We all know both the physical and emotional toll that stress can take on us. Here are four practical tips in reducing every day, life-catches-up-to-us, stress:
- Prepare for the next day. An evening routine that allows us to plan for the next day helps us to feel that we are one step ahead of the stress. This can include making tomorrow’s lunch(es), setting out the outfit you intend to wear, checking your calendar and writing out a to-do list. Sometimes neatening the house can help bring closure to the day; it also separates one day to the next by creating a fresh start.
- Move. Find ways to move your body throughout the day. It can be a short walk at lunch (fresh air always help to reset our system), taking a walk-about the office every hour, using the stairs instead of the elevator, some in-office stretches, exercising before or after work, taking an evening stroll with the family. Movement is a mood booster and is meditation in motion.
- Soothe your comfort system. This might include soothing music, having a lit candle, using essential oils, making a warm cup of tea and some periodic deep breathing. When we keep our comfort system as top priority, we can easily add these types of things to our day.
- Create moments of joy and gratitude. Our day is fully realized when we are able to laugh, feel joy, and are able to feel thankful. When we are overwhelmed, we tend to put fun and play on the back burner. By building moments of joy and gratitude into our day, we help to counter the harsh effects of stress.
As we can see from this list, there is a fair amount of planning when aiming to reduce stress. Although this may seem like one more thing to do, when we manage our time to include movement and moments that promote feeling settled, we are one step ahead of the game as it has moved us from being reactive to proactive. We can’t really escape stress but we can temper its effects. 🙂
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@carlijeen