I know that many of us are conditioned to think that stress equals success. We start believing that the more work and meetings we have mean that we’re valued and important. We ask for more responsibilities to be given to use and we fill up our calendars with all kinds of different activities. We worry that if we have downtime that it’s a sign that we’re not as needed anymore.
Well the truth is stress eventually gets in the way of our happiness and success. Here are 5 ways to stop stress now so that you can make yourself a priority and have more fun.
1. Take A Time-Out Every Day
It’s time to stop moving on autopilot through your day checking off one task after another on your to-do list. The truth is you need to pause and take a time-out to actually assess what you’re actually doing.
Make sure every day you give yourself a break to check in with yourself. Are you spending time doing what needs to be done or if there is an easier way to do it? Make sure you’re breathing and that your body isn’t full of tension during this time so that you tune into what’s happening and how you’re feeling.
2. Get Friendly With Your Feelings
So many times we avoid our emotions (especially the negative ones!) because we feel that they’re going to get in the way or suck up our precious energy that we can be using for completing tasks on our to do list!
The truth is that ignoring your feelings and emotions actually requires more energy in the long run and it makes us feel pretty bad about ourselves. Also, the more we numb down the negative feelings, the more we numb our positive emotions as well. Feel all your feelings so that you don’t become disconnected from them.
3. Learn To Say No
We don’t need to say yes to everything that is offered to us. We think we do because we think it’ll make us well-liked and we want to help everyone and please them. Instead it start to break us down because we’re just people pleasing.
We end up being busier than necessary and we don’t have the time to recharge or relax. It’s important that we choose how to spend our time wisely and that we don’t end up resenting ourselves for always say yes to things even when they don’t excite us.
4. Try Something New
Part of what keeps us stressed is that we feel stuck or trapped in our everyday life. We don’t enjoy what’s happening but we’re not sure how to change it. It’s familiar to us so it feels safe even though we’re not necessarily happy staying there.
Think about something new that you want to try — maybe go somewhere on your travel list, try out a new hobby, or learn a new skill. You will feel a sense of accomplishment when this happens and it will decrease your stress level and open up new opportunities for you.
5. Be Flexible
Unfortunately our plans don’t always work out and things don’t go the way that we wish that they did. Our stress levels increase when we get upset about this and try to make something happen that isn’t working.
It’s important to stay flexible when things don’t work out the way we wanted — this will allow us to adjust quickly and not waste our time and energy getting upset and staying stuck, which leads to less stress. Be willing to try something new or change paths when your Plan A isn’t working because it might turn out better than you thought!
Which of these ways to stop stressing out have worked the best for you? Which will you try next? Sign up for my free Self-Care Cheat Sheet so that you can transform your stress into success. I look forward to reading your comments below!
