Important Lifestyle Changes That Can Reduce Stress
It’s often said that stress is a silent killer. Studies prove that the majority of medical visits are directly connected to stress. Whether it’s the stress of raising children, providing enough income for a household, or a traumatic experience, there are many reasons why people carry high levels of stress.
Unfortunately, it’s really easy for people to make high-stress lifestyles their norm. This will lead to an entrance into an early grave. In order to reduce stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle, there are a number of important changes to implement. Consider the following.
Clean Your Spaces
Whether you’re at home, in the office or in your car, maintain a high level of organization and cleanliness. Oftentimes, a messy space serves as a reflection of what’s happening internally. When a room is disorganized, it’ll only exacerbate feelings of being overwhelmed and depressed.
If your home is really disorganized, start by working on the room you spend the most time in. Break the room down into small, sizable tasks. Organize the papers on one shelf. Label containers, and place the right items in each container.
Recycle and throw unnecessary items away. The process will do so much for your mental health and your stress levels.
Do a Brain Dump
One of the reasons why many people don’t get enough rest is because they spend so much time thinking. Instead of thinking about tasks you don’t want to forget or ideas you have, keep a journal next to your bed. Write everything down in that journal.
It’s also a great idea to write down your schedule for the next day. In the morning, you can look at your schedule without fear of forgetting something you need to do. At night, this process allows you to let go of any anxiety that’s attached to the fear of forgetfulness.
Organise your finances
Finances are one of the biggest areas of concern, worry and focus. Financial pressure and stress is also the major reason why marriages end in divorce.
A major way to reduce stress in your life is to order and structure your finances better. Speaking with a mortgage broker can help you compare and refinance your home loan online and create a budget that helps create a financial margin in your life so you’re not always thinking and worrying about your finances.
Prioritize Movement
Do your best to schedule daily workouts into your lifestyle. Daily movement is imperative for releasing endorphins and boosting your overall mood. Whether you do a heart-pumping cardio session in the morning or lift weights in the afternoon, maintain a good exercise routine.
Additionally, find ways to move your body when you’re dealing with stressful circumstances. If you already know that you have an intense meeting with new clients, do a few stretches in your office once the meeting ends.
This allows you to physically affirm that you’re safe to relieve yourself of any pent-up stress. A long walk, a few jumping jacks or a dip in the pool can provide the same type of relief.
Develop Boundaries and Learn to Say No
In the same way that nicotine is harmful to the body, attempting to please people is harmful to the body, mind, and soul. People are fickle and hard to please. If you spend your life trying to appease other people, you’ll end up disappointing yourself.
Resist the urge to people-please by developing healthy boundaries, checking in with yourself, and learning how to confidently say no. You don’t owe anyone your sanity, time, or self-preservation. You deserve to live a life that doesn’t involve high levels of stress.
That’s reason enough to say no to people and things that will erode your long-term goals of consistent joy. Don’t forget that you have to set boundaries and say no to yourself many times as well. Say no to that greasy box of pizza in exchange for a salad. It might not feel good at the moment, but that salad will provide health benefits that pizza can’t.
If it’s in moderation, an occasional indulgence is fine. However, saying no to the bad things in order to achieve the good things needs to become paramount and habitual.
Cultivate a Routine for Rest and Sabbaticals
Rest is good for the soul. Develop an excellent nighttime routine that helps you to wind down, sleep deeply and without interruption until the morning. When you’re able to wake up naturally and feel well-rested, you’re developing something right.
Rest doesn’t just cover the amount of great sleep you experience each night. It also includes your weekly schedule, the ways you relax, and how often you enjoy sabbaticals. With each day, schedule time to relax, unwind and enjoy the moment. Whether you do it once a quarter or twice a year, take time to get away from the noise, turn off your phone and enjoy a great vacation.
Whether it’s a staycation at a hotel in the city or a week of tropical vibes, sandy beaches, and snorkeling, be intentional about getting away to relax.
While these lifestyle changes might seem like no-brainers, they’re not practiced by everyone. In order to make them a consistent part of your routine, you might have to completely shift the way you operate in life. It might require some radical changes. Still, when it pertains to the longevity and quality of your life, radical changes are definitely worth it. You only get one life. You don’t have to live it under a boatload of stress. Normalize stress reduction, and watch your life transform.
If you’re looking to de-stress and get your appointments organized, check out some useful and free online appointment scheduling software to make your life just that much easier.
