How To Lessen Your Stressin’
It’s National Stress Awareness Day today, and while you may not need a reminder of your stress today, it’s good to be aware of how we feel! Often, we find ourselves sick from stress and wonder how it even started. Let’s stop that before it even begins, sound good? Here are 5 tips to help you have less stress throughout the week!
Make time for YOU before and after work.
Making time for yourself before and after work can help when the tasks come at you from all angles. Making sure that you had time to do the things that fill your cup and make you happy, can really help with overwhelming feelings or feelings of resentment during the day when everyone seems to need something from you! Even if it’s just 30 minutes to an hour before the work day and afterward, make sure to pencil in that time. Good examples are a quick workout, meditation, journaling, a cup of coffee or tea and staring into the distance, time in nature, reading a book, and cuddling your favorite animal.
Take regular breaks during the day (working or not!).
It’s so easy to be tempted to think about our to-do list and not feel like we have even a second to take a break. Your brain is fooling you! If you can find time to scroll on social media (oooop! calling people out here), then you can find time to take a mindless break for yourself that can rejuvenate you. We recommend a no-screen time break for maximum effect. Taking a break allows you to come back to work refreshed and ready to tackle situations in new ways.
Choose a creative outlet that lets you use a different side of your brain, and helps you with energy management (as talked about in this episode with Brittany Vanderbeek on TMYG® Podcast).
Most of us are using the left side of our brains to get work accomplished all day long, and then it becomes fatigued. Instead of feeling fatigued enough to do nothing, try something creative that can give you energy and enthusiasm, but not tire you out more. Using the right side of your brain to write, take some photographs, paint, color, or do something else creative, can help you get a boost of energy and feel motivated again! We also feel this can help curb the effects of or the chance of burnout. Switching your brain can allow one side to rest for a bit.
Take time to spend with friends.
Our culture is big on self-care, which in itself is a great thing, but sometimes it can verge into the loneliness territory. Finding yourself at home alone under the mission of self-care can become very isolating. Even when we are tired, we often feel so much happier after spending time with the people in our lives who support and love us. Make time for your friends and feel less stressed!
Get enough sleep.
Sleep helps with stress because when we are exhausted we often don’t have the energy to think through situations or problems rationally, and instead we can become emotionally charged. This can cause more stress. By getting enough sleep, we are able to work through things and see them for the molehill they often are, instead of a figurative mountain. Getting enough sleep has so many benefits for stress!