Dealing with emergencies at work or in private life can be very frustrating and exhausting. It’s important that we know how to relieve stress naturally and relax regularly so that those small everyday troubles don’t pile up and become an actual threat to our physical and mental health in the long run.
I know for me, when things are stressful, I get a cold sore, very often a cold, can’t sleep even though I’m tired and just can’t stop eating sugar.
Finding simple ways to deal with stress at any given moment has been vital since becoming a mom. I learned a lot from people at work and in my private life, who never seem to get stressed even in situations when I’d be easily freaking out.
Today I want to share 14 habits of people who never get stressed – these have helped me tremendously. Try these in your own everyday life to feel calmer and more positive.
1. SET INTENTIONS
The simple act of setting an intention to feel good that day will help you perceive everything differently. Even when something unexpected happens, once you have that intention you’ll be able to deal with whatever comes up in a more positive way.
You’re more likely to be proactive (what can I do about it) rather than reactive (WTF is happening to me?). So simply set an intention how you want to feel that day and how you want to react in situations.
2. PLAN, BUT DON’T OVER-PLAN
Having a plan in place can also put you in that proactive mode.
“See, this is happening to me, but I can actually do something about it.”
Or “I want to achieve this and this is how I plan to do it”.
Once you have a plan, you know where you’re headed and what the next step is. It helps minimize the stress and anxiety that come with uncertainty. Don’t forget to include self-care practices in that plan.
When you make that plan, keep in mind that life does whatever it wants and you need to adjust as you move forward.
So be nice to yourself and allow flexibility in your plan. You don’t want to end up constantly blaming yourself for not sticking exactly to what you’ve planned because other things come up.
3. MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Very often we get stressed because we think we can do better.
We can always do more with our time, with our lives, in our relationships, at work…It just never stops. There’s always more to do and accomplish.
Which can be a good thing because it creates an urgency to do something about the things that are important to us.
But if you’re not careful, it can become pretty overwhelming.
That desire to do more can put you in a place where it’s never enough and you’re never happy with how much you’ve done. You start guilt-tripping and beating yourself up over probably nothing.
So, manage your expectations and be realistic about how much you can do in a day, week or a month. A good way to become more realistic about what you do every day is to start tracking your daily habits.
4. LISTEN TO MUSIC
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t really like music. Not everyone likes TV or movies, but music? We all have a list of favorite songs that just make us smile.
Good thing is, listening to the music you love is one of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety.
Studies with coronary heart disease patients suggest that listening to music can help reduce anxiety and improve heart rate, blood pressure and quality of sleep. (source)
5. SPEND TIME IN NATURE
Studies have shown spending time in nature is beneficial for our mental and cardiovascular health. (source)
We’re surrounded by technology more and more, but we are made to be in nature and we’re made from nature.
When you spend half an hour in a park or on the beach, how do you feel? Refreshed, right? Like you can actually breathe now? Calmer?
Keep doing this. Go out for walks, hike, garden, spend time with your friends and family outside.
6. EXERCISE
Today, even my neighbor’s cat knows exercise is very important for your brain health.
When you exercise and move your body, you don’t just do it to look good, you do it because it makes you feel good and it affects other parts of your life too.
One huge benefit of exercise, especially aerobic, sweaty exercise, is that after a certain amount of time your body starts to produce endorphins. We know endorphins as something that puts us in a better mood, but not many people realize is that they’re natural pain killers, that we can produce on our own.
So whether you’re stressed, in pain, not feeling good physically or mentally – do some exercise, at least 10 minutes and see whether you start feeling better.
I know for me, whenever I stop exercising for a week, I get a little bit depressed, more reactive, mean and fearful. A 10-20 minute workout a day can change a lot.
7. EXPRESS GRATITUDE
Today we’re told left and right we need to be grateful for everything we have and stop looking at what we don’t have.
It’s just that sometimes when you’re worried and stressed out, you don’t honestly believe that can help. But it actually can. Even research shows people who count their blessings are overall happier than people who don’t. (source)
Expressing gratitude for what is good in your life is one of the most powerful things you can do when you’re anxious, overwhelmed or depressed.