People seem more stressed lately to me. Have they to you? Stressful times call for stress less measures.

Some ideas:

1. Have a daily centering time of prayer, inspirational reading, mediation or yoga. Unless you take care of yourself spiritually, you are less prepared for what may happen throughout the day.
2. Take a 10 minute walk at lunch time outside. Let some of that stress go physically as you walk. And the sunshine elevates your mood. And on cloudy days, it’s still great to get outside.
3. Connect with at least one person daily. We all need an emotional support system. Maintaining this network as a top priority will help you when big time stresses arise. And helping other people, makes you feel better as well. Plus, it’s fun!
4. Use a relaxation tool in the evening or during breaks. You can try a back or neck massaging tool. Or do the lion pose. Take 10 deep breaths or use progressive relaxation.
5. Laugh. Go ahead and watch that silly movie. Take in a comedy. Laugh with your kids. Watch silly cats on YouTube. If you feel you have lost your sense of humor, it’s time to get it back.
6. Question your stressful thoughts. A great method is the Work by Byron Katie.
7. Slow down. If you are frantically doing a zillion things at once. Pause. Breathe. Then slowly do one thing at a time for a little bit until you feel less stress.
8. Listen to music. Slow and relaxing if you are feeling high strung. Fun, dance music if you are feeling low energy. Music is one of the fastest ways to change your state.
9. See what you can enjoy in the current moment. Even under stress you might be able to see a lovely sunset. Or hear happy birds. Or hug your kids. But only if you become aware.
10. Simplify. (You knew I’d have to add that, didn’t you?) Declutter. Let go of time commitments. Wear a capsule wardrobe.

What’s one thing you can do to free yourself from excess stress today?

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Photo by: Alex Cole