10 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress

AS FEATURED ON: Optimal Health Daily

Are you someone who lives a fairly stressful life?

Well, you’re not alone. In fact, I think most of us are stressed beyond our capacity. Especially in today’s society, it’s hard not to submit to all the stressors that surround us. With work, deadlines, bills, debts, family matters, and so much more, it can begin to pile up. Not to mention, all of the toxic social media, fake news, bad news, and every other advertising and spam that’s thrown our way can be overwhelming!

I used to get stressed out over a lot of things, but over time I learned many different tips and tricks to reduce that stress. It’s made my life a lot better, and much healthier.

Here’s several different ways to reduce stress:

1. Exercise, even a little bit

Obviously you’ve heard this one before, but it’s so important. Exercising has an endless amount of benefits, including stress relief. I think a lot of people shy away from this one because they think they need to go to a gym to exercise. But, it’s really not about that. The best exercise is the one you love. If you love walking then go for a walk. If you love playing tennis then go play tennis. If you love going to the gym then go to the gym.

2. Declutter your home

This is one of my favorite things to do when I’m stressed out. When you’re able to declutter junk that’s been piling up in your home for years, it feels amazing. It helps with decluttering your thoughts. Having a beautiful, calm living space can help reduce your stress. So, take a look at your closet or a junk drawer and go through it. Take out the things you don’t need and donate it or toss it.

3. Declutter your social media

This is a huge one for me. I used to follow all the celebrities and drama. One day I decided to get rid of all of them. Unless these accounts are giving off nothing but good vibes, just delete it. Keeping track of other people’s drama does nothing for you, except waste your time and add more stress. Even challenge yourself. Try to drop your “following” number down to 100 people. Keep only your friends and family, and maybe a few positive celebrities. Surround yourself with good vibes. You’ll be amazed at how good this one feels.

4. Practice self care

I think this one is vital to reducing stress. Like exercise, it has many other benefits as well. Make sure you’re practicing self care. You need to be doing things you love to feel your best each day. Even if it’s for 15 minutes, it’s still better than nothing. You can’t give 100% to other people (like kids and family) if you’re not at 100% yourself. You’re only giving them what’s left in the tank. This doesn’t serve anyone. Self care is never selfish. It literally benefits everyone else in the process. So, get that massage, go for your walk, visit the beach, read a book, or whatever else you love. Always make time for self care.

5. Meditate

This one is mind blowing. Start meditating as soon as you can. It works wonders for your stress. Even if it’s only for 5-10 minutes a day. Meditation helps you declutter all of the thoughts jumping around in your brain. There’s so many free Apps out there that offer meditation. The one I really like is called Muse. It tracks how calm you are as you go through the session. Then it teaches you how to calm yourself more and more over time.

6. Talk to someone

This is pretty important and really works for anything. Don’t bottle things up inside when you’re stressed out. Talk about them. Tell a family member, friend, or even your dog (or any animal). Just saying things out loud can really help with that weight on your shoulders. Knowing that someone is there for you to talk to can really help in minimizing your stress.

7. Get the quality sleep you need

I think a lot of us struggle with this one. We’re either up really late, thinking about work in the middle of the night, or eating a bunch of food right before we go to bed. All of these things, plus so much more, can affect your sleep. If you can aim for 7-8 hours of regular sleep each night, it can really help with stress.

Here’s some things to help with sleeping:

• Make sure your room is dark

• No electronics in your room

• Don’t watch TV or be on your phone 2 hours or less before going to bed

• Sleep in a cold room

• Put your pets out of the room (I know this one’s tough)

• Go to bed at the same time each night, even on weekends

• Don’t eat 2 hours or less before going to bed

8. Go out in nature

This might be my favorite thing to do in the world. I love getting out in nature, away from everything, breathing in the fresh air, and just absorbing life itself. Being outside, away from society (even for a short period of time) can have huge benefits on your health, including reducing stress. Go out there and think of nothing. Just take each moment at a time and enjoy.

9. Start hugging more

Hugging releases endorphins throughout your body that make you happy and reduce stress. Try to hug your friends, family, and pets as much as you can. Each time you do, you’re helping them out and yourself. I try to aim for 10-12 hugs a day. It may sound silly but it works.

10. Spend quality time with loved ones’

Spend as much time with the people you love. Life is already short, so don’t push off spending time with those people. Having a great time with loved ones’ and just enjoying the moment can help so much with reducing stress. This one can never be overused!

I hope you’re able to try out a few of these tips and start implementing them into your daily lives. You certainly don’t have to try them all but the more you can do, the better. Give yourself that time each day to do things that make you feel good. That’s what life’s all about. You deserve it!

What do you like to do to relieve stress? I'd love some feedback.