In today’s fast-paced world, stress feels like an inevitable part of life. Fortunately, by identifying and eliminating certain habits, we can significantly reduce our daily stress. Start a search today to learn about stress management.
There are a lot of things we can do to limit our stress levels, but there are also a number of things we can stop doing as well. Check out these 7 things you can ditch to stay stress-free. Let’s get into the details!
To-Do List Broken Record
Sometimes we think going through all the things we need to do over and over in our head is a good way to keep on top of things, but it’s actually a good way to drive yourself crazy with stress. Constantly dwelling and focusing on all the work you have to get done or the list of things to do that keeps piling up while remaining inactive isn’t helping anyone.
Don’t replay your list over and over in your head like a broken record. Write everything down, pick one task, focus on that and get it done. Be sure to check it off the list when you’re done though, because that always feels amazing!
Telling Everyone How Stressed You Are
Yes, talking things through with friends, significant others or family is a good way to get help and support, but blabbing on and on about your huge list of things to do is a social no-no. Your loved ones are there to help, and we’ve all got issues, but try to make sure you don’t dominate every conversation with how crazy your life is. Ask about others and try to include some positives as well. When explaining our stresses to other people, we can often blow them up to seem bigger than they are, only making us feel even more stressed out than we already were, so try not to over-exaggerate.
Working Non-Stop
There are definitely times when we need to pull the occasional all-nighter or work through the weekend. However, even the most important workweeks need to be broken up with some kind of break — and no, sleeping at your desk doesn’t count. Gluing yourself to your spot is not going to help you get things done any faster; you will only get bored, restless and lose focus. However, if you allow yourself short breaks every now and then — a quick walk, some stretches, the gym if you’re some kind of superhuman — your brain will remain active and allow you to focus much better on the task at hand with a much lower level of stress.
Forgetting to Eat
It is super easy to forfeit lunch when you’re on a deadline, but when you’re really stressed out, food is your friend. Don’t let stress cause you to overeat, but do always give yourself enough time in the day to make sure you’re eating all three meals. Forgetting to eat causes your body to stress out by trying to function with limited resources. You will feel tired, headachy and are not going to have the energy you need to get everything you have to done. Planning meals ahead of time during a stressful week is a major help in keeping stress levels down and energy levels high.
Never Unplugging
We are on our phones, computers and tablets all day, every day and the constant access to social media is enough to drive anyone’s stress levels through the roof. Whether it’s your friends buying a house before you, your new company dress code, or unprecedented rises in greenhouse gas levels, there is a certain time and place when you can learn about all these things, but it shouldn’t be all the time. Every day you need to take a few hours, step away from the Internet and give your mind a break.
Comparing Yourself to Others
Constantly comparing yourself to friends, family, T.V. characters, or your next-door neighbor is never going to make you feel good, so stop doing it. Always trying to keep up with the newest and best things around is only going to stress you out and leave you unsatisfied with what you have, which you used to think was really cool about two months ago. Judging yourself based on other people, especially with little context into the actual time and effort it took those individuals to get to where they are in life, is a surefire way to stress you out. Focus on yourself and your goals and stop worrying about what everyone else is doing.
Trying to Make Other People Happy
Focusing your energy on making other people happy is a guaranteed gateway to stress that you need to avoid. A particular challenge of always trying to make other people happy is that you don’t know what other people want, even if you think you do, and that’s just going to leave everyone involved unsatisfied and stressed out trying to figure out how to fix things.
Don’t spend all your time worrying about other people. Focus on what makes you happy and that will likely have a positive impact on those around you and most definitely your level of stress.