Stress is an inevitable part of life. It can even be a positive thing, inspiring us to kick our focus into high gear. But not all stress is created equally. If you find yourself often overly stressed out and tense, it may become toxic and lead to troubles with your health. Chronic stress essentially causes your body to go into “fight or flight” mode, negatively impacting things like your immune system, mood, hormones, digestion, and pretty much everything else. Fortunately, there are some things to reduce stress and help your overall well-being. Below are some simple tools to reduce stress.
Create Limits
Scrolling social media and watching the news can be addictive. It can also be a major source of stress – reminding us of all the negativity in the world and encouraging the comparison of our lives to strangers online. Limiting the time your spend consuming the news and social media can be a huge stress reliever.
Be present
Though planning and setting goals are great, the present moment is all we can really control. If you find yourself constantly worrying about the future, take a few deep breaths, and practice re-centering yourself in the present moment.
Set boundaries
Before automatically overcommitting and saying “yes” to that invite, work project, or volunteer work, check back with yourself and make sure it’s something you actually want to do. Saying “yes” out of obligation, rather than actual desire, can lead to resentment, burnout, and, of course, stress.
Get moving
Your body physically holds onto stress and tension. Moving your body – no matter how you do it – running, hiking, dancing, yoga – will help that stress leave your body.
Practice surrendering
It’s easy to spend a lot of time and energy worrying over things that are completely out of your control. Practice focusing only on things that you can control (such as actions, reactions, and thoughts), and let everything else go.
Practice gratitude
Take a few moments each day to intentionally find at least three things you’re grateful for. Spending extra time meditating on thoughts of gratitude can help train your subconscious to look for the positive.
Seek sunshine
Getting direct sunlight can significantly boost your vitamin D levels, which, in turn, helps to elevate your mood.
Write it all down
Keeping track of your extremely long to-do list, worrying about the future, and dwelling on the past can become incredibly toxic. It may be helpful to use a journal or notepad, organize your to-dos, and dump your thoughts and worries on paper.
It’s important to remember that taking the time to be proactive and intentional can go a long way in preventing stress levels.
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