10 tips to fight off stress

It’s 2015 and we’re all more stressed than ever before. If we’re not ranting at our laptop screen, we’re shouting at the dog. If we’re not chasing after cyclists who nearly scratched our car, we’re taking weeks off work after experiencing a meltdown in the bathroom.

Life in 2015 is more demanding than ever before. There are more deadlines at work, which means more pressure. Pressure at work meets pressure at home head-on, and before we know it, we’re being diagnosed with stress by our doctor who himself was diagnosed with stress 2 hours earlier.

But stress is really unhealthy. Not only does it affect you physically, it also makes you unhappy. So let’s take a look at 10 tips on how to reduce stress levels and become happier.

1. Take a vacation

“I can’t even remember the last time I took a vacation.”

If this is something you say, it’s a surefire sign that it’s time you took a vacation. According to a recent report in the U.S., unused worker vacation has not been this high for forty years. Because of looming deadlines and the demand for more productivity, far too many of us don’t feel that we can justify taking time off work to relax and enjoy ourselves.

But working for weeks and months on end without a break is bad for productivity, and it’s also bad for stress and your wellbeing.

2. Identify what causes your stress

Finding out your stress triggers is a fundamental tip on how to reduce stress levels. It’s not easy – or even possible – remove all of life’s stresses, but understanding why you get stressed can help you to better manage your triggers. Find out what stresses you, why it stresses, and how you react to it. Then consider how you could improve the situation.

3. Take some time to reconnect

When we work too much, we can lose sight of what we enjoyed about our job in the first place. Whether a boss is constantly breathing down our necks, or a project manager is being far too demanding, experiences at work can give us a hard time.

For this reason, it’s important that you take some time out to remember what you loved about the job in the first place. Try to win back a meaningful work experience.

4. Stay away from your laptop

If you wake up in the morning and check your emails right away, you might think this is normal. But if you also check your emails one last time before bed at night, before waking up at 2am to check them again, it’s a sign that you really need to cut back on your laptop use.

They say in the 21st century more and more of us are married to our jobs. And continuous laptop use is certainly one of the things that comes with this kind of marriage. So a good tip on how to reduce stress levels, break the spell and win back some happiness, is to think about shutting down your laptop an hour before bed and forgetting all about it. Kick back and relax!

5. Treat yourself

Many of us are more mindful about our diets these days, and it could be that you’ve decided to put yourself on a strict diet that rules out candy treats.

But a life without any kind of reward can be a miserable one, and it could be contributing to your stress levels. So whilst we’re not suggesting that you binge on sugary treats, we are saying that you could be a little kinder to yourself by allowing for one or two treats a week. This could well turn out to be the bright spot of your day that cheers you up no end.

Read also: Struggling with stress? These foods can help you

6. Sing in the shower

This is another great tip on how to reduce stress levels. Singing can instantly make us feel better. It allows us to let off some steam, improves our posture, builds self-esteem, and can help to improve our mood.

But because many of us might be a little shy about bursting into song in the middle of the street, the shower is often our own private karaoke booth where we like to belt out our personal greatest hits. So rather than use your next shower as another chance to reflect on everything bad that happened at work, as well as all the deadlines that are looming, use it to sing your heart out.

7. Laugh!

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and they’re really not wrong. Laughter increases the amount of endorphins that are released by the brain, which in turn makes you happy. To get your kicks, why not watch a viral video or stick on a funny film? It will help you to forget about the pressures that face you, and remind you that life doesn’t have to be so serious.

8. Head outdoors

According to Julie Holland, assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, “stress can be triggered when our bodies don’t know what time it is.”

If you spend all day cooped up inside your office, your body might become stressful, because it simply isn’t getting enough sunlight. A great way to make sure the rhythm of your brain is on-key is to head outdoors and get some rays. Breathing in some natural air and actually being able to walk around freely without bumping into a printer might be the best thing you’ve done all day.

9. Stay busy

Next tip on how to reduce stress levels is to stay busy. Many of us like to return home after a stressful day at work and kick back in front of the television. But watching TV shows can allow your mind to wander. How many times have you watched your favourite show and found yourself thinking about your looming deadlines?

To get out of this habit of overthinking, we suggest that you do something that truly engages you and your mind. This could be something as seemingly simple as a crossword puzzle, or it could be something more physical and social, such as a sport with your friends.

10. Sleep

Finally, a lack of sleep could be the reason you’re stressed. Far too many of us are suffering burnout because we’re not letting ourselves get enough zzz’s. We stay up late at night, rise early in the morning, and think that a cup of coffee is enough to sort us out.

But the long-term effects are really unhealthy, and a lack of sleep is not helping your overall wellbeing. So our final tip on how to reduce stress levels is to go to bed at a decent hour and get the right amount of sleep you deserve. After all, who doesn’t love their bed?

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