Reducing stress is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself. The quickest and easiest way to do this is by taking time out for yourself. You might want to take a long walk, meditate, drink some tea, or just listen to some music in order to relax. Lets look at some ways to quickly reduce stress.
We could also avoid the things that make us stressed out such as unimportant emails or deadlines we don’t really have to meet. When it comes to deadlines you should try your best to stick with them but if it’s unrealistic then say so. Decide when you will be able to complete it and make sure you don’t agree to unrealistic deadlines in the future.
Here are five ways you can reduce stress in your life.
1. Exercise – it can help to alleviate stress by releasing endorphins and improving heart health. You don’t have to go to the gym for this. Go for a walk or a jog, depending on your level of fitness. Try skipping – you can pick up a skipping rope for just a few pounds.
2 Socialise with your friends and family – spending time with the people that you love will give you an energy boost and help relieve any anxiety or stress. Sometimes organising something like this can be stressful in itself, so why not arrange a monthly meet up? You could take it in turns to provide things like food and drinks, or venue. Also of course, you don’t have to make it a big thing – sometimes a FaceTime with a friend at the end of a busy day is just what the doctor ordered.
3 Online games. Yes, really. Believe it or not, some video or online games have been proven to be good for you! You can switch off your mind, because its fully focussed on the game in front of you. Its important that you choose the right sort of platform – you don’t want random teenagers popping in to your ears on games consoles! You also need to be careful where you look online, as there is nothing worse than constant ads or pop ups. We use Plays.org which is a free platform with no downloads. You just play it on your laptop or phone. It’s a really great, free and safe distraction. We love that you can select games to suit your current mindset. Don’t pick fighting games! We like pinball, this great maze game and much more. You can select categories too. This dot to dot game is supposed to be for kids but I’ve just been on it for 15 minutes!
4 Volunteer – helping others in need will make you feel good about yourself, which is a great way to reduce stress. Have a look at your local town Facebook page and see what help is needed. You could volunteer in a charity shop or at a foodbank. You could also help by driving the elderly around or pick up their prescriptions for them.
5 Spend time relaxing outdoors – the fresh air and sunshine can improve our mood and mind, as well as reducing any physical tension we might be feeling due to stress. Get a lovely quiet area in your garden, if you have one. Make sure its well away from kids play areas, or dustbins! You can make yourself a lovely area – perhaps put a chair or lounger, with blankets and shade easily accessible. You don’t have to only go out there when its warm – sometimes its just lovely snuggling up in a cosy blanket. You can get patio heaters or fire pits too that would make it so beautiful.
