5 quick tips to minimise stress

Are you often stressed? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by everything you have to do, or by dramas in your life?

Whether it’s a never-ending to-do list, an exhausting work/study project, a difficult relationship or you feel there’s not enough time in the day, experiencing stress can feel like a lonely struggle in the dark.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone!

Tips to minimise stress

No matter what causes your stress (unrealistic deadlines, too much on your plate) or how you experience stress (tears, anger, feeling down), following these five steps can help you to immediately reduce your stress levels.

Let’s get straight to the point...

› Define the problems

Learn to differentiate between a problem, a worry and an irritation. You can then work on dismissing the irritations and worries and dealing with the problems.

› Put things into perspective

Keep problems in perspective by asking yourself: Will this problem matter in five years? In three months? Or even next week? If it’s not very important, the answer will be "no".

And remember, whatever it is, most other people will soon have forgotten it too!

› Check for internal causes

Ask yourself: Is the problem something external or is it my mood? If it’s the latter, your outlook may be causing the problem to appear much bigger than it really is.

If you are feeling tearful, check if you’re in a nervous or edgy state. Do something to change your state of mind. Think of what calms you down and give yourself permission to go do it!

› Remind yourself: good is good enough

You cannot do better than your best - no one can! If you are trying your best - at work or in your personal life - then no one can expect any more from you.

It may help to repeat this mantra: "Good is good enough". Then concentrate on one thing at a time; finish one task properly before moving on to the next.

› Learn to breathe through stressful moments

The art of breathing is a subject for another time, but for now I would advise you breathe deeply and slowly whenever you start feeling stressed.

Give yourself a five-minute break from whatever is stressing you to focus on your breathing instead.

You only live once!

You have only one life and you don’t deserve to spend it feeling constantly stressed.

There is one way to manage stress: to reduce the causes. You may have to let go of certain stressors or stop pushing yourself so hard.

The upside is that you’ll have more time to enjoy all the gifts in your life.
 

Which of the above tips resonates with you most? Let us know by leaving a comment below.