Everyone deals with minor stresses of some sort. Whether it's school or your job or your kids, everyone stresses about something. It is important to learn to cope with the smaller stresses that life throws at you in order to be comfortable with handling the bigger ones.
Overcoming minor stresses is something that I personally have had to deal with a lot the past two years. While learning how to overcome this stress, I have been able to come up with a comprehensive list of the top 13 ways to overcome that minor stress.
1. Create achievable goals for yourself.
By creating goals and mini-goals for yourself, you will be able to see how much you are accomplishing. You will also narrow down your stress by seeing exactly what you need to do.
2. Set priorities.
If you have priorities, then you will be able to accomplish things in the order you need to.
3. Strive for progress, not perfection.
Once you stop worrying about being perfect and begin focusing on getting things done well, you'll be happier.
4. Stay positive!
Nothing can change your mood or your mindset better than a positive attitude. You know what they say, fake it until you make it!
5. Rely more on hard work than good luck.
A common mistake people make is that things will "just happen" or that if they are positive enough, everything will just go their way. This is absolutely not the case. You have to work hard to get the results you want. If you're stressed about getting a project done, then put in some hard work and get it done right. You've got this!
6. Get some air.
Sometimes when you're cooped up in your office or in school all day, your mind gets fuzzy, you get tired, and you get discouraged. The best way to completely rejuvenate your spirits is to go outside. Take a walk, hit the beach, take a hike, take a nap in your hammock, do your favorite outdoor activity to get some fresh oxygen and restart your body!
7. Clean up your space.
Clean your room, your office, your kitchen, your car- wherever you spend a lot of time. A cleaner space leads to a calmer mind.
8. Pet a dog.
This is pretty self explanatory. There is no sweeter, more happy, or loving creature than a dog. Sorry cat lovers!
9. Take a bath.
Be extra with it, too. Use that $5 bath bomb and those essential oils! Take this time to truly relax and restart yourself.
10. Read a book.
This might seem ridiculous, and I know what you're thinking: "how on Earth can I concrete on something so arbitrary when I have so much else I need to be doing?" Sometimes you need that 30 minutes of losing yourself in a book. A temporary escape to a new reality can be just what you need to calm down.
11. Be kind to someone.
Making someone else's day can in turn make you happier. Check out this post for inspiration!
12. Don't overload yourself.
Be sure that you're doing what is best for you. If you're doing too much, then it is okay to say "no" to people every once in a while.
13. Laugh!
There's truly nothing better than a big belly laugh.