Photo: J Crew
Ever had one of those days? Do you sometimes feel as if you’ve had a chain of those days or as if things are piling up on you all at once? Often times we add to a stressful situation and actually make things appear worse than they really are. After all, our ability to handle any situation is 90% attitude, 10% circumstance.
Fortunately for us, Andrea from the ShortcutSleuth.com has come up with 10 really great ways we can overcome stress RIGHT NOW. I’m delighted to share an excerpt of these tips with you now.
1. Let the small things slide. - I promise you’ll feel better for it in the long run, Andrea tells us to “Figure out what really matters and choose your battles.”
2. Don’t set unrealistic goals - OK, I have a feeling we’re all guilty of this one, but when Andrea points out that, “if we expect too much” from ourself and others, “then we always set ourselves up for disappointment” it makes me reconsider.
3. Learn to say ‘no’ - I’m not sure about you, but this is a really tricky one for me. Still Andrea is pretty convincing when she says, When you’re only doing the tasks you really want to, you will be more effective and less stressed.
4. Take time for yourself every day. We’re so accustomed to doing for everyone else that sometimes we forget to focus on what we need, want and like. If we make ourself a TOP priority, then it is easier to handle the source of stress in our lives.
5. Let yourself be a kid again - This is a point we should all take close to heart. Andrea is so right with this one, have you ever noticed how a child can go from end of the world bawling to barrel of laughs in 0.001 seconds? We were that way too…. once. Let you child be your guide and try to reclaim this lost ability. Take the time to just let go and be spontaneous. Do something fun and let yourself laugh! For a few minutes, just forget about all of the responsibilities you have as an adult and in no time at all you’ll feel rejuvenated.
6. Keep a sense of humor - Sometimes when things aren’t so great, you just have to look at things and see the funny side of them. The saying that “laughter is the best medicine” rings true for many of us.
7. Take time to exercise. Not only does exercise keep you in good physical and mental shape, but it also produces endorphins that make you feel good and relieves stress. Plus, exercising is a great way to focus on ourselves, if even for a moment.
8. Eat healthy. When your diet is well-balanced, you just plain feel better. When we’re stressed, we tend to reach for comfort foods or foods that are not the best for us. They may make us feel better in the short-term, but maintaining a healthy diet will make us feel better overall.
9. Call a friend. When things are going badly, find the friend that you can count on for a good laugh or that helps you best put things in perspective, and give her a call.
10. Take a time out. When things are about to reach a breaking point, take a time out to regroup. Just like we put kids in time out so they can calm down and think about what they’ve done, time outs can work wonders for us as well.
This has been a summary of Andrea’s original post, 10 tips to Stop yourself from losing it
Have a few stress busting tips of your own? We’d love to hear them, leave a brief comment or email us at kidsstuffworld@gmail.com
Stacy
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