25 Super Simple Ways
to Help You Manage Stress
So You Don’t Burn Out
I think you’ll agree with me when I say:
One thing you need more of is less stress in your life.
Stress causes you to neglect yourself.
It kills your productivity, steals your joy, affects your physical well-being, and interferes with your ability to think straight. And let’s not forget it drains you of energy.
It’s a story we’re all familiar with.
In those moments when avoiding stressful situations are impossible but you’re still being stretched to the limit, you need self-care practices to help you better cope with the chaos. And it doesn’t take much to do so.
Here’s a list to get you going…
25 easy ways to help you stress less and practice self-care:
1. Breathe on purpose. While sitting with your back straight or while standing, close your eyes and take a minute to breathe in slowly and deeply without straining. Hold for 4 seconds and breath out slowly through your mouth with your lips partly open.
This simple practice slows down your parasympathetic nervous system (known as fight or flight) to help get you in a more relaxed state, which also helps lower your blood pressure.
2. Keep hand sanitizer in your car. This is good for times when you can’t get to soap and water and you need to clean your hands while you’re on the go. You can also use rubbing alcohol with a concentration of at least 71 percent. Tip: Pour rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and you’re all set to fight germs. Add a drop or two of essential oils for a natural fragrance.
3. Buy a new spice. Check out the line of spices at your local grocery or health food store. Choose one new flavor to try on your food to create a new taste. Keep choosing new ones and start making your own “proprietary ingredients.”
4. Make a nourishing meal. The main objective is to cook foods you love to eat AND that reduce inflammation. Because foods that reduce inflammation also lower your cortisol levels. Foods like olive oil.. bananas… dark chocolate … pumpkin seeds … spinach … sauerkraut … tuna … salmon … shrimp … Greek yogurt, just to name a few.
5. Create a treasure bag. Place a favorite color gift bag in a spot in your room and keep an assortment of special things in it such as mints.. gum… chocolate… your favorite teas. The bag does double duty. It’s psychologically pleasing to the eye because of the color and it gives you the satisfaction of knowing something good is inside for you.
6. Soak in an herbal tea and baking soda bath. Teas such as chamomile, lemon, and lavender are great for unwinding. They help relax the body and calm down anxiety. But you can also use the power of these teas with baking soda for a relaxing bath. Just open up 2 tea bags of a calming tea and mix with a bag of baking soda.
Pour half the mixture under warm running water and save the rest for next time. Get quiet… close your eyes… relax… and soak for about 10 minutes. (Optional: Instead of tea , put 4–5 drops of essential oil in baking soda and gently flip bag back and forth to combine.)
7. Be compassionate toward yourself. It’s just as important as being kind to others. Right now say 3 positive words to describe yourself. ( For example: “I am friendly.” “I am intelligent.” I am helpful.” “I am patient.” I love myself too much too much to get stressed.”) These are positive statements about yourself — also known as affirmations.
8. Make your own lotion. A short-cut is to add a few drops of essential oils and a teaspoon of coconut oil (or any skincare oil such as grapeseed, almond, or jojoba) to natural unscented lotion. This way, you create your own unique fragrance in no time.
For a trial size (about 4 ounces), use an empty spice container. Wash it with soap and water … rinse … and dry it with a paper towel. Then spray it with rubbing alcohol and let it air dry before putting lotion, coconut oil, and essential oils in.
9. Count your blessings. Be thankful for the things you’ve accomplished so far today. For instance, did you go 5 minutes without having pain in your back or knees? Did you send off that email? Clean the dirty dishes?
Be thankful for the “small” successes because this will help you sift through the challenging moments and find something good.
10. Look at nature. Notice the trees and how majestic they are. Listen to the birds and watch them as they flap their wings to fly. What about the beautiful details on your four-legged friend or your turtle or goldfish or whatever? See the beauty in each thing.
11. Exercise. A 10-minute workout is enough to help your body produce natural antioxidants to repair cell damage, improve brain health, help you relax and sleep better, and can make you feel happier by decreasing feelings of depression and anxiety, according to research.
12. Manage your time. Give yourself enough time to avoid rushing to do something whether at home, work, or while driving. If you have to be somewhere early in the morning, go to bed early, so you can wake up on time. Set the reminder on your cell phone to remind yourself the day before the event and reset the reminder AND alarm hours before the day of the event.
Use sticky notes and … well.. stick them in the places where you’ll see them. Write down the actual time in tiny numbers in parenthesis and the time to start preparing on top and larger, so you focus on that time to avoid rushing.
13. Declutter a space. This doesn’t have to necessarily be a room. You can clean out a sock drawer to help you stress less. Getting rid of empty cans of cleaning products is also an opportunity to declutter. After that, use the cleaning products you have left to make your home smell fresh and clean. Seeing your house clean and smelling fresh will help relax you.
14. Clear out your email. Set a timer for five minutes and go through as many emails as you can. Delete what’s not important to you and unsubscribe from what you haven’t been reading in months. You can always re-subscribe if you want to.
15. Set boundaries and stick to them. We all have times when we need to get things done or just need peace and quiet. That’ll never happen if you keep letting people or things interrupt.
For example, don’t jump up and put laundry in the washer during the 5-minute break you’ve allowed yourself to meditate. Or if you work from home, let family and friends know your work hours so they don’t call during those times unless it’s an emergency.
16. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. This is an great opportunity to nurture the relationship and catch up on new things going on in your lives. We all need a support system, especially during difficult times. So having meaningful balanced relationships is important — — to your physical AND emotional well-being.
17. Practice the Rule of 20. Spending hours on the computer can strain your eyes. For every 20 minutes you spend looking at the computer, give your eyes a break for 20 seconds by focusing on something that’s 20 feet away.
Being exact isn’t key. Just make sure you give your eyes a break. Why 20 seconds? Because it takes 20 seconds for your eyes to completely relax. Use a timer to help you remember to take breaks regularly.
18. Get artistic. Being engaged in the creative process gives your mind a break from anxious thoughts and stressful situations. It’s been scientifically proven that artistic expression can have a relaxing effect on you.
Coloring, painting, sculpting, hand lettering, doodling, drawing, paper crafting, and so on can help relieve stress. With these activities, you lower your cortisol levels because you’re giving energy to your creative side and not to anxiety.
19. Learn a new language. It enhances your health. It can improve your memory and your attention span, boost your confidence, help you with better decision-making … because you’re exercising your brain along with spotting the nuances of any situation.
Duolingo.com has tons of languages you can learn for FREE. You get to experience people and their cultures from their points of view. You even learn to let go of stereotypes — — which is a huge stress buster.
20. Listen to a motivational podcast or video. You don’t really have to WATCH the video. You can just listen to it. If the video is long, listen to what you can at the moment… pause it and watch the rest later. Also, listen to music that makes you feel empowered. CUE the ROCKY theme song or whatever song that fuels you to take action.
21. Plan a date with the sun. Spend 15 minutes a day in the sun. Go to the park… take a walk in your neighborhood … hang out in your own back yard … or drive around in your city with the windows down to reap the benefits of sunshine.
Getting about 15 minutes of direct sunlight on your arms, face, and hands two to three times a week can boost your mood and your immune system. Also, sunlight helps your body produce Vitamin D naturally.
22. Jot down your thoughts. Write down the things you have to do so you don’t have to struggle to remember them. It’s less stressful to grab a piece of paper or sticky note or use the Notes app on your cell phone and write down things that are floating around in your mind rather than trying to keep them in your head.
This gives new meaning to the phrase “a peace of mind” because your mind is at peace when it doesn’t have to struggle to keep up with everything.
23.Take supplements. Eating healthy is critical for your health. But sometimes eating healthy isn’t enough. Taking a good daily supplement can help give you the boost you need to relax more and stress less. Try taking B complex vitamins or adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha to help reduce stress and elevate mood.
24. Sip. Another simple way to relax and calm down is to sip on a cup of herbal tea, which can lower the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
Teas such as lemon balm … chamomile … lavender … peppermint are great for helping reduce anxiety and stress. CALM, the anti-stress magnesium drink mix that comes in packets of different flavors is also a great way to sip and relax.
25. Laugh. And I’m not joking! A good belly laugh turns up and then calms down your stress response according to research. Laughter also enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart and lungs, improves your mood … your immune system, and helps your muscles relax.
Plus, it increases endorphins, which are your body’s natural pain killers released by the brain. Watch a few episodes of your favorite network sitcoms or some Dry Bar standup comedy on Netflix. In fact, make your own self laugh. The more you laugh the better you feel.
To get the benefits from these simple practices, ALWAYS schedule time to care for yourself.
Every day. Every week. Every month. Like you would for anybody else you love.
If you remember this, then these practices will indeed be healthful in your life.
Before I end this article, let me ask you something:
If your body could talk, what do you think it would say as it feels the toll of stress on your health?
Would it say:
“You need to take better care of yourself because you’re risking your well-being and your life.
The anxiety… interrupted sleep patterns… appetite changes… hair loss … mood swings … inability to focus… etc. could be happening because of stress. You only have one body, and that’s it. Please take the time to care for it.”
Your body doesn’t talk, but it does communicate with you through its intricate design.
Apply at least one of these tips to help you through the day.
And as you do this on a regular basis, you’ll see a big difference in your ability to handle stress better — — and that equals LESS STRESS.
Something your mind and body will thank you for.
And always remember this: Self-care is not selfishness.
I hope this post was helpful.
Sheronda Lofton
Your health companion
P.S. Here are a few images to show you what I’m talking about. https://smloftonwrites.com/self-care-tips-images/
Disclaimer: The content shared is for informational and educational purposes only. Discuss with your doctor or a healthcare provider about any medical concerns you may have.
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