Stress has become a prevalent ailment in the modern, hectic world, and for a number of reasons. Between the daily challenges of running a functioning household, to the numerous tasks and obligations waiting for you at the office, leading a stress-free life can oftentimes seem like an insurmountable task. And the latest research would agree.
More likely than not, if you were to take your problem to a psychiatrists or your local physician, you would find yourself holding a prescription for a drug you are to take every day, probably indefinitely. Once you stop taking it though, you will most likely see the shadow of stress reappearing in your life. Let’s not entertain the ideas of short-term remedies, and instead take a look at some empowering lifestyle changes that can help you reduce or eliminate stress for good.
Try meditating twice a day
Firstly, understand that leading a stress-free life is a journey. It’s a habit you need to develop by introducing numerous supporting habits that will help you banish stress one step at a time. And the first step should be to learn how to cleanse your mind and soul from the negativity before you even step out of the house in the morning. Likewise, a thorough cleanse should be the last thing you do before you turn in for the night.
Meditation is one of the most powerful ways to influence your mindset and your long-term psychological well-being. Most importantly, it is an easy habit to introduce into a hectic schedule, as it shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes of mindful meditation in the morning and in the evening to make the stress of the outside world dissipate into the unknown. Let a quick meditative session be the first thing you do upon waking up, and the last thing you do before bed.
Set up a healthy morning ritual
Speaking of healthy morning habits, meditation should be a single part of your empowering morning routine. The early hours of the day present the perfect backdrop for productivity, so the last thing you want to do is to snooze your alarm, ruminate about the challenges ahead, or stay in bed browsing the news feeds on your phone. Jennifer Aniston doesn’t do it, so why would you?
As soon as the alarm sings its little annoying tune, you want to be up and about. After a quick meditation, you can kick the morning into high gear and hit the gym. Exercise is an excellent way to motivate yourself to crush all of the challenges ahead, so be sure to get a quick workout in before heading off to work. But not before you have a hearty breakfast to fuel your body throughout.
Build healthy eating habits
Healthy eating is the foundation of lifelong health, both mentally and physically. Particularly, the things you choose the put in your body can have a significant influence on your psychological well-being, so there is really no excuse for sticking with unhealthy food options. Start by eliminating all processed foods from the pantry and exchange them for quality fruits and veggies, lean protein sources, and healthy supplements.
Use natural supplements to help alleviate physical and mental stress, especially at the end of the day. This is why healthy marijuana concentrates have become so popular in recent years, as the natural analgesic helps with total-body rest and recovery, and puts the mind at ease after a particularly long day. Include a daily vitamin and mineral complex into your routine as well, and you will have supplied your body with all the nutrients it needs to help you build a positive, thriving mindset.
Achieve true work-life balance
The notion of work-life balance has changed greatly over the years, and nowadays it seems that the line between your professional and personal lives is blurry at best. Most of the time, though, the line doesn’t even exist. This is because we have become slaves to our own technological creations, with constant global connectivity breaking the sanctity of personal space, and forcing work into our personal lives.
No matter if you work at an office, or if you’re a stay-at-home freelancer, managing stress and achieving a true work-life balance can be difficult. Yet, it is instrumental. Set clear expectations, be relentless in your demands for personal space, organize your work hours for maximum productivity, and make yourself unavailable the moment you punch out. Remember, you need to fight for your right to be truly happy.
Accept the world around you as is
At the end of the day, the best thing you can do for your long-term health is to accept the fact that the world will always keep on spinning, no matter what. There are lives you can influence, and there are things you cannot change no matter how hard you try. Learn to accept the world around you as it is, aim to change the things you know you can change, and leave the others be – your happiness and health will depend on your ability to let some things go.
Final thoughts
The easy way out would be to seek medical help and take a light antidepressant every single day for the rest of your life. But would that truly make you happy? If you want to banish stress from your life for good, consider taking a more holistic approach and introducing positive lifelong habits that will allow you to create the life you deserve.