Would you like less stress in your life? I think it is safe to say that we all could use less stress in our fast-paced lives! In addition to less stress, more joy would be good too! So grab a cup of hot coffee (Or if you’re like me and have little kids, you’ll drink it cold!) and join me as I share with you three easy steps you can take that will help you have less stress!
How To Handle Stress Step 1: Follow Your Passion
To begin with, I am sitting here voice texting this blog post while nursing my son, and drinking my favorite hazelnut vanilla cold coffee (check out my favorite brand here) while trying to think of a great, informative, hilarious way to share three ways to less stress but I will be honest, my mind is blank. Maybe not blank. I just feel that I may not be the best person to write this blog since I need to be better at following these steps myself! The fact that I am writing this at all is a great example! I love to write. It has always been a passion of mine and a stress reliever. Even when my life is busy, I find it brings me peace. So to summarize, make time to follow your passions! It will bring you great joy!
With the appearance of three children in the last five years, my passion for writing has taken a backseat to life. I would much prefer to be at my desk or out in nature, writing in peace and quiet but here I am in my recliner. It’s not perfect but I took the first step and this post was on my To-Do list so there! Less Stress for me, yay!
How To Handle Stress Step 2: Learn to say NO.
I know it can be hard to say no; especially if you are a people pleaser like me! Anytime you have a task to perform, ask yourself which of the D’s it falls under:
Do:
Ask yourself if this is something only YOU can do. If not, it goes to delegate
Delegate:
If you have say, household chores; don’t get burnt out on doing it all! Kids can and should be expected to help! My girls are 5 and 2 and they both help to pick up toys, clear and set the table, wash windows, etc. Of course, you also need to keep in mind what can wait for later and that brings us to our last “D”.
Dismiss:
Go to bed with a messy kitchen. No, it’s not my preferred choice but you need to discern when something can be dismissed. The church needs more volunteers in the nursery but you’re already on two other committees? Let it go. You can’t do it all, nor should you. If you’re the type of person that volunteers for everything ALL the time, you’re not allowing others an opportunity to be a blessing. Think about it that way…
How To Handle Stress Step 3: Make a List…and check it twice!
When you can physically see what you need to do for the day, your stress level goes down immediately. Will your day go perfectly? I can pretty much guarantee it will not. However, you know what IS planned and likely to happen and that removes a lot of insecurities which leads to stress. You might also find less anxiety if you create a meal plan (Which reminds me, I need to go get the rice cooking for my Creamy and Crunchy Brown Rice Buddha Bowls for supper!) I like to divide my list even further with what NEEDS to be done, what I WANT to do, and what can WAIT for another day. Journaling is even more fun when it is a gorgeous, leatherbound book like the one shown below!
Conclusion
So to summarize, the three easy steps to take to relieve stress in your life are to 1. Follow Your Passion: do something that you enjoy every day! 2. Learn to say No: anytime something comes on your plate, run it through the three D’s and assign it right away so it’s off your mind. 3. Make a List: write down your to-do list for the day and relieve some of the anxiety of what you thought needed to be done immediately but actually can wait for another day. I hope you guys found this helpful and please let me know some of your tips for relieving stress in the comments!
P.S. I should add that it goes without saying, cooking is a stress reliever for me! I know I’m weird haha!
P.S.S. If you’re a coffee snob like me, check out my favorite brand here! Happy Sipping 🙂
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Sarah says
I prefer my coffee hot but I enjoy it cold too.
Morgan says
I am easily over stimulated (tv, kids yelling, dog barking) so I make sure I get some quiet time either by turning everything off during nap time or physically getting myself out of the house for a while to get some quiet.
Sarah says
Yes, love this! Getting quiet so we can hear that still small voice. It is a challenge but I am so glad you are taking those steps! Thank you for sharing 🙂
kathy licht says
I must get better on the “guilt” thing. Must not let people tell me what I should be doing. I do no more for one than another. Guilt is a naughty word to me. Don’t have time for it. When I am guilty I will recognize it. And act on it in my time!
Sarah says
Wow, yes! I too, often feel guilty when I take time for myself however we can’t let the opinion of others affect us. Only God’s opinion is what matters. Thank you for sharing!