It’s extremely hard to avoid stress these days. You have to deal with stress at home, with your children, at work, or possibly even with an aging family member. While you may not be able to escape stress entirely, there are ways that you can deal with stress.

Finding simple solutions to reduce your stress levels is critical. Otherwise, if you allow stress to build up, your health can suffer.

Below are my 5 easy tips you can begin following today to lower your stress levels on a regular basis:

1. Walking

This first one is my personal favorite. Walking is the perfect way to reduce your stress. Just getting outside and enjoying nature and fresh air can do wonders for you. You don’t have to go far to walk outdoors. Find a local park or walk down by a river or beach. You may enjoy going for a solitary walk or you may find walking with your spouse relaxing.

2. Moving at work

There’s no denying that your job is a huge cause of stress (I should know; the stress of my corporate job led me to experience a severe case of burnout–and prompted me to eventually leave it). Make a point of getting up from your desk and moving around. Walk to the bathroom and splash cold water on your face. Take a walk and get a drink of water. Try to get up at least once a hour and move around. Even stretching at your desk is a good way to reduce stress.

3. Stress balls

These small balls can do wonders for you mentally and physically. As you become stressed your muscles start to tighten. If you suddenly seem to get more neck, shoulder and back pain, this could be due to stress. Use a stress ball to massage your hands and relax your muscles.

4. Controlled breathing

Learning how to perform deep breathing exercises can help to significantly reduce stress. This is particularly useful at work, if you are suddenly placed into a stressful situation, you can reduce your stress and tension by breathing deeply for a few minutes.

5. Sleep

Go to bed a little earlier so that you can get enough sleep. Sleep helps to restore your body and relaxes your muscles. When you don’t sleep enough, or your sleep is poor, you wake up feeling tired and anxious. You really want to feel refreshed and re-energized each morning. Aim for 7 to 8 hours sleep each night.

By learning to take action when you are feeling stressed, your stress levels will remain much lower. This means that you will start feeling better more quickly, and that you won’t be carrying your burdens with you for days on end.

Your partner in managing stress,

James

To learn more about my own journey with stress, and how it led to my work as a Wholistic Wellness Coach, please visit my Thirty-Three Six Wellness page.