If you’re like a lot of people, you may be quite stressed out on a regular basis. Research has consistently indicated that stress levels are on the rise across many populations.
There are numerous reasons this may be the case. Naturally, the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t help stress levels, but they were also rising pre-pandemic. For example, researchers have discovered that people who constantly use their smartphones are more stressed than those who don’t. With smartphone usage becoming an increasingly necessary element of our lives, it’s no wonder that many are feeling burnt out.
It’s important to take healthy steps to address the issue if you’re excessively stressed. Depending on just how stressed you are, it may even be wise to seek assistance from a mental health professional. They can offer you ways to manage your feelings more effectively.
That said, there are also small steps you can take to make yourself less stressed on a daily basis. One is to simply keep a physical calendar in your home. Doing so can help you in the following key ways:
Tracking Dates and Deadlines
Many people feel they no longer have use for traditional physical calendars because they can simply put appointment dates and due dates in their phones. However, it has been established that using a phone will increase stress levels.
It may be smarter to track important deadlines with a calendar. Doing so ensures you are still able to know when you have to be certain places or submit certain items without requiring you to engage with a device that can have a detrimental impact on your mental health.
Being Creative
Although it’s entirely fine to purchase a calendar, you may want to consider designing your own. You can work with a printing company to create a high-quality finished version of it when you’re satisfied with the design.
This is a good idea because it gives you a chance to exercise your creativity. It has long been known that engaging with a fun hobby that involves some degree of creativity will usually help someone feel less stressed.
Feeling in Control
We live in busy times. You likely know that. Odds are good that you’re quite busy with a range of tasks, as are your friends, colleagues, and family.
When you see everyone appear to be keeping up with their busy lives (although they may actually be as stressed as you are), it can become easy to feel like an impostor who can’t compete on the same level with others.
You should not feel this way whatsoever. That said, it’s a feeling that many can relate to.
This is another reason you should strongly consider hanging a calendar on your wall or keeping a calendar on your desk. Every time you see it, it will serve as a reminder that you are the type of person who takes steps both big and small to stay on top of your tasks and be a responsible individual. It’s a small but potentially helpful reminder that you deserve to give yourself credit for being the type of person you are instead of feeling badly about yourself and comparing yourself to others all the time.
On top of all that, a calendar can feature calming images. It’s been shown that taking a break and looking at calming images even for just a few minutes can have a positive impact on stress levels.
The main point to understand is that, although keeping a calendar might not be a replacement for stress-reduction therapy if you need it, this little lifestyle choice can nevertheless offer many benefits. These are merely a few of the more significant examples.