With the hustle and bustle of each and every day, it is a struggle to stay sane and Stress-Free, but it doesn't have to be that way. No matter how old you are, stress is or has been part of your life. It might've been in kindergarten on the playground, or it might have been a couple years ago the week before finals, or it might be right now while you are preparing for the day ahead of you. Stress has been in the cards, and you need to get rid of it, right now. When life is hectic, these tricks will come in handy when you need them most.
The first thing you should learn to do is practice deep breathing.
Meditating is not for everyone, so as helpful as it can be for relieving stress, it can also be extremely time-consuming. So do not worry about time getting away from you, simply take three deep and slow breaths.
Great start! To invite harmony and peace into your life, start by making time to exercise. Getting moving has been proven to relieve the mind of stress, and getting your blood pumping can make you feel good all over. If exercise is not your cup of tea, then try smiling. Literally, right now, just smile. See, you automatically feel better. If you didn't smile, that's okay, open a tab for YouTube and look up your favorite song, and press play. Listening to music is another great way to calm your mind and relieve stress.
If you still have time, find that book you've been dying to read and take a few minutes to read it.
Still feeling stressed?
Don't stress it, there's plenty more where that came from. Make sure that tonight you get enough sleep, because lack of sleep is a significant cause of stress. Visualization is another solution for stress, simply close your eyes and imagine a peaceful and scenic location, maybe a garden or the beach.
If closing your eyes did not help, and all you saw was the inside of your eyelids, then feel free to get up and go for a walk. Walk anywhere, for as long as it takes to clear your mind. While you are walking, practice positive thinking, make a mental list of your blessings, and praise what you are grateful for. When you finish your walk, maybe create a grateful journal and write some of those things you thought of on there.
Maybe you can write something as simple as oxygen.
If the walk did not work, and you do not have a notebook nearby, then maybe you should find a piece of paper and make a to-do list. Once you finish your to-do list, go out and treat yourself to your favorite dessert, or indulge in something sweet. I would recommend strawberries and melted chocolate (it's a classic). Also, on the same paper as your to-do list, make a note to run a nice warm bubble bath for yourself. Have you ever tried yoga before? Maybe try watching a video and practice doing some yoga for a little while. Another solution is to identify exactly what is stressing you out. Write it all down, put everything into a list, then decide what you can and cannot control.
Example: can control: what to eat for breakfast; cannot control: getting older. Simple.
The solutions get better! Make time to do something for yourself, and if you decide you want to start dancing, then you have doubled up on stress free resolutions. Dancing is fun, and doing something fun is bound to relieve some of your stress. A couple more stress hacks to remember: play with your pet, try journaling or writing a letter, burn a candle or incense, or do something you have control over. One of these hacks will certainly do the trick.
Why is stress so bad for you anyway?
Stress can have seriously detrimental effects on your body that you may not even pick up on. Let's address the issues from head to toe.
For starters, stress can cause headaches, insomnia, and increased depression. It also causes increased breathing, heartburn, a higher risk of diabetes, a weakened immune system, higher risk of a heart attack, high blood pressure, stomachache, erectile dysfunction, missed periods, fertility problems, and tense muscles. The list goes on and on, but the moral of the story is: stress is bad.
Hopefully, these tips and pieces of advice were helpful and have cured you of all your stress. Next time, when your heart starts pounding, just remember a few of these stress hacks. Then take a deep breath and I promise you will get through it. Life does not have to be stressful. Life will always have stressors, but if you know how to take control of your mind, you can take control of your life. In case you did not get the chance to do it before, try smiling again.
