6 things that make you instantly less stressed

Happy National Stress Awareness Day! Juggling work, bills, relationships and friends successfully is a tall order these days, so to help you out and to celebrate National Stress Awareness Day we’ve rounded up 6 things that make you instantly less stressed.

A study conducted by Rooi showed that 2 in 5 people will openly admit to being stressed, overworked and burnt out. So ease the pressures of modern life with our handy instant fixes.

1 Listen to music
Switching on Spotify is an instant fix for a stressful day. This is a great way to relax, particularly if you commute to work as that in itself can raise your stress levels before you even arrive at work. Shaking off the day’s annoyances with your favourite tunes is a great way of forgetting your troubles and chilling out. Having a good sing-along is even better (although your fellow public transport users might disagree).

2 Jot down your thoughts
Writing down your worries or troubles can be a useful way of offloading your thoughts and clearing your mind, allowing you to properly relax and chill out. Writing has been proven to be very therapeutic; writing down your stresses could make you realise that they are insignificant things that you don’t actually need to worry about. Alternatively, you might be able to work through them more successfully once they are physically written down.

3 Go outside
Whether it’s a walk, a run, a cycle or just sitting in the garden, fresh air is the best natural remedy for the stresses of everyday life. Floral scents such as lavender and jasmine are proven to lower anxiety and improve your mood. Or, if you’re feeling active, a run or cycle instantly reduces stress and releases endorphins into your system.

4 Take up a new hobby
Why not try something new? Whether it’s rekindling an old love or starting something new that you’ve always wanted to try, focusing on a hobby can be great for your wellbeing. It’s great to learn new skills that you enjoy practising and that are completely unrelated to work. Why not learn an instrument? Take a cooking class? Learn how to knit? The world is your oyster.

5 Chill with friends
Sometimes all you need to unwind is to rant to your pals over a bottle of wine. One way of making sure you spend enough time hanging out with your friends is to plan one night a week with them, then when you’re having a stressful day you can focus on the fact that you’re going to have a good time with your friends soon and tell them all about it. For example you could do movie night every week, or you could take it in turns to cook something on a Friday night.

6 Shift your focus
Try not to concentrate on the bad things (we know it’s hard!). We all get stressed sometimes, but it’s really important to think of all the good things in life. Even if it’s something little, thinking about these small victories when you’re feeling stressed or blue can lift your mood and help you chill out.

Still tearing your hair out? Check out this Ultimate Guide to Relaxation.