CHILL OUT!

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.  Let me share with you my favorite tips to minimize stress and live more relaxed.  I hope you find something helpful here, even if it's just a reminder of ways to relax that you had forgotten.

1.  Accept the situation.  You may be in a stressful situation and think to yourself that this shouldn't be but the incident has already arisen.  So to decrease the stress you can accept the situation and deal with it rather than fight it.


2.  Take many things less seriously.  Taking things or yourself overly serious adds alot of unnecessary negativity and stress in your life.  A minor situation may be blown up to a major one in your mind.  Learn to lighten up a bit and life becomes more fun and you realize that you get great results even if you aren't super-serious about everything.


3.  Decrease or put a stop to negative relationships.  If someone is making you more stressed or creates a lot of negativity in your life you may want to consider decreasing the amount of time you spend with that person.
Some people almost seem to like to dwell in negativity.


4.  Just move slower.  If you slow down how you walk or how you move your body you can often start to feel less stressed.  A stressed mind tends to run in circles a lot of the time.


5.  Exercise.  A simple and time-tested way to decrease inner tension is to exercise.  This is one solution that works most consistently for people.


6.  Find five things you can be grateful for right now.  Being grateful and appreciative in your life is one of the most effective ways to turn a negative emotional state to a more positive one.  So find a few things you are grateful for right now!  What's the first thing you think of?


7.  Look for solutions.  When faced with a challenge that can cause stress, try to direct your focus to solutions rather than to dwell on the problem for too long.  Dwelling only causes more stress and makes your mind less open to finding a solution.


8.  Be early.  just be 10 or 15 minutes early for meetings, etc.  This very simple tip can cut down on stress quite a bite.


9.  Do just one thing at a time when you're in a stressful period.  Simple tasking and focusing on doing just one thing at a time not only decreases stress but from my experience gets things done a whole lot quicker.


10. Talk to people around you about it that you respect.  Perhaps they can offer you advice or just lend an ear and some support.  Just telling someone about something can often bring relieve.