12 Simple Steps To De-stress

Many people suffer from anxiety and stress. Whether it’s a small problem or a big issue, stress affects the majority of us. Ultimately, no matter what your situation is, you can choose how you will react.

Stress is something people face every day. The stresses associated with family, work, health, and finances are all common aspects of daily life. 

Additionally, some people are more prone to stress than others because of factors such as their genetics, the amount of emotional support they receive, their coping mechanisms, and their personalities. 

Chronic stress or overwhelming stress can negatively impact your physical and mental health. It’s, therefore, crucial to have stress-relieving methods that allow you to de-stress your mind and body at the same time.

A healthy lifestyle involves reducing daily stress whenever possible. Stress causes physical health problems by increasing the likelihood of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, depression, and anxiety.

However, stress relief does not come in a single package. Not every technique works for everyone. You might not be able to use your home stress management at your job or in your local society.

There are many tools that can help manage stress, so it’s crucial to have a range of options available. Once you understand your current situation, you will be able to choose the best strategy.

Stress can be managed by making healthy choices to minimize its impact.

Here are 12 suggestions:

1. Avoid caffeine.

Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause your cortisol levels to spike and then leave you feeling stressed out when those levels come crashing down. Instead of coffee or energy drinks, drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and alert. Try tea instead of coffee to get some flavour without the caffeine or sugar.

2. Exercise regularly.

Exercise helps relieve stress by releasing endorphins into your bloodstream which have a positive effect on your mood and also lessens the stress hormones. It’s important to find an activity you enjoy so that you’re more likely to stick with it on a regular basis. 

Some ideas include: running, biking, hiking, walking around the mall (yes this counts as exercise), dancing or playing sports such as tennis or basketball with friends for fun instead of competition. If you don’t like exercise classes at the gym, look for opportunities in nature such as hiking or walking (with deep breathing exercises) through a local park for more enjoyment.

3. Get enough sleep.

Getting enough sleep isn’t just crucial for your mental and physical health, it can also help reduce stress. Make sure to get at least seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. 

Avoid using your electronics before bed as the light from your phone or computer can disrupt your body’s internal clock and make it difficult to fall asleep. If you have trouble falling asleep, read a book or listen to soothing music instead of watching TV or scrolling through Facebook on your phone.

4. Practice mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness meditation is a technique that helps people recognize and acknowledge their thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad, true or false, etc. 

This can be an effective way of relieving stress and muscle tension since we often overestimate the importance of our thoughts and underestimate our ability to deal with them effectively by letting them go.

By accepting our thoughts rather than trying to fight against them, we’re more likely to feel in control which reduces anxiety and offers stress reduction overall while increasing happiness and well-being at the same time! 

5. Watch your diet and drinking habits.

It’s not just about counting calories, but also about making sure that we’re eating foods that will make us feel good, give us energy and help us stay healthy overall. Sugary foods and drinks are often loaded with empty calories that leave us feeling more tired than energized after consuming them. 

For example, it’s okay to have a treat now and then but be sure to cut back on sugar-sweetened beverages throughout the day so you don’t contribute to your stress levels by crashing later on due to blood sugar spikes and crashes (e.g., drinking a soda or eating a candy bar at lunch followed by another sugary snack or drink later on). 

Instead of reaching for sugary foods or drinks, try fresh fruit such as an apple, pear or orange along with nut butter and whole-grain crackers for more physical health benefits that will give you the nutrients your body needs without all the added sugars. In addition, be aware of how much caffeine you’re consuming daily because too much caffeine can make it difficult to fall asleep even if you get plenty of sleep overall!

6. Practice gratitude daily.

One of the best ways for stress response is by practising gratitude. Gratitude helps us realize that we have enough and that there are people who care about us and support us. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that life should be perfect, but it’s often the imperfections (i.e., stressful situations) that teach us how to grow and how to be a better person overall. 

The next time you feel stressed out, try taking a few moments to think about what you’re grateful for in your life. You can even write down 3-5 things each day as part of a gratitude journal; this way, you’ll develop a habit of recognizing and acknowledging the good things in your life which will help reduce stress levels overall!

7. Get moving! 

Exercise doesn’t just make us feel good at the moment, but it also helps in managing stress levels. If you’re feeling stressed and need to blow off some steam, consider taking a brisk walk or going for a run if you have time. Exercise is also important for our overall health so be sure to include some type of physical activity in your daily routine on a regular basis.

8. Have realistic expectations and goals.

Get in the habit of letting go of things you cannot control. It’s easy to get stressed out when we’re not reaching our goals or when we feel like we’re not in control of certain situations in our lives. 

It’s important to remember that we have little control over most things that happen to us, but we do have control over how we respond (or don’t respond) to stressful situations; this is where mindfulness meditation comes into play because it helps us recognize what’s happening around us without letting it get the best of us or causing stress levels to spike unnecessarily. 

If possible, try setting reasonable goals for yourself that you can achieve easily; don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to accomplish something that’s too hard given your resources at the present moment (e.g., time, energy, money).

9. Practice forgiveness. 

Holding onto resentment and anger can be extremely stressful, especially if there are people in your life who have wronged you in some way. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you’re condoning the actions of another person, but it does mean that you recognize that everyone makes mistakes and it’s unrealistic to expect ourselves and other people to be perfect all of the time. 

The next time you feel resentment toward someone or something, consider writing down your feelings in a journal or talking about them with someone you trust; this way, you’ll have a better sense of clarity with how you feel and how to process those feelings rather than holding onto them indefinitely which can cause unnecessary stress levels.

10. Spend time with positive people.

These are the people who support your goals and encourage your well-being rather than focusing on negative people who bring down your energy levels (and stress levels). 

Negativity is contagious so it’s important to surround yourself with positive people who make you feel good about yourself instead of negative people who bring you down; this is easier said than done because we often don’t recognize negative people as being toxic until they’ve been around us for a while. 

One strategy is to limit the amount of time we spend around negative people and/or to avoid them altogether if possible; this is easier said than done, but it’s something that we can work toward because the more time we spend with negative people, the more likely we are to become negative ourselves.

11. Don’t get caught up in the comparison game.

It’s natural for us to compare ourselves to other people (especially on social media), but this doesn’t help us improve our lives or reach our goals because it only makes us feel bad about ourselves and fuels feelings of inadequacy. 

Rather than focus on how you stack up against others, focus on your own progress and what you’re doing right; this way, you’ll keep moving forward without feeling like a failure or giving in to feelings of inadequacy every time you see someone else post a new photo of themselves looking happy, healthy and successful while you’re still struggling to reach your goals.

12. Focus on what’s working in your life rather than what isn’t working in your life. 

This way, you’ll have a more positive outlook on your situation and will be more likely to improve it rather than dwelling on how bad things are or how they “should” be; this doesn’t mean that we should deny our problems or not work toward resolving them, but it does mean that we should focus on solving them rather than allowing them to take over our lives and consume us with negativity.

The Takeaway

Keep in mind that things will go up and down in life, so try not to get too comfortable when things go smooth, or too stressed out when things go wrong; finding balance is the key, however difficult it may be since it helps you cope during difficult times.

Life is filled with stress, but if we are not proactive about reducing it, it can quickly become unbearable. When you adhere to some of these tips regularly, you will feel more at ease and live a less stressful life; you’ll be able to live the best version of yourself!