How to Proactively Reduce Stress

Stress can show up in different areas of our lives – in our careers, our relationships with others and even our relationships with our own selves. Reactively dealing with stress is good, but being proactive is always better. Here are a few simple ways to do that:

Take care of your body.

Often, we slowly de-prioritise our physical and mental health when we have a lot on our plate. We start sleeping less, over/under eating and hardly move our body. By doing so, we’re adding even more stress into our bodies because we are skipping things that are essential for our wellbeing. Make sure to follow your sleeping schedule, eat well and do at least some basic stretches. You deserve to take care of yourself regardless of how busy life gets.

Create a ritual.

Everything falls into place when we take care of ourselves. A morning or evening routine can help you feel more aligned with yourself and your goals. It can be as simple as a quick breathing exercise, some yoga or listening to your favourite podcast. Whether you choose to use your ritual to freshen up or wind down, it will still help you come home to yourself and ease off your stress.

Reframe the way you view stress.

Reframing the way we see stress can help reduce how overwhelmed we feel by it. Feeling some pressure can sometimes help motivate us and boost our productivity; so, we don’t need to panic the second we feel a deadline approaching or receive an additional task. Remember to tune in with how you feel and if it’s suddenly too much, use your ritual and empty spot to recharge.

Remember to leave an empty slot.

Something unexpected can always come up, and that’s when an empty slot comes in handy. When you create a schedule, leave an empty spot somewhere. You can use this time for emergency breaks on stressful days or as ‘thinking time’ to organize your thoughts. By doing so, you create time for yourself to handle stress on days that are overwhelming, or time to reward yourself on days that go smoothly.