Stress Sucks! Here’s What You Can Do About It

Do you ever feel like there are so many thoughts whirling through your mind that you can’t keep track of them? They seem to keep coming, one after the other, and they stop you from enjoying your life.

Stress is natural, but it’s not something that you have to put up with! Try these tips to de-stress your life.

Organize Your Life

If you are stressed because there is too much going on in your life and you can’t keep track of it all, then you may find a great deal of relief in getting everything written down and organized.

Firstly, it gets the thoughts out of your head. Secondly, having it all written down means that you won’t forget anything!

All you need is a pen and paper, but if you like you could go high tech and try an app to organize your life. Apps like Trello and Todoist allow you to jot down everything you need to do, group tasks into categories and set a date you need to do it by. They will even email you to remind you so that you don’t forget!

Gentle Exercise

Exercise is great for your body, but it’s also great for your mind. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, and helps your body to combat stress hormones.

You don’t have to go all out and attend a sweaty class dressed in spandex either, even a gentle walk or a bike ride will have benefits.

Natural Remedies

More and more people are turning to natural remedies to help them to manage stress. For example, the fragrance of lavender is believed to help improve sleep. Smelling a little lavender scent before sleep has been shown to improve sleep quality, particularly in women.

Another natural remedy that is gaining popularity is ISO hemp oil. The CBD contained within it is believed by some people to help with stress and aid relaxation.

Prioritize Sleep

Getting good quality sleep is really important if you’re going to have the resilience to deal with everything that life throws at you. In order to give yourself the best possible chance of a good night’s sleep, some things you can try are:

  • Removing electronics from your bedroom. The light they give off delays sleep and interrupts your circadian rhythm.
  • Unwinding before bed. It’s pretty difficult to sleep as soon as you lie down! Take some time to relax before bed and give yourself enough time to wind down.
  • Keep to a sleep schedule. If you sleep and wake at the same time each day, this teaches your body when to sleep and when to be awake, so you will find falling asleep easier.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation can be effective tools for managing stress, as they teach you to be present and take in everything about the moment you are living in, rather than dwelling on ‘what if’s’ and worries that might cause stress.

There are a lot of free mindfulness apps available so you can give it a try without committing to an expensive class, to see if it’s the right thing for you.

Eat Well

A diet that’s high in sugar and caffeine can cause you to become overstimulated, and therefore feel stressed. Foods that are high in fats can also cause digestive discomfort, which is not going to help you to feel good! You will also just feel happier if you are nourishing your body with good foods and keeping it well hydrated, which will naturally lower stress.

Be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and drink lots of water.