Possessing the ability to handle your emotions and stay calm when placed under pressure has a direct correlation to your performance. Research has shown that 90 percent of top performers are able to manage their emotions in stressful times and stay in control. This is called emotional intelligence.
There are many times in your life when stress will weigh you down. Make it a point to take part in these relaxing and rejuvenating activities as often as possible.
Exercise.
Whether you’re spending your time searching for a reputable moving company or a new job, or you’re trying to care for your children and keep your house clean, it probably seems like there is no extra time to work out. Do your best to make it a priority; put it on the calendar like you would an appointment. Exercise has an infinite number of benefits, from better cardiovascular health to a decreased risk of cancer. Once your body moves faster for a minimum of 10 minutes, it releases a soothing neurotransmitter than reduces stress levels.
Disconnect.
If you are going to take any tip on this list to heart, let it be this one. It’s vital you disconnect sometimes — if you can’t remove yourself electronically from life’s demands, then you’ll always feel some sort of stress. If work is demanding and you make yourself available 24/7, you’re constantly exposed to a barrage of stressors so you can’t refocus and recharge. If it’s not realistic to take the weekend off from checking work voice messages and emails, try to designate specific times to respond. Designating short chunks of time to help alleviate stress.
Simplify chores.
You probably feel like your chores monopolize the little bit of free time you have. This tends to happen to everyone and spending so much time on chores steals your opportunity to simply relax. Most chores seem like hard work, so if your evening and weekends are spent completing them, you really never have a chance to reflect. Make a schedule to ensure you complete your chores, and if you don’t have enough time to get every chore on your list crossed off, don’t beat yourself up. It’s okay to let yourself relax sometimes; your chores can wait.
Chase a passion.
If you feel like you never do anything for yourself, you need to go ahead and pursue something you feel passionate about. It’s great to indulge your passions to escape some of life’s daily stressors and give you that spark of what it feels like to do something you love. Think along the lines of taking a bike ride with your kids, reading, painting, writing, playing an instrument, or volunteering to help make you feel good and give you the much-needed escape from all of life’s demands.
Schedule adventures.
A study by the American Psychological Association found that vacations reduce stress by removing people from the environments and activities that they associate with anxiety and stress. If you can take regular vacations, go for it. Keep in mind, though, that you don’t have to book a weeklong cruise to a tropical island to restore your body and mind. Even mini-adventures, such as tickets to a concert you’ve been dying to see or a night in a hotel downtown can be all the fun you need to lower your stress levels. When you know you have a hike or shopping spree planned for the next weekend, it will elevate your mood all week long.
Stressful events have probably snuck up on you many times when you least expected it. Your response to it is only half the battle. The way to win the war against stress lies in the actions you take to alleviate it.
A huge thank you to Puget Sound moving for sponsoring this post. What are some of your favorite ways to conquer stress?