smiling!
If you liked this article you may like our book “Love Your Life! 100 tips for more peace and happiness”
You may also want to check out our blog – Three questions to live your best life
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