Today is National Stress Awareness Day and, because I will take any excuse to celebrate a thing, I think we should share the ways we all handle stress in our day to day lives.
I will say right up front that I am no expert, but even non-experts can provide valuable insight. Here are a few of the things I do when I’m starting to feel a little stressed:
- Take my dog for a walk around the block.
- Write down something that made me happy today (I use the Happier app, but any recognition of happy things will work).
- Make sure I’ve eaten recently and, if I haven’t, find a healthy crunchy snack. The crunchy part is important for me, personally, for whatever reason.
- Remind myself of what I have gotten accomplished today.
- Turn off all my notifications and take a yoga break.
- Call/chat with one of my IRL mentors, heroes, or role models.
- Listen to some rockin’ beats. Maybe even dance a little.
Stress management is an ongoing process, though, and it’s easier to deal with it if you do small maintenance every day regardless of how stressed you feel. Give yourself permission to take care of yourself, mentally and physically.
If you’ve got ways that you keep your stress levels low, share them in the comments!