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Work. Commute. Chores. Family. Social Life. More work… No wonder we are a nation filled with stress!
In fact, in a 2018 study by the Mental Health Foundation, the headline statistic was that, at some point during the year, a whopping 74% of UK adults felt stressed to the point of being overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Sound familiar?
It’s alright. In this article, we are offering five simple and effective tips that will show you how relief from stress can be found relatively easily.
1. Learn to assert yourself
Before we get into relieving stress, let’s look at how to reduce stress in the first place. One of the simplest ways to do this is to become more assertive.
Learn to say no to things you are unable to take on, or to delegate work/tasks to other people who may be able to help. High stress is often caused because we have too much going on, so being able to turn down work or say no to a social engagement really can help you avoid stress, resentment, and anger because you took on something you didn’t have the capacity for.
Granted, you may be like the vast majority of us, where being assertive doesn’t always come easy! The truth is that you have to work on it. Like a muscle, you have to train your assertiveness for it to grow stronger. There are tons of free online guides and videos on becoming more assertive, so be sure to use some of them.
2. Prioritize your priorities!
When you are feeling stressed, take a five-minute break to do a ‘mind dump’. Simply write down everything that is bothering you, from the many jobs you have to do at work to your household chores and your busy weekend plans.
Then, prioritize this list and identify what is most important. What needs to be done today? What can be left until next week? What can be delegated to someone else?
Don’t just pick the simplest tasks to do – pick the ones that need to be done. Then, focus on completing the first thing on your list and don’t move on until it is finished. Don’t try to multitask because it’s not worth the stress!
Want to read more? The NHS offers some useful time-management tips, which are worth a browse.
3. Get your sweat on
Lacing up your running shoes and heading off to pound the streets may be the last thing you feel like doing when life is piling high, but exercise will help you relieve stress.
Aerobic movement including running, swimming, cycling, rowing, bootcamps, and walking releases endorphins, which provide a positive feeling in your body and mind that can help you ease the effects of stress.
Chances are a change of scenery from your workplace or home can also help. If you exercise with friends, then all the better as socializing can help reduce stress too! Importantly, choose an activity that you enjoy, as you are more likely to want to do it regularly.
4. Enjoy some physical relaxation
Your mind and body are one, which means mental stress manifests in physical ways such as neck, back, and shoulder ache. Luckily, you can also combat mental stress by promoting physical relaxation.
Take some time out to enjoy a little TLC. Go for a coffee with some friends, watch your favourite silly comedy, indulge in a full-body massage, or treat yourself to a long bath.
Enhance your relaxing bath with a couple of handfuls of our bestselling WholyMe Relief Salts, which combine the muscle-relaxing power of natural Epsom salts with organic eucalyptus oil to encourage a sense of calm in body and mind.
5. Watch your screentime
We aren’t here to tell you to avoid your favourite TV show, which is how relief from stress is found for many people (remember, comedy is a great stress reliever!). But we will highlight that research links smartphone usage to increased stress, including this study from 2018.
The takeaway here is that while texting and browsing can seem like a good distraction from your problems, screentime can drastically increase your stress.
Breaking free from smartphone addiction isn’t easy, but start by turning off notifications and commit to checking social media just once a day. Leave your phone in another room or even at home when you go out. You may also want to look at some of the many free apps that can help you curb your screentime.
Stress is not fun for anybody, but following these five tips will always help you feel calmer and more in control.
For more tips and techniques to soothe anxiety and relieve stress, grab your free copy of our new Stress and Anxiety Management Guide.
