Managing daily stress
We live in a world where stress seems to be a part of our daily lives, and often threatens to overwhelm us. But don’t panic – managing stress is possible with the right habits. Here are some practical tips to help you cope with daily stressors and build emotional resilience.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness means giving your full attention to the present moment. When you focus on what is happening right now, it helps reduce worries about the future or regrets from the past. Here are a few mindfulness techniques you can easily include in your day:
- Deep breathing. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to breathe deeply. Breath in through your nose counting to four, hold for another four, and breath out through your mouth for a final four counts. Repeat this a few times to feel calmer.
- Mindful walking. You can turn an ordinary walk into a mindfulness practice by focusing on each step you take. Pay attention to how your feet feel as they touch the ground, notice the movement of your body, and tune into your surroundings. This practice helps you stay in the present and can be a helpful stress reliever during the day.
- Guided meditation. Use a meditation app (there are many free ones on your phone) to follow a guided meditation. These may involve visualisations where you imagine a calming scene in your mind, like a peaceful beach, to help you relax and reduce stress. Spending even just five or 10 minutes a day doing guided meditation can help reduce stress and improve your focus.
Manage your time effectively
Poor time management can cause major stress in your life. Learning how to organise your tasks can help you feel more in control of your day.
- Create a to-do list. Start each day by making a list of tasks you need to finish. Rate them from the most to least important and begin with the most important ones. Break large tasks into a number of small steps which will prevent you feeling overwhelmed.
- Use time blocks: Set aside specific blocks of time for certain tasks. For example, block off an hour for working on a particular project, another hour for a different project and take a break in between. This can help you stay focused and stop you doing too many things at the same time, which often makes stress worse.
- Don’t aim for perfect: It’s okay when not everything turns out perfectly. Sometimes good enough is enough! Letting go of the need to be perfect means a lot less stress.
Prioritise self-care
Taking care of your physical and mental wellbeing is important for handling stress. Making self-care a daily habit will make you emotionally stronger and better able to cope.
- Exercise regularly: Physical activity is one of the best ways to relieve stress.
- Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can make stress worse. Aim for at least seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night.
Build emotional resilience
Emotional resilience means being able to manage challenges. Here are a few ways to become emotionally stronger:
- Stay connected: Spend time with people who support you. Talking to someone close about your stress means you feel less alone, and they can give you a new point of view.
- Be more flexible. Go with the flow when things don’t go the way you planned. This mindset will make it easier to cope with life’s ups and downs.
- Set boundaries: Learn to say no to when things feel overwhelming. Prevent burnout by concentrating your time and energy on what really matters.
