Being an adult is hard work!
Some of us have hectic, high pressured jobs where we work long hours and don’t have time to do anything!
Some of us are parents who spend more time talking to children than other adults!
Some of us are both!
It can be hard to find the time for yourself and not stress too much.
Stress can do damage to your physical health for example giving you headaches and can lead to more serious problems such as heart attacks, a low chance of getting pregnant, and strokes.
It can also affect your mental health too leading to such problems as depression and anxiety.
I know I’m the type of person who can get stressed quite easily and need to find ways in which I don’t get too overwhelmed with it all.
No one prepared us for the everyday stresses of adulthood….or maybe they did and we didn’t listen?!
I’ve been looking at ways in which you can reduce stress in your life and hopefully help you to lead a happy, healthier life.
21 Great Stress-Reducing Tips
1. Eat A Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy balanced diet is so important to our mental and physical wellbeing.
We all know what it’s like when we eat badly for a few days.
Our skin isn’t as glowing, your hair gets greasy, you feel lethargic and irritable (to name a few negatives) so if we are feeling stressed a healthier lifestyle is the way to go!
2. Do One Thing At A Time
This is something that I have problems with myself…I try to do too much all at once.
I think it’s multi-tasking but really it’s adding extra stress into my head and environment.
By doing one thing at a time you’re getting a job finished in your head and you can move onto the next task.
Probably one of the easiest stress reducers there is.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is always going to make you feel better.
A lot of people probably have struggled with this if they’re stressed and have a lot on their minds but think about the things you can do to help you get a good sleep.
Like, having a bath before bed, switching devices off, being able to separate your work and home life, cutting out alcohol or caffeine close to bedtime, and so on.
4. Prepare For The Next Day
Preparing for the next day is another easy stress reliever.
Mornings can be a nightmare at the best of times.
Getting yourself up and dressed is hard enough but what about if you have other little mouths to feed and get ready?
Preparing packed lunches and ironing clothes for the next day are just examples of what you can do to prevent those rushed mornings.
5.Turn Off Your Phone
Phones are amazing and have come a long way over the past 30 years but they can also be such a pain in the butt!
Turning your phone off can be a great little trick to make you calmer.
You can get so distracted by checking social media, playing games, and generally wasting time staring at a screen.
Your brain can’t switch off if you have a bright light right next to your face for hours on end.
You can spend more time talking with your family or reading a book.
6. Everyday Do One Thing You Enjoy
It’s good to have a routine in life but sometimes we can get stuck in a rut and it ends up like groundhog day!
Why not try to do something you truly enjoy every day.
It can be anything from reading a book to going on a bike ride.
Just adding in that little thing can give you a more positive mindset.
You’ll have something to look forward to and can distract you from other stresses in life.
7. Journal
I’ve said it before but writing everything down in a journal can be so rewarding for your mental health.
It’s a private space for you and you can just offload anything that’s going on in your head.
It can be handy if you don’t particularly have anyone you want to share your feelings with and just by releasing all your feelings onto paper you’re taking that weight off your shoulders, you can close the book and get on with your day.
8. Don’t Procrastinate
We can all procrastinate and it’s not just putting off the big jobs either.
I know at the weekends I can become distracted by anything even when I’m supposed to be just getting ready for the day!
It’s like I have this need to not get dressed before 11!
We have all been there and it can be a hard habit to shake but you’ll feel a lot less stressed if you get up and do what you have to do, be where you need to be, and stop getting distracted by silly tasks.
Get the boring tasks out of the way first thing so you have the rest of the day to not have it hanging over your head!
9. Don’t Over Burden Yourself
It’s great to keep busy and for a lot of us, we would go crazy if we didn’t have routines and plans but it can be easy to pile on everything at once.
Take a step back and have a look at what you need to do, decide what’s important and leave the little things for another time.
10. Exercise
Although a lot of the time exercise sounds hideous but trust me.
It makes you feel great!
Getting out for a walk or a run can instantly make you feel happier.
You’re out of the house, you can listen to some music or pop on a podcast and just be free for half an hour.
You’ll never regret doing some exercise but you will if you don’t go out and do anything.
11. Get Out Of Bed Earlier
Getting out of bed half an hour earlier can start your day off so much better!
You’ll have enough time to enjoy your morning, eat a nutritious breakfast, and not be rushing around all over the place.
It really makes a huge difference and can leave you feeling happier.
12. Meditate
Meditation is good for the soul!
I’ve started meditating recently and it helps me so much to forget all about the everyday pressures and it’s impossible to still feel stressed afterward.
You can do it at any point in the day, just make sure you have a quiet, comfortable space to do it.
13. Donate
Having a good clear-out always makes me feel so much better.
Most of the time I dedicate a day that I’m going to de-clutter because it always takes longer than expected!
Only keep stuff that is of use to you, that you love, and serves a purpose.
It doesn’t do you any good to hang onto things that are doing nothing but gathering dust!
Once you’re done donate what you can to charity.
Believe me, it’ll clear your mind as well as your house.
14. Stop Worrying
This is a very hard thing to do especially for me!
I think when you become a parent you automatically become a ‘worrier.’ I always remember saying to my mum that she worries too much and here I am years later doing just the same.
What I mean by stop worrying is to stop worrying about the stuff we have absolutely no control over!
We spend way too much of our time worrying about the future…or the past!
Worry gives us nothing positive!
It leads to anxiety, it can make us ill, and is a massive trigger for stress.
15. Live In The Present
I believe living in the present would all make us so much happier.
It’s so easy to get bogged down by unwanted negative thoughts about ‘what’s going to happen next’ or ‘why did I do that stupid thing a million years ago?’
Dwelling on things that don’t matter right now can just cloud our minds, cause anxiety, and isn’t benefiting anyone.
Start to consciously live in the moment and see what a difference it has to your mood.
16. Don’t Make Promises
I hate having to do something I didn’t particularly want to do in the first place.
It fills me with a dread sometimes days before I have to do it and I can act out because I’m stressed about the ‘promise’ I made.
The old saying goes ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep‘ and especially don’t agree to them just because you want to please someone.
Being a people pleaser can be hard work and you’re never looking out for number 1.
Say no to plans that you don’t want to do, no one is going to make you do them, and guaranteed other people’s days aren’t going to be any better or worse because you sat that one out!
17. Turn Off The Background Noise
It is said that having the TV or radio on in the background can lead to added stress without you even realizing it.
I am guilty of having the TV on as background noise because I find it comforting.
I’ve been making an effort to not have it on and it actually makes me so much more pro-active.
It’s easy to get distracted and you cant fully concentrate on the job you’re doing.
So a little peace and quiet goes a long way when you’re feeling agitated.
18. Be Kind To Yourself
This can be quite tricky to do for some, it’s a lot easier to look after everyone else and neglect your own needs.
We can get so stressed about ‘getting everything done’ everyday but for what?
We don’t need to put so much pressure on ourselves and everything doesn’t have to be perfect.
If we can learn to relax our standards a little and ourselves we will lead a happier calmer life.
That doesn’t mean we become lazy, it just means to stop being so hard on ourselves.
19. Reduce Your Caffeine Intake
Caffeine can cause a lot of negative effects on our bodies.
It’s a stimulant and can trigger our ‘fight or flight’ responses.
It can make anxiety a lot worse, can cause you to be more stressed, and doesn’t really have any positive side effects.
I’ve never been into coffee but know that almost everyone drinks it and don’t make the link between coffee and stress.
Try reducing your caffeine intake and see how different you start to feel.
20. The Best Things In Life Are Free
We all know this but get easily distracted and disconnect from what matters.
If you’re looking for ways to relax, ditch the expensive spa days and get out into nature.
This is an instant mood enhancer and whenever I’m feeling stressed/ anxious or depressed I take a trip to the woods or the beach and it instantly clears my mind.
Spending quality time with your family is another thing that easily gets missed, we can live together but do we really spend quality time together?
Turn the devices off and play a game or have a conversation it’ll bring you closer together and bring a smile to your face.
21. Make Friends With Like-Minded People
So we know or have come across an energy vampire at some point in our lives.
These types of people are the most stressful people to be around and you don’t even realize it half the time!
By distancing yourself from them you’ll feel so much happier and getting out and finding friends who are easy going and interested in what you have to say are reducing your stress levels massively!
The most important thing we forget is just to relax and stop letting the little things get to us.
We get so caught up in the busyness that is life that we never stop to be in the present moment, taking it all in and being thankful for what we have!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through these stress-reducing tips and can apply one or more of them into your life to live happier and healthier.
Thanks for reading!
