Often, we tend to put our well-being on the back burner, whether due to work-related deadlines, family obligations, holidays or other stressors. This year, we’re committed to practicing self-care to reduce stress.
Here are a few self-care tips to help you reduce stress.
Take Care of Your Basic Needs
The first rule of self-care is to take care of your most basic physical and emotional needs. If these needs aren’t fulfilled, you will find that your life may become extremely stressful and overwhelming. When it comes to basic needs, we recommend eating nutritious and balanced meals, staying hydrated, getting adequate sleep, practicing general and dental hygiene, and moving your body for at least 30 minutes each day.
Spend Time with Friends and Family
Countless studies have found spending quality time with people you love can reduce stress by making you feel better and happier.
Here are a few thought-starters:
- Have friends that live out of town? Plan a virtual game night.
- Love reading? Encourage your family to read the same book and gather to discuss it.
- Pick a new restaurant each month and ask three friends to join you for dinner.
- Hit a workout class with one of your siblings.
Explore Your Hobbies
Whether you’re a reader, knitting enthusiast, gym rat or artistic genius, when we do things we enjoy everything else melts away, including our biggest stressors. Try and make time to explore your hobbies each day, even if only for five minutes.
Get Outside
According to the American Heart Association, spending 120 minutes a week in nature can improve your overall health and well-being. Nature gives you beauty, wildlife and other scenes that can capture your attention and calm your nervous system.
Practice Yoga & Breathwork
Yoga and breathwork are two other activities proven to reduce anxiety and stress. If you’re new to yoga, we recommend watching classes on YouTube or scheduling a session at a local gym or yoga studio. And, if you’re new to breathwork, one practice that’s commonly used for stress relief is box breathing which is performed by breathing in for a count of four, holding your breath for a count of four and breathing out for a count of four. We recommend completing that cycle several times whenever you feel anxious or stressed.
Limit Time on Social Media
While there are many benefits to social media, like staying connected with long-distance friends and family, spending too much time scrolling can cause unwanted stress. To limit time on social media, a good goal is to put your phone away one hour before bedtime. If you find that easy, try putting it away two hours before bedtime. This will help your brain wind-down, allowing your body to get into a state of relaxation and zero-stress before you go to sleep.
