The last 1-2 years have been quite stressful for many people. From worrying about the dying from the pandemic to rent issues –thank heavens for the eviction moratoriums- to money problems, many people had a lot to deal with.
Thankfully, now that the pandemic is largely under control and we can all go back to our normal lives – well, the new normal – it is important to take care of your stress levels.
This is even more so now that people are going back to the office. If you feel like you’re becoming more stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, the self-care tips we’ll share in this article will help you overcome the stress that you routinely deal with in your daily life.
Start With Eliminating Clutter
You’re probably saying “clutter? How is that affecting my stress levels?”. Well, here’s a question: how do you feel when you see a clean, well-arranged space? Whether it’s a home, an office, a building? How do you feel? Pay attention to that.
For many people, the mere sight of clean lines, well-arranged spaces, and minimalist environments relaxes them; makes them feel like they can breathe. And many do it unconsciously.
If it does for you, then you need to declutter your physical environment. If your workspace is cluttered, clean it out and arrange things so that it looks and feels better. Same with your home.
Get Things Done Quickly
Sometimes, stress is caused by internal or mental struggles brought on by procrastination. If you find that you’re delaying the things that matter to you, maybe get rid of that hesitation and just get them done.
Most people procrastinate a lot because they want the thing they need to do to be perfect. But that’s not necessary. In many cases, perfection is an illusion. Even the great Steve Jobs who was a stickler for perfection chose excellence instead.
In case you’re wondering if there’s a difference between perfection and excellence, perfection means without any flaws, while excellence means being in the best state possible. Even some of the most amazing inventions that man has created have flaws. They work great but are flawed.
Understand this and commit to taking massive imperfect action on the things that matter to you. Doing this alone will drastically lower your stress levels as you’ll get out of your head and stop worrying about those things.
Establish Good Control of Your Energy and Time
Your stress and anxiety can be caused by a feeling of helplessness and a lack of control. So, you need to start with the things you can control. Do you feel like you have too much work to do?
See if you can delegate some of them and focus on the most important. If you have to pay people to do them, by all means do so. And if finance is the problem, then go solve that problem first.
Ask yourself what you need to do to eliminate the financial obstacle and go do that. And if you don’t have any idea, do some research and learn more about possible opportunities that you can explore.
Bottom line, look for those things you can control in your situation and focus on them. This will reduce your daily stress and anxiety levels while helping you solve your problems.
Practice Mindfulness
Or something that helps clear your mind of all issues and worries. Some people say meditation doesn’t work for them. And since mindfulness is a form of meditation, they tend to ignore it as a possible solution.
So, here’s our question: How can you start working on your mind? How can you declutter your mind of all irrelevant thoughts, ideas, fears, and worries? Find something that works and just do it. Mindfulness is great because it compels you to be present.
And being present means being focused on the now. Not the past, not the future. Just the present. Most times, our stress levels are indicative of our worries about the future. It’s as if we are trained to actively seek out worries and fears. So, start doing things that will eventually cause you to drop those fears and worries as a habit.
Move a Lot More
You’ve probably heard the saying that “movement is medicine”. Sometimes, just moving around or exercising can help you feel freer and better. It can help you feel like you’re in charge or in control of yourself.
So… move as frequently as you can. Get 15-20 minutes of workout a day at the very least. Could be walking, lifting weights, strength training, or even jogging. Just move and you’ll see that your moods will improve, and your mind will be sharper.
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