This Thursday, April 16th, is National Stress Awareness Day.
A lot of us might be more aware of our stress than ever these days. We’ve got more stressors—and more time to ruminate on them.
But as you probably know, ruminating endlessly on your stress is a surefire way to feel worse, not better. Having awareness of our own stress is only helpful insofar as we can notice it and then take steps to lessen it before it spirals out of control.
So how can we control our stress? I’ve written so many blogs related to this topic in the past, so I’ve compiled round-up of some of my favorite posts with useful tips to help reduce your stress, as well as a few links to videos and resources.
Without further ado, here’s 10 ways to reduce your stress.
1) Listen to your body. If you don’t know how to listen to your body, you won’t hear the vital information it’s giving you.
2) Stay active. Even if it’s within your own home, keeping your body moving is crucial to keeping it healthy and de-stressed.
3) Manage your relationship with your screens. None of us can avoid screens, especially in these times, but with these little tweaks, you can build a healthier relationship with your screens.
4) Cuddle your pets. Your relationship with your pet is actually medicine.
5) Cook something healthy and hearty. These delicious soups are the perfect quarantine comfort food.
6) Get outside. If you can do so safely—whether it’s in your backyard or just a socially distant walk around your neighborhood—a daily dose of nature is really good for you.
7) Cultivate gratitude. This is one of the most difficult but also most important things to do in times like this. Can you practice gratitude for your health, your home, your loved ones?
8) Talk to someone. You can get free counseling if you need it.
9) Calm your brain down. This 3 hour relaxing music video has 21m views/listens and will immediately set your brain at ease.
10) Change your perspective. In this video, an esteemed Buddhist monk talks you through fear and anxiety about Covid—and then helps you change your mindset.
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