Simple Ways To Manage Your Stress Daily
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Simple Ways To Manage Your Stress Daily
Feeling busy, overwhelmed and under pressure has become so common that it’s seen as a normal part of life. But chronic stress can have serious consequences for your mind and your health.
Big steps like scheduling in a vacation or getting a massage every month can be useful, but they’re often not enough. Because we are exposed to stressors on a daily basis, implementing daily buffers against stress can help you to manage it more effectively.
Daily stress management techniques to try
Journal it out
It’s easy to get caught up in your own thoughts when they are in your head. One way to manage them is to write them down so you can examine them and question them.
Journaling is a great stress management practice, with research finding that it is associated with reduced stress, anxiety and depression. The best part is that you only need to spend a few minutes per day to see the benefits.
Take regular breaks
The human body was not designed to sit, focus and work for 8 hours every day. Doing so puts both physical and mental stress on your body. That’s why it’s important to have regular breaks when working and/or studying.
Some quick ways to do this include:
Making a cup of herbal tea or filling up your water bottle to stay hydrated
Go for a short walk around the block if you work from home
Do a lap around the office if you work on-site
Do a 60 second stretch of your major muscle groups
Make sure you also make time for a proper lunch break as well.
Log off
When was the last time that you logged off from social media on your laptop or phone? Although many turn to social media scrolling when stressed, it doesn’t actually do any good. In fact, you’re more likely to end up stuck in a negative spiral when you come across posts of people who seem to have everything you want!
Start by logging off for a few hours each day to give your brain a break from social media. Research has found that taking a one-week break from social media can reduce stress, particularly if you use it frequently.
Just breathe
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to manage your stress is to breathe deeply. When you’re stressed, your nervous system tells you to take short, shallow breaths. By consciously breathing deeply, your nervous system will switch over to rest and digest mode instead.
This can be as simple as taking 10 deep breaths whenever you feel yourself getting overwhelmed. But you can also incorporate a more formal breathing or meditation practice into your day. Studies show that meditation can significantly reduce cortisol, which is your main stress hormone.
Eat and drink to nourish your nervous system
The nervous system is in charge of helping you to deal with stress, so you want to take good care of it. What you eat and drink can either nourish or deplete your nervous system, so focus on more nourishing choices. This can include:
Eating plenty of fibre and protein to keep your blood sugar levels steady
Skipping refined carbohydrates and added sugars
Choosing wholefoods that are nutrient-dense
Sticking to 1-2 caffeinated beverages per day (ideally, you’ll consume them before lunchtime to avoid sleep disruptions!)
Stay hydrated with a minimum of 1.5L of water per day
Does your love of sweet treats sabotage your healthy eating habits? Grab a copy of my Low Sugar Sweet Treats ebook here.
Know and live by your values
This one is a little bit different, but it has made a huge difference in how I manage my stress on a daily basis. You want to identify what your core values are and incorporate them into your lifestyle. That way, you’re more in alignment with who you want to be.
For example, one of my values is creativity. Creativity is important not only for my content, but also how I manage my clients, and how I set up my environment. For me to get into a creative zone, I need space, so I make sure I schedule in downtime that allows for creativity.
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