Life can get a little cray-cray at times. The kids running over here—the phone ringing over there. And before you know it—it’s time to start making dinner. Thoroughly convinced the clocks are all wrong, the day somehow flew by feeling as though nothing got done.

Well we’re here to tell you there’s no need to panic. Here are nine simple steps we want you to try throughout the day to help you relieve stress.

If you’re thinking this is going to be another yoga, breathing, meditating guide—it isn’t! These are sweat-free tips to help you take control of your day with the constant life-hacks that pop up. So, if you’re ready to go to bed feeling like the superhero you are, let’s get movin’.

1. Declutter.

Take a moment and take a hard look at your car, your office and the corners of your home. If water bottles are rolling around, papers are flying every which direction, and it’s hard to open the front door without shoes being in the way. It’s time to declutter.

Each time you get out of the car, try grabbing a few things—not everything—of what can be thrown out. No extra time is required and odds are, there’s a trash can along the way. If you have a stapler at your desk, use it! If you don’t like the commitment of the stapler, try using paper clips. If you keep finding yourself tripping over everyone’s shoes, take a deep breath and pick them up. If you’re heading towards whoever’s room any ways, it can be a quick drop-off!

2. Will this matter a week or month from now?

Seriously, will it? Ask yourself this question. If something didn’t go exactly the way you wanted it to go today, let it go! Remember back in grade school when you got your first bad grade? Yeah neither do we. But look at where you are today.

3. Laugh it off.

If you made a mistake, try to think of it as a goofy one. Laugh it off! The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.¹ It’s so easy to get upset with yourself and stress about whatever it was that happened and go home thinking about it over and over. Even if it was the same mistake made twice, put a smile on. Time machines don’t exist yet, life goes on—so should you!

4. Write things down and simplify your schedule.

If you’re the one who stores a check list of everything you have to do today, this week or this month in your head, it can get stressful. Take a moment to write things down. By looking at the tasks first hand rather than thinking of them can help you simplify your schedule tremendously. You’ll be able to shift certain duties around based on the importance of them to things that aren’t so necessary. The load of laundry can wait a few and Becky doesn’t need five playdates this week.

5. It’s OK to let things slide.

It’s almost midnight and you still have a million and one things to do. GO TO BED. Not giving your body rest and letting it rejuvenate can lead to even bigger stress. Let the task slide and finish it in the morning. The dishes and email can wait.

6. Take time to do what you love.

If you want to get back into tennis or sign up for an art class or get the black belt in karate you’ve always dreamed of, do it! Honestly, there’s never going to be enough time to get back into doing the things you love, you have to MAKE time. Even if you’re jammed pack with projects or kids, sign up for that 5k. The project will be there when you get back and your kids will be there cheering for you on the sidelines. You’ll be surprised by doing the things you love can give you a fresh new mindset.

Things you could do at home you might’ve forgotten you loved:

• Tell Alexa to put on YOUR favorite music and bust out your groovy dance moves.
• Take your dog for a walk and try a new neighborhood!
• Bring out the DDR mat, play ping-pong, or get in some Mario Kart Wii action with the kids.

7. Color.

That’s right, coloring! Whether you spend your day with kids or not, coloring is an awesome way to calm down. It can help slow down your heart rate and loosen your muscles while stimulating the brain.² You don’t have to invest in a coloring book to do this, there’s plenty of online coloring templates you can download.

8. Let lunch time be a time to unwind.

Try stepping out of the office for lunch. Seeing the outdoors will give your mind the rest it needs before tackling the rest of the day. While you’re out, don’t think about work. Unless of course, you’re at a business lunch.

While on your lunch, try calling an old friend, or your grandma and check in! Use this time to get some steps in and walk around the building. Putting in at least 30 minutes of physical activity can be a huge stress reliever and release endorphins that’ll make you feel good.³ If there’s a park nearby, try eating your lunch there—people watching can be surprisingly very entertaining. And, when you come back, park your car in the furthest parking spot—we dare ya.

9. Take care of your today.

Tomorrow is tomorrow, next week is next week. Today is today. Don’t stress over the future because it hasn’t happened yet! Focus your energy on the things you want to do today. It’ll relieve a huge amount of stress and your brain won’t feel as cluttered.

 

References

1 https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm

2 https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2016/02/02/the-adult-coloring-craze-continues-and-there-is-no-end-in-sight/#7ec0084d2352

3 https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm