Photo: Thought Catalog/Unsplash
Today, many people praise others for their “hustle” and keeping busy is often credited as the key to success. The flaw in this line of thinking is that it leads to the assumption that overworking yourself and stressing out will yield good results. The truth is, anyone living a hectic lifestyle knows that if you don’t map out time for stress relief, your efforts may just be rendered futile. Many people have full-time jobs, are raising kids, taking care of their home, and don’t have the funds to hire help. Therefore, this guide offers useful tips to help people deal with the stress of a busy life.
Exercise in the Morning
When you’re about to start a jam-packed day, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with your responsibilities, and this anxiety can hinder your drive when attempting to complete tasks. A great way to clear your head is to start exercising in the morning. Whether you wake up and fit in a full workout, take a power walk or practice yoga, you’ll be better prepared to take on the day if you quieten your mind first. Physical activity is known to combat a negative mood, relieve stress, reduce depression, and sharpen cognitive function. The physical aspect also increases energy levels, giving you that pep in your step that you need to start the day off just right.
Photo: Tyler Nix/Unsplash Get a Massage
Hectic lifestyles can induce stress that not only affects our mental health but our physical health too. While exercising definitely plays a role in relieving stress, as mentioned above, we must also prioritize the well-being of our bodies and muscles.
Your daily grind can take a toll on your body and mental state, which is why taking the time to give yourself some much-needed R&R can do wonders for your emotional health, joints, and muscles. As the Spartanburg, South Carolina-based massage therapists at Forever Yung Spa point out, getting frequent massages ensures our bodies are well rested after copious amounts of physical activity which, in turn, helps us effectively relax both mind and body. Whether you’re running around after your kids, trying to synchronize your schedule with theirs, swamped with work meetings, or exhausted after long work hours, you need to find time for yourself. After all, if you take care of yourself, you’ll be better equipped to take care of others.
Control Your Breathing
There are many reasons why yoga is a popular activity to start your day with. Aside from the numerous physical benefits, it also helps you calm your nerves and reduce stress with the help of breathing techniques. Hectic lifestyles easily trigger our nervous system, which is why learning to stop, pay attention to your breathing and slow it down are critical to improving your overall quality of life. If you can control your breathing, you can control your thoughts and your actions.
Eat Healthily and Drink Water
A healthy diet is key to properly managing stress and busy lifestyles because this is where your energy comes from. You need sufficient energy to keep up with your active life. Having a balanced diet gives you the health and energy boost needed to stay fit and prevents you from falling ill; you’ll be prone to getting sick if you continue to wear yourself out and neglect essential nutrition. Moreover, staying hydrated with plenty of water will also help you maintain your energy and lower stress.
Organize Your Schedule
While some people have hectic lives due to an abundance of responsibilities, other people make their life harder by being disorganized. In any case, everyone can benefit from a more organized schedule. Taking the time to plan your week will make your routine run a lot more smoothly. Additionally, while arranging your planner, make sure you set realistic goals for the day and take on one task at a time. Oftentimes, people rush to complete their to-do lists and end up giving themselves more work as they fail to fully invest in one thing at a time.
Build a Supportive Community
The perfectionist in you needs to realize that it’s okay to ask for help. The work/life balance may need some tweaking and you’re currently unable to make the necessary adjustments. In this case, be willing to ask for an extra pair of hands from family or friends. Surround yourself with people you can lean on and trust to help you take a break. When you allow yourself time to rest, you’ll have a freer mind to come up with better ways to arrange your daily obligations.
Say “No”
Set boundaries to avoid overexerting yourself. This can be hard to do when you feel like everything is reliant on you. However, if you don’t implement better time management and start finding a balance, you won’t be helpful to anyone. If you’re used to taking on extra and then find yourself complaining about how hectic the day was or barely having time for yourself, it’s time to start saying “no.”
Get Enough Sleep and Rest
Hectic lifestyles often drain us of our energy, and if we don’t find ways to recharge, we can begin to lose faith in our abilities. Getting a good night’s sleep improves our cognitive abilities for the upcoming day. You’ll be a lot more productive and much better prepared mentally to take on tasks if you get a sufficient amount of sleep – which is roughly 7 to 9 hours a night. Moreover, taking frequent breaks during the day can help you come back to your daily obligations with a little more pizzazz.
Photo: Klugzy Wugzy/Unsplash One of the hardest lessons for a responsible person to learn is that setting aside time for hobbies will actually make you more productive. There definitely seems to be an overworked culture that we have idolized for so long and, as a result, we push ourselves to complete a goal even as we lose motivation to do so due to anxiety or stress. You then find yourself unhappy with the result or you no longer feel proud of the project.
This is where finding time for fun can help. Taking some time off to read a good book or head out to play a little mini golf can actually give you the escape you need to come back with a boost that motivates and inspires you to reach your goals.
