8 Tips to Manage Stress

With so much going on in the world right now it can be hard not to get consumed by all the negative feelings. Stress can get the best of you and it can be hard to manage when it seems so much is out of control in the world. But did you know that how you handle stress is directly related to your health? Chronic or extreme stress can contribute to a wide range of health issues from physical, emotional and mental. So, it’s extremely important to find healthy ways to cope with it.

While I normally focus on nutrition, there are several factors that need to be practiced to obtain GLOWING health. Nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle. How we handle negative emotions and stress is another. In this post today I’m sharing eight practical tips that have personally helped me to manage stress in a way to keep it under control versus letting it control me. I hope you find it useful to apply in your life as well.

Here are 8 tips on how to handle stress:

Take one day at a time:

Stress is a part of life but when you start worrying about tomorrow’s potential problems that can create anxiety. Stressing over things you cannot control will only increase your stress.In reality often times things do not turn out the way you fear.

Set Reasonable Standards:

Set reasonable goals for yourself. Avoid being a perfectionist from what you expect from yourself or from others. Be mindful of your limitations and respect them. Keeping a sense of humor even when something goes wrong can help lighten the mood.

Try to Maintain Organization:

Make a practical, realistic schedule and stick with it. Disorder can contribute to stress. Seemingly simple tasks like making your bed first thing in the morning, keeping the house in order will contribute to a sense of accomplishment and help you feel less overwhelmed.

Make Time to Relax:

When you do things you enjoy you help relieve stress. Get in the kitchen and bake your favorite cookies, if you like to paint get some art supplies and a canvas and create away! Get into nature and go for a hike.

Keep Technology in its Place:

Television, telephones, email and social media all have their place. But keep them in their place. Scrolling through the channels on T.V. watching the media all day long of all the negative news going on will only feed stress and anxiety. Once you leave work, try to reduce looking unnecessarily at work related emails or communications when possible.

Take Care of Your Health:

A healthy nutritious diet including lots of fruits, vegetables and plant foods in general are so important in keeping your immune system strong and to help you handle stress better. Regular exercise can improve your mood and your body’s response to stress. Get plenty of rest to recharge you “battery”.

Set Priorities:

Make a list of your tasks in order of priority. This will help you focus on the more important things and not be overwhelmed by all the things you need to do. Schedule time for relaxation and self-care. You need to keep your cup full in order to give of yourself.

Get Support:

Having a friend to confide in can go a long way. Their comfort, support and kind words can really help to lift your spirits. They can also help give you a different perspective of your situation and see things in another light.

Focus on your Spirituality:

This is very personal to each individual. Reading spiritually uplifting things, prayer, focusing on all the blessings you have and meditation can really help you find inner peace.

Those are my eight tips for you that have been helping me. I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts and tips on what helps you. Please leave them in the comments below and let us know!