Have you got endless demands tugging at you from all directions? Does your life seem to be spinning out of control? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by feelings of stress when you can’t ever seem to catch up.
Do you think bringing your level of stress under control would require a major life change? It may not be as difficult as what you imagine. Did you realize that, regardless of your circumstances, a true sense of balance actually comes from within you, not from your surroundings?
3 Ways to reduce feelings of stress
Here are three simple strategies to help you reduce feelings of stress by building a greater sense of inner peace and harmony.
1) Make some time for you. One of the first things we tend to sacrifice when we are busy is our personal time. Instead, we devote all of our energy and attention to being productive and taking care of those never-ending demands. Over time this depletes our energy and we begin to feel more and more burdened by our responsibilities. This feeling of being weighed down increases our perceived level of stress.
To create a greater sense of balance, having some quiet time to your self is essential. You may be thinking: “I don’t have any time available for that,” but something amazing happens when you regularly make some personal time; you find yourself feeling happier and more energetic, your focus improves – and you still get plenty done! Just a few minutes spent doing something that you truly enjoy can help restore your inner sense of peace and happiness. This is a great way to counteract stress.
2) Look after your personal well being. Beyond making time for things you enjoy, there are many other practical ways to reduce stress and balance your life on a daily basis. Getting enough sleep so you actually feel rested is a great start. Replacing fast food with nutritious food and getting some form of daily exercise will make a huge difference.
Have you ever noticed that when you’re really tired or under a lot of stress, even the smallest problem can seem like a nightmare? On the other hand, when you’re feeling well rested and centered, you’re much better equipped to handle those little ups and downs. Caring for your physical needs is one sure way to consistently replenish your energy and emotional resource levels. This means that you’ll have the strength, patience, and stamina to handle daily challenges without becoming overwhelmed by feelings of stress.
3) Give yourself some leeway. Did you know that one of the biggest causes of stress is rigid expectations? We all do it from time to time; get a mental picture of how our lives “should be” – and get really annoyed when our outer circumstances don’t cooperate! One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is a flexible state of mind. In other words, learn how to detach from unrealistic expectations and go with the flow.
When you have a flexible mindset, you’re able to deal with problems much more effectively because you’re not working against a preconceived notion of how things “should be”. You’re able to tap into your creative problem solving skills and move through challenges without all the drama and a frustration of the stress. So cut yourself some slack and don’t stress out over every little detail.
Changing our perspective is a good start
We see that a few minor changes in perspective can dramatically reduce our stress levels and raise our sense of well being and balance, but that’s not the whole solution. Now that you’re feeling more resourceful, you may also want to examine your external circumstances and see if there are some small adjustments you can make to help support your new, more balanced mindset.
Are there ways that you can tweak your schedule or reduce the complexity of your daily routine? Are you caught in a multitasking mindset? Have you over committed your time and resources? These are all possible sources of external stress that you might want to examine now that you’ve cleared away some of the internal sources. As is true for most things, balance is the key to overcoming stress and finding greater joy in your day to day life.
