It's August, and that means most of us are continuing our fast pace lives of busyness. We are constantly moving back and forth, and sometimes even multi-tasking between one event and job and the next. We are surviving on little sleep and a venti-sized cup of coffee at all times and yet, at the same time, we also always feel behind. Always on the go, but always behind. So we go faster. Then we stop for one brief moment to poke our head above water at the end of a project or deadline and go, Where did the time go? What just happened?
We toss our little stressed bodies in our beds at the end of the day confused and, quite frankly, justburned out. What are we doing wrong? According to the American Psychological Association, "Most Americans are suffering from moderate to high stress, with 44% reporting that their stress levels have increased over the past five years." All of this stress, this weight, that we carry on our shoulders day in and day out can greatly put a toll on our health in a variety of ways. So what can we do to reduce it in this hectic world? I've compiled 10 things that may improve your self-care in small ways throughout your life to keep you less stressed and smiling more.
1. Take a deep breath.
As simple as it may seem, breathing in the midst of a stressful situation or breathing deeply during various parts of your day can reduce your stress. However, many people struggle with this. According to the American Institute of Stress, "abdominal breathing for 20 to 30 minutes each day will reduce anxiety and reduce stress. Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness." Their website provides several tools that can help you focus in your breathing and get you calmer, faster!
2. Set a bed time.
Sleep is necessary. It allows our body to do its thing. It allows it to rest and rejuvenate itself. Without sleep, as you very well may know, we inhibit our bodies to rest, therefore causing a large amount of problems in our memory and productivity, and especially with our stress levels. As lame as it may sound, start setting a bed time! Start by setting a time to wake up and go to bed everyday, even on the weekends! Our bodies love patterns, and this allows for it to consistently get the sleep in needs! Your body will thank you!
3. Get a little movement in.
Don't fret! You don't have to be a Cross Fitter or an an Olympic athlete to reap the benefits of a little exercise! "Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. Even five minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects." So take a brief walk, clean your room, or try to learn that new dance move you've always wanted to. The nay nay, is it called?
4. Drink water.
I know this seems so simple, but so many Americans do not drink enough water a day! When our bodies don't get enough H20, the side effects can range from small headaches to full blown dehydration. Yikes! But did you know that lack of water consumption can also cause stress? Even a little bit of dehydration can cause cortisol levels in our bodies to elevate and lead to stress. My recommendation would be to purchase a refillable water bottle and carry it with you everywhere you go. Aim for two to three of those every day, and more if you're exercising or in the heat for an extended amount of time.
5. Take time for beautiful things.
Take a walk to enjoy the sunset, watch a well written movie or read a book! Beauty and art are readily accessible and all around us, and can give our minds the ability to take a break and recharge! Besides the fact that art and entertainment are just fun and enjoyable in general, art can be used for therapeutic purposes as well! From Cultivating Culture.com: "Art has the ability to contribute to what it means to be a human, especially in times of illness." Take a moment everyday to appreciate something beautiful, even if it's just for five minutes, and see how your life is reflective of beauty as well!
6. Gratitude is great.
Often times we spend our days griping about what went wrong with our days rather than what went right. When we take time to reflect on a least a few positive aspects of our day, we can see huge improvements in our health. It is reported that grateful people are not only physically healthy, but mentally healthy as well! Take a journal or a sticky note and at the end of each day write one to three things you are grateful for and stick it on your mirror. Reflect on all of the notes at the end of each week and see how your mindset improves! Don't worry about how small it may seem either. If the best thing that happened today was that you drank a cup of coffee, write that down!
7. Find your own "Power Ups."
I had someone say one time, "Have you ever played video games?" Puzzled, I wondered where he was going. He said, "Just like in video games, you as the player have to find power ups to heal and survive. Whether fighting zombies or in combat." He told me to "find my own power ups" so that I didn't burn out. What he meant was, find what I absolutely love to do no matter what it is. That could be video games, or karaoke or dancing to your favorite song. He told me to find three or four "power ups" to pull out when I'm feeling particularly stressed out. My favorite "power up" is singing. I find a rockin' belt heavy tune and sing away! Find a few of your own "power ups"to keep you from burning out!
8. Learn to say "No"
The quick and easiest thing to do to reduce stress is to say no. Simple as it may seem, many individuals struggle with this the most. Over-commitment is a real thing. So why do we say yes so much? Sometimes, it's because we really think we can handle a lot, to please or impress others, or just because we want to. But how much can we handle really? Well, it depends on who you are.
I knew one person who was the president of several different organizations and still managed to make straight As and could still maintain a positive and stress free life. I know for certain I could not do that. Only you, yourself, know how much you can handle.
Take stock of the most important aspects of your life and everything you do, or are involved in, in a week. Rank the importance on a scale of one to five and see where you may be over committing. Over time, those numbers will fluctuate but stay diligent. Your health and well-being is important. And don't be afraid that saying no to someone will hurt their feelings. Explain yourself and they should understand.
9. Plan future events.
Of course, following the 'saying no' section would be planning more for yourself. However this is a little more enjoyable than adding tasks. While we all wish every day could be an exciting event, sometimes -- and actually most of the time -- that isn't quite so. But, we can raise our mood and reduce our stress by always having something to look forward to. Whether that is a vacation once a year, or a coffee date with an old friend once a month, or a phone conversation once a week, having something good to look forward to helps drive us throughout the days and weeks to come even when times seem hard. It doesn't even have to be elaborate either. Who have you not seen? What have you not done? Start planning something right now for this weekend. You'll be glad you did!
10. Acts of service.
Last, but not least, is acts of service. Simply put: helping people. Have you ever noticed that small amount of warm fuzz that builds up when you help a friend with a problem in their lives or help your mom with the dishes? It's no new fact that helping others actually in turn helps our mood and our outlook on life. Research from students at Yale University stated that, "those who committed small acts of kindness tended to have more positive days than those who didn’t." It doesn't take much to be nice either to reap the benefits. Check out https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/ to see how you implement being kind in your day to day life and see how you feel!
