Following on from my previous post about 5 things that make me stressed, I thought I would do a post about how I combat stress and hopefully this might help other people as well.
5 easy ways to reduce stress:
1) Work out what does need completing and what can wait. When my to-do list suddenly begins to look long and daunting, I start to feel a bit anxious about how I’m going to get everything done. The best thing for this scenario is to work out what needs to be done first, and then write a new list in that order. I sometimes find that actually, there isn’t too much that is particularly urgent and then I can work through other items at my own pace.
2) Talk to someone. It might sound cheesy but talking to someone about what is stressing you out will help. The people I talk to when I’m stressed are my husband, my mum and a couple of close friends. Even just having a moan about things that are getting to you and having a supportive listener can make all the difference. Even better, when someone else can offer suggestions on how to deal with the situation.
3) Accept that you can’t do everything! This can be hard, but humans cannot do everything. There are some things that are always going to be outside of our control. It does not do anyone any good to stress about things that they cannot change. Also, we all have strengths and weaknesses and there will be things given to you that you either can’t do or need help with. That’s okay! Either pass the item on to someone who can do the job, or ask for help so you can complete it. No point stressing about something you can’t actually do.
4) Exercise. Now, I’m not the best person to talk about exercise, as I go through phases where I’m really good at exercising then I don’t do any for ages. However, regular exercise is a very good activity for combatting stress. A couple of times when I’ve got home from work, I have gone on a short but fast bike ride for about 30 minutes. It gives me time to think and process things, and the physical act of exercise also makes me feel better.
5) Let it go. Not to coin the popular phrase from a well known song, the best thing for things that are stressing me out, is just to let it go. Now, this is easier said than done, I know, but sometimes the little things are not actually worth becoming stressed over. I am trying to exercise this more at work at the moment, and it is helping.
What are your tips for reducing stress? There are so many solutions to managing stress out there and I’m sure there are many better ones than I’ve posted above. The ones lists are just the ones I’m working on at the moment.
Please share your tips in the comments below!
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Good advice, Nicola! I sometimes struggle with coming to terms with #3, but you’re right that I’ll be a happier person if I do. For me, yoga is my ultimate stress-reliever. And just spending time with Mr. FW and Frugal Hound. It is deeply soothing to pet a dog (or cat) 🙂
I did yoga for a while and found it relaxing – I should really start again. Also, petting a dog or cat is also really relaxing 😀
Knowing when to let things go has been important for me. I used to get upset by little things, so much so they had the opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the day. That didn’t work out well. Most of the time, little things will happen, and we have to shrug them off and continue on. Easier said than done, but I try to have my reaction for maybe 5 minutes, and then I drop it! Hanging out with a fun group of people helps, too. Laughter is great medicine.
It is easier said than done but I am working on it. Hanging out with friends and laughter is always a good feeling 🙂
Excellent advice! Accepting that I can’t do anything is really hard for me, but ever since entering the work force I’ve learned to delegate lots of work to others.
I would like to add my #1 stress relieving tip: if you can do a task in two minutes, do it immediately! That way you won’t build an immense backlog of tasks. Your brain won’t be able to let them go, even though they’re menial and hardly take any time at all.
Have a great weekend,
NMW
You are right; leaving something for ages when it can be done in 2 minutes is definitely not a good plan. Getting stuff done as soon as it comes around is much better for stress!
I really needed this today: harvest time is here and there’s LOTS of food to be canned and frozen. Fall can be such a stressful time for me. Thanks for the wonderful tips!
You’re welcome! I hope harvest time goes well for you 🙂
Whenever I start feeling stressed, I always try to step back and look at the big picture. I remind myself that I am very blessed, and look at all that I have.
Whatever is bothering me at that moment will pass..
That’s a very good point – I’m going to try and remember that.