If you are feeling stressed right now, it’s because you’re human. Life is stressful and on top of every day things, you are probably feeling more and more stress as different things happen in our world.
Years ago, you wouldn’t have known about everything happening in the world. But because of technology, you are able to hear and see so much.
And it’s not just what the media shares. It’s also negativity that your friend from high school or an influencer you follow on social media shares.
When you hear all these things, it places a toll on you emotionally. You weren’t made to carry the burden of the world, yet you often do.
If I’m not careful, I find myself stressing out over things that are out of my control and that effects the way I talk to my husband, the attention I give my kids, and my own self care.
Whenever I start to feel myself getting stressed, it’s time to take action at reducing it. Here are some practical things I do and you can do too.
How to Reduce Stress
1. Identify the source of your stress and find possible solutions.
Have you ever heard the definition of insanity? It’s doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.
Of course, we know that won’t work, but isn’t that how we live our lives most days? We do the same things over and over again out of habit and because it’s comfortable, but then we want to complain that our lives aren’t the way we want them.
It’s easier to complain about what is stressing us out than it is to fix it.
But you get to make changes in your life instead of running away from the things that are stressing you out.
So here’s the secret to reducing stress. Identify what is causing the stress. Come up with possible solutions. Try them out until you figure out what works.
As you go through your day and find yourself getting stressed out about something, write it down. When you have some quiet time, write out some possible solutions.
I have trained myself to be aware of things that are causing frustration and then find simple solutions.
Here are a few examples:
1. I was having a hard time keeping track of my keys.
Solution: Put them in the basket every single time I come home.
2. There was never enough counter space for making supper.
Solution: Clear the counter tops and put clutter away during the day instead of letting it pile up.
3. Laundry left in the washer all day and needed to be washed a second time.
Solution: Put the load in early in the morning and get in the habit of throwing the clothes into the dryer after breakfast.
What is stressing you out each day? Make a list of the stressors and then come up with possible solutions.
2. Say “No” to stressful things.
So often we add stress to our lives when we bring unneeded stuff into our homes, our schedules, our minds, and our hearts.
If you are feeling stressed, think about a way you could make breathing room in your life by simply saying “no” to more purchases, another event, or worry this week.
Not all stress is avoidable, but you have more control over the amount of stress in your life than you may think.
If you have been a people pleaser for a long time, saying no to others may seem scary and hard to do. You don’t want to disappoint others.
But let me tell you, it gets easier the more you do it!
You just have to start getting the courage to do it. So here are some tips for saying “no.”
- Speak to your spouse first. Your spouse may be the one who will tell them no.
- Give your answer in a few days. This gives you time to think about what your answer should be and help you build confidence to say no.
- Send them a text or email. It is easier than answering over the phone or face to face, and you won’t feel like you have to defend your decision.
- Thank them for asking, but politely tell them now is not a good time.
- Refer them to someone else that you know would be able to meet their need.
3. Make a list and prioritize.
Sometimes stress comes from feeling overwhelmed with a bunch of tasks. When you look at everything that must get done, it’s hard to see what needs your attention first. Instead it just all feels hard and you end up procrastinating.
However, the best way to combat this is to make a list of everything that feels overwhelming. For example, let’s say the house is a mess and causing you stress, but you don’t know where to start cleaning it.
Instead of looking at everything, focus on only one room. Write down the tasks that need to be accomplished in that one room. From that list pick the top 3 most important tasks, and complete those 3 tasks before moving on to the next 3.
Once you start accomplishing things, you’ll gain momentum. The task won’t feel as intimidating or stressful.
4. Anticipate stressful situations or people.
There are situations that will always have a bit of stress involved. Like family road trips, dealing with difficult people, waiting in line at the DMV, driving during rush hour….
When you know a stressful situation is coming up, prepare yourself for it. Maybe you need to get physically prepared by having the right supplies. Or it may be that you need to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally.
This may seem trivial, but grocery shopping with my kids is stressful. I have to prepare my emotions ahead of time and realize I will need patience.
It also means I need to prepare my kids by explaining my expectations to them ahead of time. Another way to reduce stress in the grocery store is having my list filled out and organized.
So what is a situation you continually find stressful? Don’t let it take you by surprise over and over again. Prepare yourself for the stressful situation.
5. Let go of things out of your control.
As I stated earlier in this post, you hear so many things that are stressful. Whether it’s tornadoes, abuse, politics, violence, or personal tragedy, there is so much that often feels like a burden. Whenever I hear of injustices, I want to fix it. But I can’t.
I think most of us are like this. However, that only leads to more stress. The Bible talks about taking our thoughts captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
In other words, don’t let your thoughts run wild. Get them under control. If something you are constantly thinking about is causing you stress and not solving the issue, stop thinking about it.
I’m not telling you to avoid responsibilities, but the things that are only causing you to lose sleep and make you sick to your stomach, let them go. Don’t let them weigh you down. They are burdens you weren’t meant to carry.
As a Christian, I pray. I ask God to help where I can’t and to bring peace to all involved. I ask Him for wisdom and strength and cast my care on Him. (1 Peter 5:7)
I hope these 5 things have helped you reduce the stress in your life. You don’t have to live in a constant state of stress.
