How to keep stress levels down

ScheduleMost people know that they need to make adjustments in their life to bring down their stress levels however, it can seem like one more thing to do and so it doesn’t get done. These five tips are ways for you to keep your stress level down in a way that is easily integrated into your life.

Meditate – Mediation is one of the best and most effective ways to relieve stress and there is always time to mediate. Even a one-minute mediation can be extremely helpful. Take five minutes in the morning to close your eyes and sit still. If you’re worried about your mind wandering, that’s ok. Even the best meditation instructors admit to their mind wandering. The key is to notice that it has and come back to your mindfulness. If you’re having a high stress moment in class or at work, head to the bathroom and close your eyes for a minute or two and take long deep breathes.

Know your schedule – Your calendar should be your friend not your enemy. Take 30 minutes at the beginning of your week (you can even do this while watching TV) and schedule out your week. Schedule everything from your 5-minute morning mediation to meetings and class to studying or break periods. Once you have everything scheduled, live by this schedule. Of course, life happens, so you’ll adjust accordingly, but where you can, make it a non-negotiable that these are the things you are going to do at this set time. You’re going to quickly realize that you have more time than you thought you did when you follow this.

Treat yourself – Who wouldn’t love this one? Take a few minutes out of your day to treat yourself. Don’t wait until those days where you’re are overwhelmed; treat yourself even in a small way each day. One day you could treat yourself by grabbing Starbucks before you have a study session, another day you could treat yourself to a healthy juice or smoothie. Other great ways to treat yourself are with a relaxing bath or taking 10 minutes to read from a book you love.

Clean eating – Diet impacts your health in many ways including your stress. Processed food and high sugar foods can alter your stress level so they’re best to avoid if you suffer from anxiety or are going through a lot of stress. Our initial reaction in times of high stress is to reach for the comfort food, but it’s really best to reach for the clean food instead. In your day to day, aim for an 80/20 approach where 80% of what you eat is clean and good for you and the 20 percent gives you room to treat yourself to that latte or dessert.  Even with just a 5-day clean diet, you’ll notice that your stress levels are going to go down. If you have a sweet tooth, instead of reaching for the candy bar, cut up a pear and top it with some cinnamon.

Avoid too much caffeine – You might be going for that extra cup of coffee because you’re not sure how else you’re going to be able to get through the day, but this extra caffeine can hurt you more than help. You may get a jolt of energy, but you’re also going to increase your heart rate and stress. Try to limit yourself to 1-2 cups of coffee each day. If you still feel like you need that extra cup, keep tea instead. Yerba Mate is a caffeinated tea, but it contains less caffeine than coffee and espresso.

If you can incorporate these tips into your day-to-day, you’re going to notice a decrease in your stress levels. You don’t have to do them all, even one will make an impact on your life.