5 Tips to De-Stressing Your Life

Let's face it. We all have stress in our lives.  Work, school, finances, kids are just a few of the common things that may spike our stress levels.

Since we can't really avoid it, here are a few tips for de-stressing just a bit.

5 Tips for De-Stressing Your Life

1. Talk it out. Find someone you trust and just talk through things that are worrying you or causing you stress. Sometimes you want advice. Sometimes you want a sounding board. Either way, it's better than keeping it bottled up.

2. Make a list. This might seem stressful at first, but in times of real high stress, it might be helpful to make a list of what is adding to your stress. Perhaps a column of things that are Controllable and things that are Uncontrollable. That way you can focus your energies on what you can control instead of dwelling on things beyond your control.

3. Simplify. Is there anything on your Controllable list that you could consolidate, or remove all together? We don't have kids ourselves, but we know that coordinating kids' activities can be overwhelming. Perhaps take a few minutes once a week to plan the activities (and transportation) ahead of time. If you have a lot of bills here and there for similar services, is there a way to consolidate them together? Even if it costs a little extra, the stress relief might be worth it.

4. Move your body. Clarinda's favorite is running, of course. Getting out for a run can release powerful endorphins, giving you that runner's high, and help to ease some of your worries. Plus, it provides a nice distraction from your thoughts OR an opportunity to really think things out. Or talk things out, if you're running with a friend. If running isn't your thing, you can get these benefits from just about any physical exercise, so find something that you enjoy. Yoga, CrossFit, Cycling, Spinning, Hiking. So many options!

5. Take a bubble bath. With a glass of wine or your favorite tea. Don't forget the candles. :) There's just something about being in a darkened room, enveloped in warm bubbly water that can wash away your stress. Or, if you can find one, Jeff really likes deprivation tanks. You can use this time to think through your troubles. If neither of those appeal to you, try a message or meditation.

Jeff and Clarinda

What is your favorite way to de-stress?