10 Top Tips to Reduce Stress

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Everyone struggles with stress from time to time, and it can be hard to know how to deal with it when it gets too much.

Stress can come from a variety of sources, including family issues, grief, work, school and more. Let’s be honest, life can be difficult- and stress is a big part of this.

When you feel stressed, it’s important to find simple coping mechanics to deal with it and reduce your stress levels. This might take time, but finding the right ways to calm yourself down is an important part of your mental wellbeing.

Stress can have an obvious negative effect on your mental health, but it can also affect your physical health if it gets out of control.

In this post, we will look at 10 top tips to reduce stress. Hopefully there’s something on this list that you can turn to the next time you’re feeling stressed.

1. Look after your physical health

It’s no secret that our physical and mental health go hand in hand, and if you don’t feel physically healthy your mental health is bound to suffer.

Try taking some time out of your day to focus on your physical health. Eat food that makes you feel good and choose healthy alternatives to your favourite snacks. This can help your body feel more energised and productive- and help you avoid any sugar crashes later in the day.

There are also certain supplements and vitamins you can take, to reduce stress and anxiety- and help to boost your mood when things get heavy.

2. Focus on the essentials

Stress often strikes when we’re super busy with work or family. You might feel pulled in too many directions, or you might just have a lot of work to get through. When this starts to affect your stress levels, take some time to just focus on the essentials.

Make yourself a to-do list for everything you need to do in your day, and a list for everything that would be good to get done- but it isn’t an essential task. That way, you’ll know that everything is handled and you won’t feel quite so overwhelmed by a never-ending list.

3. Exercise

It sounds simple, but getting out for some exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress. If you work from home, try getting out for a walk. If you feel stressed after a day at the office, try to work a gym session into your day.

Exercising releases endorphins which can instantly improve your mood- and taking your mind off your task list is important when your stress levels are soaring.

4. Tidy your surroundings

We might not realise it, but untidy surfaces and mess can actually cause our stress levels to rise. If you look around you and see lots of mess, you are subconsciously thinking about when you need to clean it up, and it can play on your mind to work in these surroundings.

If you start to get stressed, take a short break to tidy up your living area and watch as your thoughts become clearer.

5. Make your bed

When you have a lot on your plate, the smallest jobs are usually the first to go. However, it is these small tasks that make us feel much better, and help us to avoid stress as we go about our day.

When you first leave your bed, make it! You’ll feel much calmer and happier later in the day if you know at least one thing has been achieved.

6. Create a to-do list

If your stress is related to work or other responsibilities, sometimes just writing it out in front of you is the best way to reduce your stress.

As more and more work gets piled on your desk, you might think that you have too much to deal with. However, simply writing down some clear objectives or spending time to journal at the end of the day can help you see that you can handle it.

7. Identify the cause of your stress

Similar to point 6, if you’re stressing about lots of different things, the situation can sometimes feel worse than it is.

Take time to think about the real root cause of your stress, and work from there. Even if you have several things on your mind, just understanding what they are can help you find a solution and ultimately reduce your stress.

8. Speak to someone

Stress is a part of life, and sometimes we can deal with it by using a few coping mechanisms. However, it can get out of control- and that’s when you need to seek external help. You could call your local healthcare provider for some advice, or speak to a family member that you trust.

Many health food stores can also give you advice about over the counter supplements or medications to try out such as CBD, although it’s important to do your research before taking anything new.

9. Change your mentality

As with any mental health concern, one of the key ways to cope is to try and improve your mindset towards yourself.

If you’re feeling stressed about work, try re-framing it as drive to get your work finished. If you’re stressed about family issues, try to think about positive ways you can help the situation and channel your stress in a positive way.

It’s not always possible, but sometimes changing your mentality can go a long way!

10. Take a break

Life can get hard, and sometimes the best way to deal with stress is just to simply do something different. For example, you could take a break from your work and get out of the house.

It’s important to take regular breaks from your responsibilities. You could:

• Go watch a movie
• Head out with friends
• Go for a coffee at your local café
• Watch some TV
• Make your favourite meal
• Do some gardening

Stress is a part of life, but it can be controlled using a few simple steps. I hope these tips can help you when you next feel overwhelmed. Let me know your top tips to reduce stress in the comments.