If you're reading this, chances are that you're feeling a little stressed. I know how it feels to feel like there's never enough time in the day and always feeling like you have too much on your plate. It can be hard to find ways to lower your stress levels and anxiety when everything is so hectic all of the time. But don't worry- we've got some tips for how to make a difference in 30 days!
1) Practice self care:
Take time out for yourself every day by doing something that makes you happy (i.e., taking a bath, going for a walk). You need to make sure that you're giving yourself enough time to unwind and relax. It's hard to be in a good mood when you don't feel like your energy levels are up because of all the stress!
2) Get moving:
Try doing some extra physical exercise, such as taking walks or going on hikes. This is one of the best ways to reduce your stress level because when you're working out, it takes your mind off of things and makes you feel more in control. Sometimes we need a little help letting go of our stressful days!
3) Take a break:
Take some time to do something that's fun and not too intense (i.e., going out for ice cream, watching a comedy show on TV). When you take little breaks throughout the day, it helps prevent you from feeling stressed and overwhelmed. It also lets you re-energize yourself so that you can come back to work having more patience.
4) Manage your time:
If everything seems like chaos all of the time, it can be helpful to start keeping a daily journal of your schedule. It may seem like a lot of work at first, but once you've been doing it for a while, it'll become second nature and you won't have to think about it as much. Having a sense of where the day is going will help you feel more organized and in control.
5) Set realistic goals:
Don't try to do everything all at once. Break up your efforts into bite size tasks that you can accomplish quickly, then move onto the next one. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things on your to-do list, go through it and pick out a few simple things that you can do right away, and then schedule the rest of your time for them.
6) Try yoga or meditation:
These activities help slow down your breath and clear your mind from negative thoughts which will lead to lower stress levels. If you've never tried meditating, there are a lot of guided meditation videos on YouTube that can help you get started and give some good ideas for how to do it!
7) Find your favorite thing:
If work has been stressing you out lately, spend the rest of the afternoon doing something that fits into what your favorite to-do list item is. For example, if your favorite thing is reading, choose a book and go for it. Or if you enjoy sports you could go for a run or play some basketball.
8) Don't over share:
Don't talk about work all of the time! It's important to have balance in your life, so if you're spending time with a friend and work comes up as one of the first topics of conversation, try to steer it towards something else. If your friend asks how work is going, keep it short but positive- they don't need to hear all of the gory details!
9) Get help:
If stress is really getting to you, it's important that you find someone to talk about it with. If you can't bring yourself to open up to friends or family members, there are other ways that you could get help. You might consider reaching out a trusted adult who will listen and respect your concerns and give good advice (i.e., coach, teacher, mentor, etc.).
For some people, self awareness is the hardest part of dealing with anxiety. The next time you feel your heart racing and start to panic, try taking a few minutes to breath on your own until the stress passes. Try to accept that anxiety will happen - it's not going away anytime soon - but you can take steps to better manage it. A few days from now, see if you can notice when your anxiety starts to creep up in the afternoon. Then, a day after that, become more aware of how much anxiety influences your mood during the day. If you can learn how stress affects you and what triggers your high levels of adrenaline, it will be easier for you to avoid these triggers in the future.
By understanding the root of your anxiety, the ideas above should give you a jumpstart on how to decrease it. The best way forward is likely a combination of these methods - so try one out each day for 30 days! If any one thing doesn't work for you or if things get worse at all, don't get discouraged. Be kind and gentle with yourself in decreasing your stress levels; use our tips but don’t overwork yourself trying to change everything overnight. You are worth taking care of too!