Stress Awareness Month: 5 Top Tips To Help Reduce Stress
We all get stressed. It’s part and parcel of life, but there’s a lot we can do to prevent it. Here’s five top tips to reduce some of your stress.
Go For A Walk
Going for a quick walk around the block or through a local park for some fresh air can help reduce stress massively. If you work in a high-pressure environment or office don’t forget to take 5 minutes to yourself if things become a little bit too much.
Exercise
After a long day at work, many of us struggle to get to the gym or an exercise class. However, this could be just the thing we need to help de-stress and shake off the day. If you don’t want to go to the gym, maybe go for a run after work, cycle a longer route home if you commute by push bike or log on to YouTube and follow one of the many yoga/fitness routine videos.
Write Down Your Thoughts
Break out the good old pen and paper and start to write down your thoughts, feelings and what happened during your day. This will enable you to reflect on the situation and help you to be clearer on how you’re going to move forward. If you do this over a period of time, it might highlight some key triggers for your stress. Also, if you’re scared of a pen and a piece of paper feel free to use the notes section of your phone or tablet.
Take Control
Take control of your situation! If there is something that is bothering you – a situation with a colleague, an event or a plan that isn’t going how you thought – take control! Assess the situation, look at how it can be managed and what steps need to be taken and put a new plan into action. Taking responsibility will help you to further understand the situation and know where it’s heading.
Take Time To Relax
Run a bath, take a long shower, read a book or listen to some music – take some “Me Time”. When you get home from work, make sure you kick back and relax. The dishes can wait (unless they’re the cause of the stress)
