You might be feeling a little bit on edge or downright stressed during this time of upheaval. It might be that you are trying to juggle home-schooling your children, a personal or professional financial crisis, or both.
Stress can manifest in strange ways in our bodies. And it’s vital to be mindful of stress. If we are more mindful of our stress and look for ways to manage it better, we can hopefully reduce the impact on our bodies.
Here are some tips for reducing stress in your day to day life.
Exercise
Exercise can be a great way to reduce stress and forget about your worries. It might seem contradictory, but putting physical pressure on your body through exercise can relieve mental stress.
It will not only help reduce stress levels in your body, but it will also get your endorphins moving and ensure that you sleep that bit more restfully at night.
A little Self-Care
We all have those little self-care things that make us feel good. It might be lighting a candle, taking a bath or putting on some music and dancing in your lounge room.
Whatever it is for you, taking some time out can be a great way to reduce your stress levels.
Reduce your caffeine intake
Caffeine can affect how you feel on a day to day basis. Although having a cup of coffee can be great, if you notice that caffeine makes you jittery or anxious, consider cutting back.
You could swap out coffee for tea or water during this time.
Write it down
If you are going through challenging times, sometimes it can be therapeutic to write about it in a journal or a diary. Think of writing as a form of release, that is safe and can help you make some sense of how you are feeling.
Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep can do wonders for helping to alleviate your daily stress.
We all know how it feels to toss and turn all night in bed and wake up feeling awful. Trying to get to bed at a consistent time each night and sleep for 7 – 8 hours can significantly help you manage your stress levels.
Learn to say no
If you are a people pleaser learning to say no to things that might overload you or add pressure when you are not feeling great can greatly help you manage your stress load and hopefully give you a little bit more time to yourself.
Eat Well
You might be tempted to reach for the snacks when you are feeling stressed, but it might make you feel worse in the long run. Try to stay consistent with your mealtimes, and look to add fresh fruits, good proteins and veggies, so you have a balanced diet.