Does life ever feel more stressful than it should?

If you’re anything like me, you might be bombarded on a regular basis with:

• Requests from other people
• Day to day demands (or ‘requests’) at work or from clients
• Social media, phone, and email notifications
• Deadlines
• Family responsibilities
• Bills to get paid
• Driving your kids from place to place
• Unexpected schedule changes
• A new Netflix series your friend tells you that ‘you HAVE to see’
• And fitting your workouts, healthy eating, or self-care somewhere in there (you might be thinking ‘what’s that’ - and you’re not alone)

You don’t have to look very far to see how and why stress runs rampant in our society. And if you didn’t yet realize it, stress has a significant negative impact on our mental and physical health - impacting our immune system, body fat stores, digestion, energy, focus, and so many other things. While you’re not in control of the stressors that are thrown our way, we are very much in control of how you respond.

Having some strategies will help you shift from being reactive, taking whatever is thrown your way, to proactive - or choosing how you respond to a given situation. The better you respond to stress, the better you’ll feel - mentally and physically. Here is a list of strategies I’ve gathered from years of my own testing and talking to clients to find out what works best for them:

1: Pause

Sometimes the best thing you can do is to take a second to simply pause. When you react out of impulse, it’s common to regret the words or actions that follow. Or sometimes when you react, it leads you down a rabbit hole of thoughts, scenarios, and ‘what ifs’ that probably won’t ever happen.

Take 5-10 seconds (or a few deep breaths) next time you feel stress coming on, which can be enough time to react with a clear head on your shoulders.

2: Get Quiet

Planned quiet time in your day can be one of the best mental health and stress reducers around. This doesn’t have to be long, but spending at least 5-10 minutes quiet (which means no phone, computer, social media, etc) allows you to step away from the stressors of your life and gain the right perspective.

Choose a time - either morning, mid day, or at night - when you can commit to some time spent being quiet.

3: Journal

Journaling is one of the most powerful habits I have picked up over the years, and I know many clients feel the same way. Sometimes it’s hard to stay in front of your thoughts when they’re bouncing around inside your head. Journaling can be a great outlet that allows you to get your thoughts down onto paper.

If you have a hard time quieting down your mental chatter, consider journaling to physically write out what you’re thinking - which can help you to wrap your head around whatever stressors you might be feeling.

4: Get Outside

Getting outside, and ideally into the sunlight, has a special effect on mood and stress. There’s something about stepping away from whatever is in front of you, and spending a few minutes outside, that can make the world of a difference in how you’re feeling.

Create some space to get outside during your day, and this habit pairs great with being quiet.

5: Exercise

Movement and exercise is for so much more than physical health, and anyone that’s had to take some time away from a regular exercise routine can testify to that. Physical movement is a great way to burn off stress and instantly boost your mood.

Take a walk or perform some exercise when feeling stress, just make sure not to make it too intense if you’re already under a lot of stress.

6: Stay Organized

How many times is the root of stress something to do with poor organization - whether that’s on your part or someone else’s? Staying organized can create instant peace and allow you to have a game plan for the day and for the week.

Remove physical clutter around you that is causing stress, and create an organization system (physical or digital) that works for you.

7: Get Social>’Social’

Get around friends, family, and loved ones when you’re feeling stressed - and this does not include ‘social’ media. Being around the people that matter most in your life is a great way to reduce stress and remember what’s most important in your life.

It’s common to try and isolate when feeling more stress, but being around friends will instantly boost your mood and provide extra support if you need it.

The list is endless on strategies that may work for you when it comes to managing stress and improving your overall health. Start with one that works, and eventually build up your toolbox to include multiple strategies that work to reduce your stress.