5 Ways to Stress Less

Let’s talk about stress, baby
Let’s talk about you and me
Let’s talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be…

Yes, I’m totally paraphrasing a Salt ‘N’ Pepa song and using it to illustrate that in life there is stress for you and me and that sometimes the stress comes from good things as well as bad things.

We all know about the bad kind of stress: can’t pay your bills, life is kicking you in the pompis kinda stress, but let’s take a minute to recognize that even when things are going GREAT, there is stress in our lives. Por ejemplo, got kids? Then you got stress, good stress, but still stress. Awesome job interview set up? Good for you, now don’t let the stress of it get the best of you!

Since we all have stress, we all need to find ways to deal with it, to alleviate it and to move past it because life may never be stress free, but we can certainly stress less.

Here are my top five favorite ways to deal with stress:

1. Breath. Every single time you feel stress starting to build up, stop and breath. When you are relaxed, your breath is slow and gentle. Here’s the thing, even when you aren’t relaxed if you take the time to stop and breath in a slow and relaxed way, your breath will actually relax you. The best part is that it is free and air is all around you. When I’m about to lose it because of stress, I like to stop and take 10 deliberate and slow breaths. I always feel better afterward.
2. Limit caffeine. I like my cafecito as much as the next person and I have no intention of giving it up, but I find that when I limit my intake of caffeine in general, I just don’t get riled as easily as I do when I’m overdoing it.
3. Write it out. Super stressed and don’t know what to do about it? Grab a pen and paper and write it out stream of consciousness style. Don’t judge yourself, just put it all on paper and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel. There are even studies that have found that journaling helps reduce stress.
4. Exercise. There is a reason why everyone and your abuela is always recommending exercise. Our bodies are designed to move, not sit around and mope. Think of exercise as meditating while moving. It’s a great stress buster because it’s good for your mind, body and soul. Pick exercise that you like too. Go for a walk, crank up the volume to your favorite album and dance, chase your kids around the park. Just move!
5. Sleep. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, stress can really take over, but sometimes if you are really stressed it’s hard to sleep so what do you do? Well, do all of the aforementioned stress busters before bedtime and then right before bedtime you can do something as simple as taking RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts to help you get a good night’s rest. Don’t worry, they are homeopathic, gentle, non-habit forming and don’t leave you with a wonky hangover like some sleep aids do. I’ve been using them and sleeping so well I can’t believe it. If you are interested in trying them, you can get them at retailers like CVS, Walgreens, Whole Foods and Sprouts. Click on over to the RESCUE site to download a coupon.

Stress is a part of life, but that doesn’t mean it has to take over our life. Remember, you’re the boss! You have tools at your immediate disposal to help you manage stress and enjoy life more.

How do you manage stress in your life?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.