Everyone deals with stress and negativity in their lives on a daily basis. Not only does this affect your mental well-being, it also affects your overall physical health. Because stress builds and compounds over time, it can generate negative consequences for your long-term mental health. The time to do something about it is now. We’ve put together a list of a few simple steps you can take to gain control over your daily stressors and harness the negative energies by transforming them into positive vibes. If you can incorporate just one of the steps below into your routine you will start seeing the benefits right away.
Practice Mindfulness
One of the first things you should try to do is practice mindfulness. Mindfulness allows you to stay present in the current moment and it is also a great way for you to take a few simple minutes for yourself to relax. By incorporating periods of meditation and mindfulness into your day (even five minutes), you can increase your mental clarity by decluttering your thoughts. If you are new to meditation there are apps you can use to guide you, or you could just try focusing on your breathing and letting all other thought fade away.
Unplug from Tech
In this day and age, it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed by having constant notifications, and the anxiety that comes with them to respond right away. Take some time each day to turn off your phone or various other devices. Use this time to focus only on you. This momentary self solitude from tech will help you gain a bit of space to recharge and refresh so you can take on the rest of your day.
Take a Break Outside
Spending time in nature is one of the best ways for you to improve your well-being. A hike in the forest, a stroll by the ocean or a picnic next to a river or lake – all of these are great ways to revel in serenity. Even if you live in the city there are ways for you to get outside and enjoy the world around you, perhaps by taking a walk in a nearby park. Soaking up the sun (in moderation) is also a great way to get your daily Vitamin D regimen.
Research has shown spending time outside to commune with nature can help your mental health quite a lot — it can even help to lower your blood pressure. Either way, the next time you want to have a break, try to take in the beauty of the natural world. If you do this you will soon find it becomes easier for you to reflect on the things that really matter while the rest just melts away.
Get Active
Exercise is a fantastic way for you to boost your physical health and it can also help your mental health and overall mindset. You don’t have to be a fitness fanatic if you want to reap the benefits either. A short walk is often enough for you to boost mood. You will feel better mentally and physically as a result. Making movement part of your routine will help maintain a more positive state of mind.
If you are unable to be active due to physical restrictions, then try to spend some time outdoors just to breath in some fresh air. Even if you just sit down on a park bench and take in the world, or find yourself playing a game on your phone like spider solitaire, a little taste of the outdoors is one of the best ways for you to unwind. If an outing is not possible (perhaps the weather is bad), you can still get active during your day by doing stretch exercises, yoga or aerobic movements – wherever you are.
Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is one of the best ways for you to shift your focus from what you don’t have to what you have. You may also find that it helps you feel more content and satisfied with your life overall. Take some time each day to think about all of the things that you are grateful for. List at least 5 things in a journal (or use an app on your phone) that contribute positive things to your life. These five things can be anything from simply having a roof over your head, to having healthy children or enjoying that steak you had for dinner.
If you can do this then you will soon find that you probably have more positive things in your life than you first realized. So often, we all tend to overlook the positive when we feel sad or unfulfilled. After shifting focus away from “all the things you don’t have or things that go wrong in your life” to “all the things (big or small) that make your life better or easier”, you will soon find this helps to alleviate some of your stressors and reframes your perspective to be more positive all on its own. Even in the face of challenges, you will find that you are able to overcome things, which is important for your ongoing well-being.
Listen to Music
Listening to music is one of the best ways for you to unwind. Slow and relaxing music will help slow down your heart rate and your breathing. The tempo is important as this directly affects your mind’s state. If you are looking to lighten your mood or be productive, you can go for more happy, uplifting tunes. Those are a great way for you to release dopamine, which can aid you on your path to mindfulness.
If you are having trouble sleeping, soft and calming music is the way to go. Listen to it at a very low volume – just enough for your ears to catch. Set a timer for sleep mode and then easily drift off without the need to turn off the music. No matter what mood you are looking to enhance, music is your best companion.
Take a Bath
Take a warm bath and feel the anxiety leave your body. A lot of people take warm baths when they are stressed and it is a great way for you to benefit your mental health. The great thing about warm water is that it can help to relax your muscles and it also soothes your mind to some extent. This moves you to a more relaxed state overall, not to mention you can also add some relaxing scents with bath bombs and the like.
If you do this you will soon find that it becomes easier for you to get the result you want and that you can also look after your mental health much more. If you want to take things to that next level then one thing you can do is try and create a calming atmosphere by using aromatherapy oils or candles to set the calming mood. This is great way to get into that zen frame of mind.
Write It All Down
Believe it or not, writing things down is one of the best ways for you to get something off your chest. Writing things down in a journal allows you to relieve tension too. If there is something that you are particularly stressed this method will help you to let go a little, and it also helps you work through your feelings.
If you have had a particularly bad day at work or if you want to send someone an angry email, write it all down and then don’t send it (make sure you do not put their email address in the TO field so you don’t accidentally send it if you are writing it down in an “email draft”). If you feel the same way about your email the next day then there is no reason you can’t send it but either way, you can make a call that benefits you more later on once you have had time to cool off.
Lessen Responsibility
If you have a lot going on you may need to take steps to lessen the responsibilities you have. First, if you are a yay-sayer, stop saying yes to everything at work. It is okay to respectfully push back when you have too much going on to fit anything else into your current workload. At home, spread the love of household tasks to others — don’t do everything yourself.
If you are a member of hobby groups or sports teams, balance the responsibilities of all team or group members so their is a more shared load of duties — or perhaps think about cutting back on some of these extra hobbies and things in your life until you have better control over your most important responsibilities.
Hopefully you are able to follow at least one of the above steps, and when you do, you will find it becomes easier for you to unwind and take back control of your mental state. If you don’t take the time to de-stress now then this will impact your mental health even more as time goes on. Don’t let it get to that point. If you are struggling, remember there are always people you can talk to.
