How To Reduce Stress

1- Track your sleep and commit to getting at least 7 hours– I am an 8 hours of sleep to feel rested sleeper, but I often find myself at 6 hours and sometimes less. It does not produce good results in my life. If you are one of those rare “I don’t need sleep to have energy and think clearly” people, then do what works for you, but most of us need sleep to function properly. At 6 hours I begin to look scary, feel like a zombie, and I turn into a short tempered witch when my sleep is cut down so low. Sleep allows our brains and bodies to heal, and there is no way around it. The whole “I’ll sleep when I am dead” idea needs to be brushed aside as all that will accomplish is making you look like death, feel like death, then cut years off your life! I always wondered when I was younger why some adults looked like walking prunes with giant bags under their eyes, and now as an adult I understand- lack of sleep.

2- Track your daily water intake and commit to getting at least 8 cups- It sounds simple- just drink water. We know to do it, but when rushing off to work, drinking coffee, soda, tea, not taking formal lunch breaks, and running from task to task, we can often leave water goals at the bottom of our list. When you don’t have enough water, you put your body in a stress state making you feel worn out with no energy. When you don’t have the energy to complete your tasks, what happens- you create stress.

3- Replace social media use with reading – I have noticed that my natural inclination these days is to hop online and start scrolling through photos and stories. Next thing I know 30 minutes to an hour has gone by and all I have done is provide “likes” in the fake virtual world of social media. If you actually think about how short our time is on this earth, it is alarming we are spending it pressing a thumbs up button. We all want “likes” as it is a form of validation making us feel important, liked or desired which is human nature to want…however, at the end of it all, we are more disconnected than ever spending our lives touching buttons on screens after work (after spending the work day on computers). If we actually calculated how much of our lives are now spent using computers it would be pretty damn scary! Unplug, grab a book and give yourself a break.

4- Take supplements– I have found that I notice a HUGE difference in my energy and over all brain power when I take supplements vs. when I do not. I have a combination of supplements I have discussed in other posts that work wonders, but the two main ones I highly recommend are bee pollen and vitamin D

5- Start or end your day with thinking or writing at least 3 things you are thankful and grateful for- this is one of the most simple yet effective ways to reset your mood. Make this a regular practice in your life and notice how your spirit lifts when you focus on all the good in your life

6- Commit to connecting with a friend at least once a month with a meaningful conversation or quality time together– Texting and social media can often replace time you use to spend with truly connecting with your friends. Hearing someone’s voice can not be replaced with a like or text. We all get busy in this rushed world we live in and forget as parents or as married couples to make time for our friends. Do not fall into this trap of becoming an adult and letting your friendships slowly fade away.

7- Practice mindfulness when angry or upset- for many the urge to yell or say harsh words can be all encompassing when angry. When your body and voice carry out this anger it will send your body into an extreme state of stress. When you saw anger acted out in an extreme way in your home life as a child, you can grow up modeling that behavior without having the best tools to carry out another way. As a mother, I noticed when my son was having a temper tantrum not only did it resolve nothing, it sometimes led to him hurting himself even more (dropping down to the floor flailing). It also made me aware of just how ridiculous it is to yell or get in crazy mode after seeing it in a child. Children, not having much life experience or being fully developed have an excuse for not being able to express all of their emotions calmly or clearly. As adults, we are more equipped to make different choices and choose different ways to handle being upset. I have found that making the choice not to feed into anger makes the anger go away. Take 5 minutes in the bathroom, take a shower, turn on some music, talk a walk, cook, call a friend, but do not let yourself feed your stress by letting anger consume you.

Choose to Take Care of Yourself as No One Can Do It For You