Do you sometimes feel like Stress is taking you away from your healthy lifestyle? It’s not possible to avoid it. We work, we grow, we have family obligations. There will always be some stressful moments. But there are also good things about stress. First of all, stress means that we are alive. We are blessed with a gift of life to experience all kinds of situations, including the stressful ones. Also, healthy amounts of stress can help us grow, we can turn it into motivation. The problem is when the stress we experience is so strong that it is taking us away from living a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Yes, You Can Reduce Stress Before It’s Too Late!

Be an observer of your body, mind, and soul and how different situations affect you. Feeling stressed is just feedback that your body is sending you. It wants you to take better care of yourself. The problem is that very often when we feel stressed, we tend to focus on the negative, and we are actually getting addicted to feeling stressed.

Promise yourself to be strong and courageous enough to schedule daily-self-care.

In this post, I share my simple system for holistic self-care, something you can do even on a busy schedule (and my 3×3 journaling method).

The Best Self-Care Practises to Reduce Stress- First You Need to Dive Deep

First of all, ask yourself- can you afford not to do anything about stress? Can you afford to be in a reactive state?

Before my spiritual awakening, I was always in a very reactive state. Whenever I got stressed, I had no idea what was going on inside me and so I would very often take it out on my loved ones, or even some people I have a professional relationship with (not a very good practice for a successful career or a business).

Now, I can quickly spot the negative patterns going on in my mind and can nip them in the bud. When I say “nip in the bud”, I don’t mean- just run away from your life and it will be OK. It’s not about that. It’s about authentic courage and mindfully growing your emotional muscles.

One of the things that helped me transform my relationship with stress and negative situations, was taking responsibility for all my actions and choices, without judging myself. Then, I discovered that it’s all about focusing on solutions, not problems. Sounds pretty obvious. But not always easy to do.

To be able to focus on solutions, we need to Reduce Stress first. A relaxed mind can enter better emotional states and better emotional states lead us to better and more successful decisions.

5 Mindful Ways to Reduce Stress and Boost Your Wellbeing

#1 Simple Gratitude Practise

I am sure you heard about that one. But to make it more effective and actually feel more relaxed, you need to approach Gratitude in a very organized way.

Take a notebook or a piece of paper. Set a timer. For example, 15 minutes, or 30 minutes. Depends on your time.

You can also divide your journal or notebook into different sections, for example, health, love, career. Then, start writing down everything you are grateful for.

Personally, I like to keep track of my gratitude. I am a true journal and notebook nut. And so I have one journal just for gratitude. Sometimes, I take a break from work and just read what I wrote in my gratitude journal several months or even years ago.

If you don’t like writing, you can also record yourself (voice or video). Keep track of your gratitude. Oh, and an incense stick, chamomile tea, some nice spa music…

By practicing gratitude you will quickly realize that there are many positive situations you can focus on!

#2 Schedule Mindfulness

Yes, actually schedule it in, on your phone. Even a few minutes of a short, mindful break, sipping on your tea, or relaxing with essential oils can make a difference.

It’s all about those small actions that compound to massive transformations.

A few “mindful checks” while you’re working can help you spot negative patterns that trigger you. Don’t feel guilty and don’t judge yourself. Simple breathe in and out several times.

Enjoy every second of your mindfulness breaks.

To dive deeper into mindfulness on a busy schedule, I warmly invite you to read my book: Mindfulness for Busy People (you can get it from Amazon).

Here’s a simple Mindful Breathing exercise you can do:

1: Take a deep belly breath to the count of 2 or 3.
2: Exhale slowly, counting to 4-6.
3: Repeat, until you feel calm.

#3 Reduce Caffeine Intake

You may think that caffeine will help you get more done. And there is nothing wrong with using caffeine in moderation. But too much caffeine will also make you more stressed.

Whenever I go through stressful situations, I avoid coffee and black tea. I drink rooibos tea with coconut oil and coconut milk.

It’s naturally sweet and rich in magnesium and iron. It’s a perfect morning drink and is not as aggressive as coffee or black tea.

In the afternoon, I love drinking chamomile tea and I usually have a cup of chamomile tea or melissa tea in the evening, with my meditation.

Oh but what about a relaxing cup of coffee? Personally, I think there is nothing wrong with enjoying a nice cup of quality, organic coffee, for example when you catch up with a friend. It’s all about variety. And if seeing a friend for a coffee will help you feel more relaxed- go for it.

But, most people overdo it (I used to be an addict so I know how it works!). And very often, just by reducing coffee, many people feel much calmer.

To learn more about calming, herbal infusions, I warmly invite you to read my book Alkaline Teas (available on Amazon).

#4 Move Your Body

Yes, I know. Who has the time to exercise?

Well, it’s not as hard as many people make it be. It’s a choice. While staying committed to some sophisticated, athletic workouts may be unrealistic for many people, I truly believe that everyone can find 30 minutes a day to exercise.

Moving your body is a mindful ritual that helps you get rid of all kinds of toxins. Not only physical but also mental, emotional and spiritual.

Think about it- 30 minutes a day will compound to several hours a week…You will feel more balanced, energized and productive.

There are many bodyweight workouts available on YouTube (with no gym and no equipment required). Personally I love bodyweight workouts!

You can also go for a quick walk and combine it with walking, mindfulness meditation. I get my best ideas and solutions when walking around in nature.

#5 Re-Connect with Your Higher Self

Your higher self has all the answers for you. Whenever I feel stressed and out of balance, I ask myself: “Does my higher self want me to feel like that?”.

Of course not.

And so I meditate, or I take a nice Epsom salt bath, listening to some relaxing music and I just tune in.

I breathe in and out, peacefully and mindfully. And I focus on the bigger picture. I focus on my vision and suddenly I understand that challenges and obstacles are actually opportunities for me to learn and grow.

Then, I ask myself, Ok, so what did I learn from this stressful situation? What is a pattern here? Am I taking action from a place of lack (this has been one of my negative patterns actually so I am very mindful of it)?

Am I worrying too much? Am I spending too much time in the past, indulging in self-guilt and old energies, or am I ready to let them go?

Am I sacrificing the present moment, thinking too much about the future? Do I have a healthy balance between planning my future and living the present moment?

To be honest, this one is one of my favorite stress-reducing tips, because inner conversations allow us to get to the root of the problem (in a holistic way) and mindfully shift our thoughts, feelings, and actions to a more empowered state of being.

Until next time!

Give yourself the relaxation you deserve,

Sending you lots of love from here,

Marta

Link to this post: 5 Top Ways to Reduce Stress and Restore Balance and Zest for Life