Who doesn’t want to reduce stress, right? (And I’m talking the bad kind – not the good stuff, like you just got a $100K bonus.) The topic comes up often when meeting with clients so I decided this month to focus my Year of 50 on the Top 50 Ways to Reduce Stress:
1. Prune your schedule
2. Start the day with a balanced breakfast
3. Avoid skipping meals
4. Moderate alcohol intake
5. Spend time on a creative endeavor
6. Dance
7. Look for the positive
8. Exercise – choose something you enjoy
9. Stretching
10. Go for a walk – with a friend is even better
11. Use calming essential oils
12. Reduce caffeine intake
13. Journal
14. Focus on gratitude
15. Spend time with those you love
16. Laugh
17. Start saying “no”
18. Yoga
19. Meditation
20. Deep breathing
21. Take mini breaks throughout your workday
22. Take one day off each week for rest and rejuvenation (if necessary, start with a half-day)
23. Surround yourself with positive people
24. Avoid comparisons
25. Spend time in nature
26. Learn to stop procrastinating
27. Reach out for support
28. Do a body scan, relaxing each body part as you go
29. Take a mindfulness course
30. Play games
31. Sex
32. Soothing music
33. Play with your pet
34. Protect your sleep
35. Take a nap
36. Consider biofeedback
37. Prayer
38. Regular massage
39. Read a book for enjoyment
40. Visit a Naturopathic Doctor for a personalized supplementation approach
41. Be present
42. Avoid dwelling on the past
43. Avoid anxiety about the future
44. Guided visualization
45. Hug and cuddle
46. Learn self-hypnosis
47. Identify difficult people in your life and strategize ways to communicate with them
48. If communication isn’t fruitful, limit exposure to difficult people
49. Simplify your surroundings
50. Chew gum – some studies show it helps (and better than eating when you’re not hungry)
Easy, right? In theory, yes. But it requires mindfulness, taking the time to stop and notice what you’re experiencing and seek a way through that keeps you healthy, sane and feeling good. Experiment with several of these to see what really connects with your true needs.
May you cultivate greater ease and well-being.