Are you having stressful days lately? You have a busy schedule jammed packed with appointments or tasks and you just want to lessen the stress you are accumulating every week. You have come to the right place because today I am sharing tips for a less stressful week.
Drawing wisdom from the books I read, I am sharing tips and best practices you can do to combat stress and have a calmer week. This article gives tips, from adopting a meditation routine to playing games, and getting regular massages.
Stress can be accumulated from dealing with your boss, preparing for deadlines, or big projects. It has become easy to create a backlog of stress from a toxic environment, messy home, kids, or upcoming tests but with these tips, you can now eliminate stress and stay calm under pressure. We all know that stress does more harm than good so let’s do something about it. Here are 6 tips for a less stressful week.
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1. Adopt a meditation practice
Adopting a meditation practice is on top of our tips for a less stressful week.
Of all the personal growth YouTubers I follow, the one thing they have in common is meditation. Successful authors and positive influencers like Oprah Winfrey or Marie Forleo have their own meditation practices in their daily routines.
No matter how busy their schedules are, they don’t forget to include meditation. It’s probably on top of their list and the first thing they do in the morning.
Meditation has become a tool for success. It improves aspects of our lives such as productivity, relationships, and careers. One of the many benefits of adopting a meditation practice is easing stress and anxiety.
There are many types of meditation, and the type that is right for you depends on your goals and preferences. If you’re looking for a way to relax and de-stress, for example, you might want to try mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation involves focusing on your breath and being aware of the present moment.
If you’re interested in exploring your spirituality, you might want to try meditating with healing crystals. This type of meditation involves holding crystals in your hands or wearing them as jewelry, such as love stone crystal earrings or bracelets, and focusing on their energy. There are many other types of meditation, so experiment until you find the one that feels right for you
American Psychological Association also has an article about mindfulness meditation. You can gain exceptional calmness despite being under pressure and handle life stressors with ease. I know this for sure because I too found myself on a meditation journey and it changed my life.
The first weeks of adopting a meditation practice will be challenging and it can be pretty hard to do it all alone. Emily Fletches, author of Stress Less, Accomplish More, teaches an effective method called Ziva or Z- technique. This is designed for busy people and businesspeople. Yes, meditation is not only for monks or yoga fanatics, pretty much everyone can practice it.
All you need is 15 minutes, two times a day and you can do it anywhere. Tune in to your five senses, use a mantra and keep saying it over and over. If you find yourself disturbed by other thoughts, just open your eyes and continue. The best way to end this Z- technique is Manifestation. Take the time to imagine all your goals, desires, and things you want for your life to find the best way to get there.
2. Have a break and Play games
Having a break is essential to any journey, or process we are trying to pursue. Machines are built to operate without having breaks. Computers are designed to work non-stop, but we are not machines. We all need breaks and space to channel our stress. One way to do this is by playing games.
There is a connection between games and stress relief. In an online survey of 1614 participants, results showed that playing games are a recovery tool after exposure to stressful situations. I too would rather play fun games after a stressful day at work. Playing games too can be used as a tool to process negative emotions caused by stress. You can invite more fun when you play with friends.
Casual games are recommended for stress relief. These are games that can be done quickly and offer simple challenges. This will give you a quick but pleasurable break. My favorite to play is Tetris (See below if you can beat my score). If you prefer to play with friends or other players you can try cooperative games too or just games that help you improve your skills. I play the Fast typer game for this.
3. Manage stress by getting regular massages
There has been an epidemic sweeping the world far before the Novel Coronavirus, it’s stress. It’s not as deadly as Coronavirus but when not handled properly it can lead to serious problems such as death.
Pretty much everyone experiences stress once in a while and there are numerous ways to deal with it. This includes getting regular massages. May it be once a month or once in two weeks. I don’t have research to back this one up but from personal experience, I highly recommend it.
It does not have to be done by professionals; you can ask your partner to do it for you. If you live alone, you can go to the nearest and cheapest massage shop in your area. Getting a massage can get you back to your creative, calm, productive, and high-performing self. Check these massage tools from The Strategist to give you a better experience.
4. Find your happy place
This is my favorite on the list. In a world where we constantly beat deadlines, we need to find a happy place and switch off. And this happy place is somewhere you can unwind and feel content. This place is full of the things you love, and you can be truly yourself here.
When life stressors come at you, head over to your happy place and have a good time with yourself. Come out calm and fully energized again.
My happy place is my living room where I read my favorite book, watch my FRIENDS or listen to soothing music. Visiting a café is also a happy place for me. I like to visit a new café, have a read while enjoying a cup of coffee, observe people, think and plan my future, journal, write articles, listen to a podcast or call a friend. I am curious, what is your happy place?
If you happen to be in your workplace and can’t switch to your happy place, just find a quiet place where you cannot be disturbed. Go out and visit a park. Be with nature. There’s one thing I am sure of, nature always gives positive feelings. Disengage from negative thoughts, clear your mind and allow yourself to relish in the feeling of peace and calmness.
5. Organize your home. Keep a tidy place
We all experience stress and it is caused by external and internal factors. You might not notice it, but your environment affects the level of your stress. So, next time you feel overwhelmed, tidy up. Stress may manifest as fear or anxiety, but you can have a less stressful week when you organize your home and workplace. Keep a tidy place to stay because a messy home is another path to stress.
Clutter can affect our stress levels, productivity, sleep, and focus. Research shows that a cluttered kitchen triggers us to snack on unhealthy food and watch TV shows. This gives us a good reason to be on board with the Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.
RELATED POST: HOW YOU CAN FINALLY BE ORGANIZED
6. Ditch the thoughts that provoke Stress
As mentioned earlier, stress is affected by external and internal factors. Stress can boil down to negative thoughts created by us. These are our worries and fears. If you can ditch these negative thoughts, essentially you can ditch stress too.
The book The End of Stress suggests that every time you have a stress-provoking thought, do not interfere. Acknowledge them and just let them be in your head but never in your reality. After all, our worries are just exaggerations. Know that you are stronger and bolder than your fears.
You can be successful in ditching negative thoughts when you change your attitude too. Next time you find yourself in a traffic jam and you start to feel irritation or anger. Take a moment to think of something else instead.
Think of happy memories such as vacations with your family or when you first get your letter from your crush. Think of moments that bring you joy and peace instead. These moments can bring your calmness back and bring you back to kindness.
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OVER TO YOU
Stress is everywhere. It has become ubiquitous in our life. If not handled properly, it can impact our lives negatively. But with these tips, you can have a less stressful week and manage to go through your week with ease. Although we cannot avoid it, remember to learn from today to become more resilient tomorrow.
Next time you find yourself in a stressful situation try to see the bright side of it and know it will just make you wiser and more resilient. You will be better at handling future stressful situations. I am curious, what is the most stressful situation you have been to? Please share your thoughts and how you handled them.
Probably ditching the thoughts that provoke stress is not that easy. I agree with most of your points though.