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Eleven Ways to Reduce Stress Right Now

We are under unprecedented levels of stress as a society. Even before the C word we were experiencing a stress epidemic.

Stress is self-inflicted (sorry!) when you are trying to do something that does not come to you naturally. You try and be someone else. You don’t believe in yourself and you think that you’re not enough. Or when you are measuring yourself against a set of goals, rather than by everything that you have already achieved.

We have been programmed to feel success or a failure, based on hitting targets, working too hard and whether we can do it without burning out. No wonder we are stressed!

Celebrate everything that you already are. Your challenges, your obstacles and every time you’ve got back up. Know that you are successful right now and you always will be.

Identifying Stress

I’m no techie but more when I look at my website stats, more people are looking for tips on reducing stress and the symptoms of stress.

There is relentless pressure on us to perform as a parent, an employee, colleague and friend.

We spend most of our time comparing ourselves to other people or trying to keep up with those who we think have got what we want.

The last few months have put a huge strain on our emotional and physical wellbeing, which, if it isn’t managed, can cause long term health problems and affect our mental health.

Here are my top tips for getting through tough times or just getting a sense of balance in your life at this crazy time.

Starting Your Day the Best Way

It’s one of the sure-fire ways to make sure you and your team have the best day. You wake up, set the intention of ‘this is one of the best days of my life!’  and ‘I am going to be positive all day long’. Watch your amazing day unfold.

Practise Mindful Listening

Whether it’s a team member or peer, give your full attention to the conversation and rid yourself of any distractions. Knowing what you should be doing and not missing out on vital information makes for a productive, stress free day.

Take Regular Mindful Breaks

Use every opportunity to bring yourself back to the present. Get up and grab a coffee, nip to the toilet, walk from meeting to meeting and take a proper lunch break.

Practise Kindness and Compassion

Avoid getting drawn into office gossip and tittle tattle. See each person without judgement and with their own story. Remind yourself that you are all looking for happiness, health and a stress-free life.

Focus on One Thing at a Time

We all like to multi-task and think we’re being more productive, but did you know you are 50% more likely to make mistakes and you will actually achieve less.

Catch Your Thoughts at Any Moment

If your thoughts are negative think of something positive. Think of what you are grateful for, how far you’ve come or about something you’re looking forward to. Making for a happy more positive day reduces stress and is contagious.

Practise Mindful Breathing

If you feel yourself getting stressed then take a few deep breaths and then notice your breathing for a few minutes. This will help bring you into the present and will help you feel calmer.

Talk Through the Issue with Someone You Know

A friend, family member, colleague or a helpline if you need to. Make use of an Employee Assistance Programme if you have one. Just sharing what’s happening can give you a different perspective and once you have shared, a problem often doesn’t seem so bad.

Make Sure That You are Building in Time

Spend some time doing the things that you enjoy doing. Exercise, hobbies, sport, crafts or getting involved in your community. Having ways to switch off, tune out or focus on something else are all ways of helping to manage your emotional resilience.

Set Healthy Boundaries

Switch off the laptop and phone and put them out of reach. Protect the time that you want to spend with family and friends and don’t let work and life overlap.

Prioritise Your Self-Care

Do whatever it takes to put yourself first. Book time off, say no to things you don’t want to do, make a homemade spa, enjoy a bar of chocolate, get away from it all. Looking after number one is not selfish, it’s essential.

Right now, you need you.

If you’ve enjoyed this resource, you will love 10 ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome.

Louise Hallam, Still Calm

After working in the corporate world for 25 years but feeling like I never really fitted in, I started my own business and finally started to feel as though I was doing the right thing.

After a chance meeting, in the past 18 months I have been working with a spiritual mentor, who has awakened my true potential and purpose. I have unlocked wisdom and healing modalities, which are in my DNA. This has resulted in a powerful combination of services to provide to those in the highest level of management who are struggling to get a sense of self, want to connect to their soul purpose and work with, rather than against, their energy and emotions.

My unique gifts and skills enable me to free people from the things that have held them back from living their true potential. Where they see limits, I only see limitless.

My little bit of genius is that I see things in people that other people can’t. It’s what I have experience in and it’s what I’m known for.

During lockdown I have also been channelling wisdom on conscious leadership, which is guiding principles for leading for humanity and people rather than profit.