Stress is an inevitable part of life. Whether it comes from finances, work, or your personal life, there will be some hours, days, or even weeks where you have to deal with stressful situations. And even though stress itself is unavoidable, it’s important to find ways to cope with it that work for you.
Stress is detrimental to physical and mental health, so having multiple tools to handle it will prepare you for whatever comes your way. From improving your sleep to budgeting properly, here are a few tips for finding calm during stressful times:
Get Better Sleep
One of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health during stressful times is get enough quality sleep. Lack of sleep leaves you exhausted and irritable, you can’t perform to the best of your abilities and your productivity declines. And of course, the stress-sleep cycle is vicious: you don’t get enough sleep because of stress, which stresses you out more, which then makes sleep more elusive.
It’s hard to deal with anxiety when you’re sleep deprived, so prioritize getting better sleep when you’re stressed out. To ensure a good night’s sleep, adjust your routine so that it’s consistent. Go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time each morning, even on the weekends. Swap time on your devices for time spent relaxing with pre-bedtime stretching or a bath. Cut down on caffeine, especially after noon, to ensure that you’ll be tired when it’s time for bed.
Practice Self-Care
Though spending time on yourself can feel impossible when other issues are on your mind, practicing self-care can decrease your anxiety on a stressful day. Do something to treat yourself, like getting takeout from your favorite restaurant or putting on your favorite movie after dinner instead of doing the dishes. Even taking a few minutes to unwind can alleviate tension.
However, don’t lose sight of your responsibilities. As much as you may not want to stop your Netflix binge to vacuum, if chores and errands stack up, you will likely feel more stressed than before taking a break.
Budget For Happiness
Organizing your finances may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of ways to relieve stress, but taking some time to budget for your happiness can mitigate a lot of future pain. Having your affairs in order will make dealing with financial hardship easier.
Think about how you can be frugal but not cheap. Invest in quality items that are important to you or that you use often. In addition, value your time and happiness, not just the cost of an item or service. On tough days, you’ll be glad to have your favorite comforts. Reducing your expenses is great, but not when you deprive yourself of necessities, happiness, and time.
Work-Life Balance
Maintaining work-life balance is vital to managing your stress. Even if work is not the source of your stress, you need to devote your energy to minimizing your anxiety. That means keeping work at work and focusing on your life when you aren’t at the office.
If work is the reason you’re stressed out, talk to your superior about taking a mental health day. One day likely isn’t enough time to sort out the problems that are causing you stress, but you can use that time to reset. When you’re refreshed, you can focus on finding a solution to those issues.
Go Outside
If you need a quick and natural stress reliever, go outside and spend time in the great outdoors. Multiple studies show the large, positive impact that nature can have on human health. This recent study from Japan found that walking in nature increased positivity and reduced stress more than walking in urban settings, concluding that spending time in nature is more beneficial for health than simply exercising.
Before you head out, silence your devices to prevent any distractions. Incoming notifications can make you feel more stressed and pull you away from the world around you. To reap all the rewards nature has to offer, leave it in your backpack or pocket until you get home.
Stress is unavoidable, but you can control how you respond to and deal with it. There are a multitude of factors that can affect your mental health and ability to handle stress; don’t be afraid to try different things to find what works best for you. Whether you need to start from square one or have an established routine, do what you can to find your calm during stressful times.
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