5 Ways To Reduce Stress

Our lives are full of stressors! Stress is an unhealthy thing that we allow to consume us and we don’t do anything to cure it.  Stress is, in a way, an illness.  It can cause major long-term damage that we don’t realize is happening until it is too late.  Here are some ways to help manage stress:

1. Go for a walk! As simple as this may sound, we don’t often do it unless we have to. Even when you are living in the country where it is quiet and tranquil, we still have jobs and other stressors that come into play.  Use your surroundings to help elevate some stress. You have the perfect surroundings to go for a walk and enjoy nature. Enjoy the quiet! Living in the city is harder to find a peaceful place to walk, but there are places you can go for some peace and quiet.  Parks, ravines, and trails are great options that are available in almost every city!  Getting away from all the craziness of your day and life for just a moment can do wonders.  No destination just a walk to take in the small things that we take for granted as we drive by or walk by in a hurry to work.  Have a dog?  Take your dog for a walk and throw a ball around. You will find this incredibly relaxing.
2. Turn off your cell phone! Yes most of us do business using our cell phones.  Emails, texts, social media etc.  But take one hour after you get home from work and turn off the computers, cell phones and televisions.  Sit down with a good book or listen to music.  One of our biggest problems is we are over stimulated.  Between our cell phones, social media and our laptops for work, we get information overload.  Some things make us smile, but some will make us anxious and even angry.  Stepping away from all that stimulation for just a moment can do you a world of good.
3. Get active! This could be working out at a gym, playing a recreational sport, yoga or a fun activity like dancing or group fitness.  Whatever your choice is, being active is like medicine! Cures all that ails you!  Taking your lunch break to workout or be active is a great idea. This will give you a break from the office and allow you to reenergize to continue your day on a positive note.
4. Make time for some fun! After a long week it can be hard to imagine going out and doing anything.  But taking a couple hours to enjoy a nice dinner with friends or have a weekly games night, takes your mind off the things that caused you stress and may even make you look at things differently after.  Spending time with amazing people doing things that make you laugh and that you enjoy gives you an outlet for more positive thoughts.
5. Accept the things you can’t change! I know you are thinking “easier said than done”. But let’s think about this for a minute. We have stressors we can’t avoid like deadlines at work, teenagers, sick parents etc.  We can’t change these things nor can we avoid it completely. So what we do is accept it.  Do what you can and be as proactive as possible.  Meaning don’t leave things to the last minute. Before dealing with a situation, prepare yourself mentally on how to handle it and or respond to it.  Most of our stress we cause our self because of how we react to situations.  Life is not always roses and sunshine, but even the stormiest day will pass and the sun will shine again!