Deal With Stress in a Positive Way
I’ve got a lot going on in my life right now. I’m on deadline for our biggest magazine issue of the year, grades are due for the college class I teach, I’m in two weddings this summer, my husband is interviewing for a new job, we may have to move for husband’s new job, and we’re expecting our first child at the end of July. Oh, and my house is a mess, my lawn needs to be mowed, and I don’t have a free weekend off until the baby arrives.
Does your life sound anything like mine? I bet, for many of you, it does.
Summertime is supposed to be fun, leisurely, carefree. But every time I flip the calendar page on May, my life turns to chaos. There is so much going on during the warm summer months that it’s hard to do it all. And even when you do say no, it’s easy to get stressed out. And boy, am I stressed out right now!
Stress in vast quantities and for long periods of time is not good for our bodies or our minds. That’s why, even though I have so much stuff to do, I’m taking a week off in June for vacation. I have to. If I don’t, I know myself—I’ll get sick.
But what do you do when you can’t take a vacation right away and a day at the spa is just too expensive? Here are some tips on how to relax to keep yourself on track and on task:
Do Nothing, Literally
I mean it. Even if you have 10 minutes to spare in your otherwise hectic day, do nothing. Close the door to your office, turn away from your computer screen, shut your eyes, and just breathe. If you can, and it’s a nice day out, go outside and sit (or lay) in the grass for a little bit. This change of scenery can recharge you more than you know.
Stuck in traffic or waiting for the subway? Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths instead of catching up with Words With Friends on your iPhone. Unplug yourself, even if it’s just for a few moments, and be calm. Put some relaxing music on your smartphone or iPod—I prefer classical music or something instrumental without words—and pop on your headphones.
Take a Walk
I dare you to go for a walk and not feel better afterwards. I’m not sure it’s possible, unless, of course, it’s raining out.
Getting away from your current environment gives your mind something new to focus on, plus even a little bit of exercise provides endorphins that elevate your mood. —TheDailyMuse
The great thing about taking a walk is that it can be as short—or as long—as you like. Plus it doesn’t cost anything.
Aerobic exercise of any kind has the power to calm jangled nerves and improve bad moods. And when it’s done every day, it can enhance self-esteem and combat depression. Indeed, research has shown that a brisk 20- to 30-minute walk can have the same calming effect as a mild tranquilizer. —Prevention.com
Do Something For You
If you don’t make time for something you enjoy, no one else will. Sure you’re probably tempted to run errands with an extra hour in your day, but is it really going to make you feel better in the long run? Your errand will be done, but you’ll still be stressed.
Schedule time in your week or month to do something for you. Maybe it’s a beer-making or yoga class or maybe it’s a night out with your friends. Be proactive about creating this time for yourself and stick to it no matter what. Doing something you enjoy is a natural stress reliever—and it makes you happy!
We all go through spells in our life when we feel overwhelmed. For many freelancers, it is a way of life. Learning how to deal with it can be a challenge, but it’s a challenge worth taking on.
What are some ways you relieve stress in your life?
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I really like the advice in this article. Stress is something that all of us deal with either on a daily basis, or every once in a while when a big deadline is approaching. These are some very valid ways to combat that stress and clear the mind so creativity can freely flow instead of anxiety.
Things like taking walks, and setting aside time to either relax or do a fun activity are extremely helpful when trying to manage stress. One of the best methods that I have found, however, is meditation. Simply taking twenty or so minutes to meditate in the morning before doing anything else can really set you up for a stress free and peaceful day.
Really great advice!
I find myself getting resentful sometimes because I’m not actually doing anything for me. It all seems to be for other people, and often it appears that they don’t care about me, so I need to make some, “me time”, for myself. Note that it’s, “make some me time”. I’m told we will never find time for anything, we have to make time. A point well mad in this post.a
The other top tip here is to spend some time doing nothing. Just doing nothing can be tremendously liberating. “I have permission (from myself) to do nothing for a little while is a great thing to say to ourselves. Otherwise we can become like little rodents running in our wheels. Let’s just stop for a minute!
I love your tip about going for a walk. I’ve started doing that this past month and it’s amazing how the fresh air combined with endorphins can really lift my mood. Sometimes I like to imagine with every step I’m releasing a little more stress, and a little more anxiety. I recently took up doing yoga a couple times a week, even if it’s for 20 minutes. Laying on the floor with your eyes closed, focused on nothing but you’re breathing, is a fantastic way to decompress. Like you mentioned – do nothing. Great tips!
With all of the new data indicating setting at a desk (or anywhere for that matter) uninterrupted, for hours on end is literally bad for your health – by all means – get up and take a walk once in a while!
I worked with a graphic designer who was about 10 to 15 pounds overweight for something like a decade. Then one day a made a simple decision to change his daily schedule: he ate is lunch at his desk (instead of going out with the office gang) followed by a walk in the neighborhood surrounding his office (nearly) everyday during his hour lunch break. In less than three months, he dropped 15 pounds.
The schedule change, however, was not motivated by a desire to lose weight, he did it as a counter-measure to reduce the stress he encountered from endlessly churning out Real Estate marketing materials for unappreciative real estate agents with unrealistic deadlines. In less than a year after making this simple schedule change, he met someone new and got married.
As cliched and it may sound: stress really does kill – your personal life, your sanity and your health!
For a while I thought people who go to vacation or time off in the middle of the stressful and busy work time they are careless. But have seen the result and changed my mind
I myself still can not go for vacation but convinced myself to take some short “my time” hours
I had breakdown about a week ago. It took this event to realize that my health – life – is not worth sacrificing. I’m making big changes.
I think we’re all aware of the things that we need to do; the problem is following thru and doing these things. Kinda’ like a person who is overweight, but doesn’t have the ability to discipline himself/herself to eat healthy and exercise.
Hey Christian, sorry to hear about that, I really hope you recover soon
As Freelancers/Soloprenuers – the expectations we place on ourselves can be so overwhelming that it takes a crisis to give us perspective.
The idea of “If you don’t make time for something you enjoy, no one else will” can’t be emphasised enough.
Walking any time is a great stress reliever. I really enjoy doing that.