Top 6 Ways to Reduce Stress

We all have stress in our lives no matter what our life circumstances are and it would benefit all of us to remember that there are ways to reduce stress without making major costly changes in our life.

Sleep - Getting enough sleep seems so simple but it takes work on your part to guard your sleep time from all the outside pressures that are pulling at you. If you are saying to yourself that it is impossible for you to fit anymore sleep into your schedule, know that even 15 extra minutes can make a difference. If you don’t take anything else out of this list please hear me when I say more sleep will effect every area of your life.

Breathe - You might find this funny but take a deep breath in and out and tell me you don't feel better. The more times you can remember to do this, the better you will feel. Try some deep breathing around the kids and see how they pick up on what you are doing and try it for themselves.

Be Prepared - Being organized in advance takes discipline but reduces stress. Write the article long before it is due. Set backpacks by the door the night before. Decide and prepare diner earlier in the day so it doesn't weigh on you all day.

Write Everything Down - Don’t make your brain work harder then it has to. Find the best way for you to dump all the trivial items on your brain that you don't need to retain in your short term memory. I have a notebook that is a constant stream of random todos lists and the creative ideas of the moment. I also use Evernote. I love Evernote. It is my electronic notebook that I can access anywhere as well as share with others. More on Evernote in a later post.

Exercise - We have all heard of the positive affect exercise endorphins have on us. Don't let the idea of incorporating exercise in to your life cause you more stress. I suggest getting a step counter and take a read on how close you are at making it to the daily recommendation of 10,000 steps a day. For more info and motivation on achieving 10,000 steps a day click here.

Do What you love - Only you know what will bring you joy so do more of it. Learn to say yes to the things you love and no to the things you don’t. Do you like to cook, knit, or photography? Do you like to run, swim, or row a boat?

Would love to know how you choose to reduce stress and find balance in your life. Please let me know in the comment section below.