As he pounded his fists on the desk, he yelled, “I don’t have time to de-stress!” Sound familiar? Stress results from our reaction to events and can ruin our health, careers, relationships, and life.
Here are seven actions to help reduce stress and reduce anxiety. These actions are a minimal but excellent time investment.
1. Get enough sleep. Inadequate sleep negatively impacts mood and increases stress levels. Getting enough sleep helps people be healthier, happier, more creative, more productive, less accident-prone, and more effective in relationships.
2. Optimize your schedule. Look at your priorities and select those activities that are essential to your purpose and goals. If you find yourself overtime, dismiss the non-essential elements. Work with excellence on what matters most right now.
3. Keep expectations realistic. Expecting others or ourselves to be perfect is certainly not realistic. However, continuous improvement is realistic. Compliment others for a job well done. It’s common to get stressed about something that can’t be done well without help. Ask for help when you need it.
4. Stay physically fit and eat healthily. Moderate exercise helps reduce stress. A healthy diet with the right vitamins and minerals provides the fuel that helps our bodies function at their best, especially under stressful conditions. See your doctor regularly and follow their recommendations to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
5. Relax every day. Do at least one activity every day that you enjoy. It’s like refilling your emotional energy bank. Meditate for mental and emotional health. We feel best when our emotions are in a moderate state of engagement. When emotions are too low or too high, they also negatively affect our physical tension, posture, and well-being. Use simple breathing and relaxation exercises when you are in stressful situations. This triggers a relaxation response, the body’s opposite of stress, and creates a sense of well-being.
6. Change up your routine. For many people, monotony in the daily routine can increase stress levels. Occasionally take a different route to work. Start reading about something you’ve always wanted to learn about. Change the design, lighting or colors of your home or work space. Introduce your family to a new pastime. Try that delicious looking recipe you saw in a magazine. Do something just for yourself, what you always wanted to do – no more procrastinating. Do a small thing this is new for you every week!
7. Solve problems with action. Much of the stress and anxiety we experience comes from dealing with our problems and feeling a lack of control. This attitude only attracts more anxiety when we worry about things that will never happen. Instead, sit in the driver’s seat. Take your time to look at your problem and consider your options. Then take positive action toward a resolution. Taking action builds confidence and helps reduce stress and anxiety, giving you a greater sense of control.
Start relieving stress and anxiety today
Which of the above actions could help you reduce stress or anxiety today? Start now by choosing one of these actions. For example, ask yourself, “Where do I feel a lack of control in my career or personal life?” Then make a list of ten possible ways that you could have more control over the situation. Choose one of these steps and implement it today. Continue this process for 30 days, looking for obstacles to your well-being and implementing a constructive solution to each.
As you begin to choose positive responses to stressful situations, you will remove many self-imposed limitations. You will reduce stress and anxiety and create a greater sense of control and well-being.
Thanks to Steve Brunkhorst
