This world gets more stressful by the day. Always having a place to be and a schedule to follow can get exhausting, leading to burn out and unhappiness.
Here are 10 simple activities you can do to lower stress and live a happier, healthy life:
Do a Body Scan
When you wake up in the morning, take time to check in with how you are. Start your day with a gentle stretch, but don’t push to far as your muscles are also just waking up. At the end of the day, while lying in bed, contract and release each part of the body you’re your head to your toes to promote better sleep.
Practice Thankfulness
Many of us wake up in the morning and get right to work. Instead, begin your day by writing in a gratitude journal. Jot down three things you are thankful for and three things you are looking forward to that day. At the end of the day, think about three ways your day went well and three things you could have done differently to improve your outcome. Doing this daily will change how your whole day feels.
Bring it Back to the Breath
Whenever you feel tense or overwhelmed, try focusing on your breath. A simple technique is to breath in for four seconds, hold for four seconds and breath out for four seconds. The longer you practice this, the calmer you will become.
Simplify Your Life
The best way to declutter your mind is to declutter your space. Go through your home and get rid of all the things that do not bring you joy. Decluttering not only gives you peace, but you’ll also have a cleaner house, which means more time for your passions and hobbies.
Focus on What You Can Do
Many of us try to run through our whole to-do list in one day, only to find that we didn’t have the time. This can leave you feeling defeated. First, understand that you’re human and you can only do so much in a day. Instead of beating yourself up, pare down your daily list and pick three to five high priority projects that need to be done. Focusing on what you can do rather than what you can’t, will help you feel less overwhelmed and happier about what you accomplished. Celebrate the small wins.
Stay Positive
Affirmations are a great way to focus on the positive and cultivate happiness. Tape your affirmations to a mirror or pin them to a Pinterest board then repeat them each morning. No matter what, staying positive helps give you a psychological boost. Repeat after me: “I got this!”
Have a Willingness to Learn
Most of us aren’t going to be perfect on the first try. But, being willing to learn and try again makes us better. Focusing on learning and doing your best instead of trying to be perfect will give you a better chance of succeeding; it also makes it easier to bounce back from failures.
Unplug
Technology can be a blessing and a curse. Without it, we wouldn’t be where we are today, but too much of it can leave us feeling lonely. So, make sure you take time to unplug and step away. Even unplugging for just 10 minutes can help your eyes, body, and mind reset. Plus, turning off electronics one hour before bedtime can help you sleep.
Take Time To Connect
We spend so much of our time connecting with others, especially with technology, but most of it is just surface-level connections. Research shows that even having 15 minutes of face-to-face, deep social interaction can change the way our bodies function physiologically. A good tight hug can go a long way by boosting your serotonin levels.
Spend Time in the Outdoors
Taking a moment to step out and get some fresh air will do your mind and body good. Focusing on the smells, sights, sounds, and tastes around you help to ground you and keep you present. Nature is known to help reduce anxiety, depression, and can boost your immune system. So step away from that keyboard, step out your front door and step into a happier, healthier life.