1. Revamp your diet
More and more studies are showing the strong relationship between your dietary habits and how you feel. People who eat less processed food, more vegetables, and less sugar are both happier and healthier. This also translates to stress levels.
Stress on a bad diet has a greater impact than the same stress on a healthy diet. Cook as often as possible and avoid pre-prepared meals. Incorporate more vegetables and fewer refined sugars. If you’re on a busy schedule, slow cooker meals are a great option to have a healthy, home-cooked meal waiting for you after work.
2. Stay social
Human beings are social animals. Even with a demanding schedule, making time for friends and family is important. In the age of the Internet, there are hundreds of methods of communication at your disposal.
Video chats and Facebook are some great ways to keep in touch with close friends and family, especially when you’re far away or have a busy schedule. While these are a great advantage for keeping up with the lives of others, the importance of face-to-face interaction should not be forgotten. Physical interaction is just as necessary. A single hug can reduce a significant amount of stress – an important fact to keep in mind when you feel too busy to participate in activities with your friends.
3. Exercise regularly
Exercising has been proven to lower stress levels in a multitude of studies. While the modern American often cannot make time for the gym, exercise can actually take many forms. Even small things like office chair stretches can make a difference.
Ideally, you should make time for at least 30 minutes of physical activity. This can be anything from yoga in the comfort of your own home, a brisk walk in the morning, or a trip to the gym. Find a type of exercise that works best for you and feel the stress melt away.
4. Organize your schedule
Invest in a day planner and to-do notepad. If you’re tech-savvy, there are hundreds of productivity and task-planning apps to help you schedule and organize your personal and professional lives. Schedule your weeks out in advance and eliminate the stress of missing a meeting or forgetting to call a friend. For the smaller, day-to-day activities like washing dishes and dusting, write a to-do list in the morning. Seeing all your appointments planned out can prevent overwhelming feelings.
The path to living a stress-free life is a long one, but taking the first steps toward reducing your stress don’t have to be monumental challenges. A few simple changes can improve your life by leaps and bounds. These changes don’t uproot your life or require an excess of effort, but they will make you feel better.
