Stress is something that is on the rise. With the modern world being so demanding, is it any wonder that people all over the world are feeling more and more stressed? Work pressures, home pressures, the school run, after-school clubs, trying to launch a side business, or just enjoying some free time can feel almost impossible.
Perhaps the most important way that you can reduce your stress levels is by making sure that you are getting enough sleep every day. Sleep is the one situation where our minds and our bodies can completely switch off (dreaming doesn't count!).
Sleep doesn’t always come easy, though; sometimes, you’ll need a really good sleep story and some natural supplements for energy during the day and sleep in the evening.
So what can you do, aside from a good night’s sleep, to help reduce those stress levels?
Press Pause
Most of the time, we will continue in a situation that makes us feel awful - because we don’t want to be seen as a failure. Sometimes, it is because we don’t want to let other people down - or that we feel pressure to keep ourselves in a situation we don’t want to be in.
It’s not always easy or practical to quit our job, leave our role, and walk away. Sometimes it is more practical to ask (or demand) a break. A break can be enough time to reconsider how our life looks and what we should be doing.
Pressing pause can be a gift in a very busy world, and it is something that we should think about doing regularly.
Work It Out
Working out often conjures up the images of muscle-bound men who are constantly in the gym. But, the truth is working out can be as complicated or as hardcore as you want - or it can be as gentle as you need it to be.
Working out in any capacity can give us a bump in endorphins, and those endorphins reduce our stress levels. The more we do it, the higher our happy hormones are, and the more our stress level gets beaten down.
Even a 30-minute walk can help to reduce stress - and double points for doing it somewhere with a lot of greenery, like a forest or a scenic park.
Big Hugs
Even for those who aren’t people persons, if there is someone that you know who loves a hug or an hour-long cuddle on the couch - it’s time to take them up on the offer. Hugs are shown to reduce our stress levels, lower blood pressure, and improve our heart rate.
Hugging releases oxytocin, which has been dubbed as the cuddle hormone - and oxytocin is one of the most powerful hormones, and the one that reduces anxiety, boosts heart health, and lowers blood pressure!
Me Time
Sometimes, what we really need to reduce our stress levels is to make sure that we get some time for ourselves. Doing somewhere or going somewhere fills us with joy, and we can fully indulge in it.
Messy schedules and the unknown are contributors to stress, so if you’re in need of some organization, check out these tips: From Head to Toe: Your Guide to Sustainable Health Habits.