Stress is one of the main obstacles to a happier and more fulfilling life.
It is not possible to live 100% stress free but by carefully changing some aspects of your life, you can eliminate most of its sources and pave the way to greater things.
Stress is unavoidable. It’s a part of life. Something as simple as waking up late in the morning can lead to an uncontrollable chain reaction later in the day which doubles, if not quadruples your levels of stress.
For example, you could end up late for work and worst case scenario, you get fired! A bit extreme I know, but it happens. Then you would have to deal with the fact that you have a family to take care of and bills to pay.
There are many ways to gradually deal with stress but what about TODAY. What can you do right now to set the way for a better tomorrow?
Action #1: Set aside some “ME” time
A few minutes of solitude today can go a long way. Just take out 15 minutes to relax, reflect on your life and meditate. Think about all the good things that have happened. Think about your loved ones. I can assure you that you will come out feeling happier and more refreshed.
Action #2: Organize your space
Identify the place you spend most of your day. Is it your office? Is it your desk at home? If you’re anything like me then it’s probably cluttered most of the time. Organize it! Where there’s clutter, there’s a higher chance of losing something which leads to stress.
Have you ever lost something and desperately looked for it only to realize that it was in front of you the whole time? Imagine all that stress you went through. All that can easily be avoided by simply organizing.
Action #3: Make a To-Do List
We all have commitments. We have commitments to our jobs, our families and ourselves. Write down all the non-immediate commitments you’ve made. This not only ensures you don’t forget, it also helps to take a lot of them off your mind. When you right down your commitments, you are able to focus on other things and even have some time to relax time.
Action #4: Make a NOT To-Do List
Everyone makes bad decisions. Some of those you promise yourself never to make again. Why not write those down? They will help to serve as a constant reminder and because you’ll be avoiding these, you will be avoiding unnecessary stress.
Action #5: Uni-Task
Do one thing at a time. Don’t try to do too many things at once because this can really get stressing especially once you realize that you haven’t really done a good job on any of them.
Action #6: Break unnecessary commitments
I know it doesn’t feel good to disappoint people but it is okay to break some commitments if they are getting you stressed. Better yet, it’s better not to make any in the first place if you know you won’t be able to handle them.
Action #7: Take a Walk
Take a short walk. Even five minutes will do. Just get some fresh air and soak in your environment. It’s both relaxing and fulfilling.
Action #8: Avoid a stressful situation
Avoid a situation that would get you upset or worked up. If that means not taking any alcohol today for example, do it!
Action #9: Reconnect with someone
Reconnect with an old friend or family member. You never know, they could be the key to your next big opportunity.
Action #10: Have a meaningful conversation
Talk to someone. This can be your friend, mother, brother, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or husband. Discuss your emotions, laugh a bit. Sometimes all we need to do is talk to someone and let everything out. Definitely a great stress reliever.
Action #11: Give a gift
Give someone you love a gift. Even something small will do. When you give someone a gift, you make them happy. You also create a stronger connection. In the future when you have a problem or need them, they will not hesitate to help.
Action #12: Help someone
Helping is a gift in itself. The more you help someone, the better you feel and the stronger the connection you make. And just like giving a gift, they will not hesitate to help you when you need them.
Action #13: Take control of your debt
One of the most common causes of stress is debt. Analyze all your debts and if you owe someone anything (most likely money), call them up and reassure them that you’ll pay them back or at least give them an appropriate date that you will.
Photo Credit: Mauro B. 24
What about you?
How do you plan on setting yourself up for a stress free life?
Photo Credit: Mauro B. 24
What about you?
How do you plan on setting yourself up for a stress free life?
