The more I multitask and add responsibilities to my basket the greater chance the stress level rises as well.. I try my best to keep a good balance during the everyday routine. Here are the things I do that helped me get back and balance my senses again after a difficult period of time. I hope it helps:
CREATE A SCHEDULE AND FOLLOW IT TO PERFECTION
Check out this post to learn how to create a schedule. When I have things planned life is so much easier to deal with. I know what needs to get done and what doesn’t.
EXERCISE
Make an effort to add some form of exercise to your daily routine. 30 minutes of yoga, 60 minutes of cross-training, or 45 minutes of walking can ease your mind greatly.
MEDITATE
Download an app like Headspace and start meditating for just 3 or 5 minutes. Check out my 10-day Meditation journal here.
JOURNAL (HERE ARE SOME FREE JOURNAL PROMPTS)
Journaling will save your life. I, genuinely believe this. Journaling is the most unselfish thing you can do for yourself. You take a few minutes (more if needed) every day and write in your journal. The prompts I linked to are all about self-discovery.
TAKE TIME TO BE ALONE – TOTALLY ALONE – WITH YOUR THOUGHTS
This can be scary. Sitting in your thoughts is intimidating, but once you start getting comfortable with your emotions you start to recognize your own toxic behaviors and can only better your life.
LEARN TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND LISTEN TO YOUR FEELINGS
Talk to your feelings! If you lose your temper easily (ME!) then start asking yourself why? When I started doing this I realized that I have some control issues and I lost my temper every time I felt like I was out of control. Now I know that this is a skill I need to work on.
READ SELF-DEVELOPMENT BOOKS (HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS OF MY FAVS)
Books by strong people, by entrepreneurs, by independent people, by experts at their crafts, by people who motivate and inspire you! This is a guaranteed way to get some positive thinking in your day. (Especially if you are surrounded by negative people).
MAKE A LIST OF THINGS YOU LOVE
List 20-30 things that you love. This could be anything. Just start making a list of all the things that bring you joy.
DO THE THINGS YOU LOVE
Do more of the things you love. Take your list and aim to do at least one of those things every day. It could be as complicated as going back to school to start a new career to the simplicity of reading a good book with a hot cup of tea.
LISTEN TO A PODCAST OR TED TALK ON MOTIVATION OR ENCOURAGEMENT
Podcast and Ted Talks are so encouraging. This is just like reading self-development books, but when you can’t read you can listen to these for snippets of advice and encouragement.
TAKE LONG, DEEP BREATHES
Google “how to breath.” Seriously, take some time to learn how to take slow and intentional breaths. Focus on breathing and only breathing for 5 minutes.
TAKE A SHOWER, GO FOR A SWIM, BE IN THE WATER. WATER IS CALMING.
I am sure I am not the only person in the world who loves water. I feel connected to the water, but there is some science behind it. Research has shown that people who live by water tend to be less stressed and more healthy. I can’t just up and move to the ocean (though maybe one day!) so I like to go to the gym and swim or take a hot shower.
LISTEN TO SOUNDS OF NATURE OR INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
I grew up playing the violin and honestly I am not very good (i.e. I suck) but that doesn’t stop me from loving it. Listening to instrumentals on Pandora calms me and makes me happy. Music can change your life, so find music that calms you and allows you to slow down. I don’t suggest music words because it is distracting. (Not to say that it won’t work, but the point isn’t to be distracted from your stress temporarily – it’s to learn to manage your stress).
LET GO OF TOXIC PEOPLE (CHECK THIS POST OUT)
If you have toxic people in your life, click this link. Letting Toxic People Go is the best thing I have EVER done for myself.
COLOR
Coloring Books for adults were a thing a few years ago, but it seems like it has fallen out of popularity. I don’t know why, but I love to color. I am a horrid artist, so coloring allows me to be creative without the stress.
CREATE A MIND MAP OF YOUR DREAMS
Mind maps are so much fun! Dream Big, Go Crazy! Write out your Oscar Speech or Nobel Prize Speech. Seriously refocus your brain on your dreams, remember why you are doing all the things you are doing. What is the point? Sometimes all we need a reminder that what we are doing matters.
GO OUTSIDE.
Breath REAL air in the outside world. Soak in a little sun if possible. Sometimes our bodies just need to be reconnected with nature.
WATCH, READ, OR LISTEN TO SOMETHING FUNNY
Laughter is the best medicine they say. I have a hard time allowing myself these moments because I think that I should ALWAYS be productive, but being happy is important too. Listen to your favorite stand-up, watch I Love Lucy (my favorite!), or read a joke book.
PUZZLES
Okay, this might not be for everyone. I love puzzles and figuring out where the pieces go is calming to me. If having to put a puzzle together stresses you out I suggest skipping this one.
PHONE A FRIEND
Text a friend with the words “ I need to vent.” You might not want them to fix your stress or offer any solutions. Sometimes you just have to get it all off your chest. Tell them ahead of time that you aren’t looking for a solution, that you just need to vent. That way you won’t get annoyed if they try to “fix” things when really you just need to get the noise out of your head.
REWRITE THE SITUATION
This is a tool I have used in the past to understand my stress. I will rewrite a situation to figure out all the ways I can handle it. For example, let’s say I have a problem with a co-worker. I will write out all the ways I can deal with the problem: address it, ignore it, freak-out about it, escalate it, etc. Decide which is the most beneficial to you and move forward. Sometimes writing it down shows me that I am being super dramatic. Recognize how to deal with the problem and move on.
DRINK SOME HOT TEA (DECAFFEINATED)
If you are stressed or anxious I suggest avoiding the caffeine. For me, it just makes my brain go a mile a minute and makes everything worse. Different teas have calming agents that can set you at ease.
CLEAN UP YOUR AREA
If you are surrounded by mess you might feel a mess. Clean up your environment. Treat yourself like you would a guest in your house. Say positive things to yourself and clean up the area. When you declutter your area, you declutter your brain.
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