4 Tips on Reducing Stress for a Higher Quality of Life

Do you feel like you are constantly under pressure? Of any sort really, there’s no one superior type of pressure that justifies any level of stress that’s, dare we say, stressful.

Do you feel like you can't get a break from the stress of daily life? Again, any sort of break from any small or large portion of your life. You can be a single human living in a beautiful house with a lot of money and need a break. You can be married with no kids and feel stressed. You can have kids and no partner and be stressed. Heck, you can have grandkids who love you and children who don’t visit and be stressed. You can be successful in many areas of your life and still be stressed. There is no use in comparing the good parts of your life, or the stressful parts, to anyone out there. Your life and your feelings are valid, regardless if anyone else understands what you’re feeling.

If the answer is yes, to either of those questions, first it’s important to be kind to yourself. Secondly, it may be helpful to understand that everyone else in the world has likely answered yes as well. It’s not to say that everyone has this terrible life that we all are trying to run away from, instead, it’s to say that everyone experiences stress differently, has completely different thresholds for stress and, likely, would love to find ways to make it all feel a little bit less stressful.

Stress is one of the biggest problems facing people today. On top of stress feeling like a total mental battle you have to face and something that makes you miserable at times, it can also cause all sorts of health problems. Like, all sorts. Literally. THERE ARE SO MANY.

This blog post will discuss four tips on reducing stress for a higher quality of life. Follow these tips, and you will be able to enjoy a more peaceful and relaxed lifestyle! Now, don’t go believing that if you do these four things for the next week that by the end of the month your life is going to be flipped around and you’ll walk lighter all together. These four things take time, and guess what? They’re a practice. They’re not one-and-done type things. Just like working out, finding movement, and eating in a way that suits you, destressing is something you’ll continue to do for, let’s just say, ever?

The good news is, the more you do these things and the more familiar they get to you, the more they will just start to BE a part of your life. Trying will become less of a thing because they will become habits - a way of life.

Get regular exercise

I guess I already mentioned it (and in every other blog on this page before this) but exercise helps to reduce stress. Did you know Dunnebells was created for this specific reason? To help women introduce and then continue to engage in exercise on a regular basis? We’re not about forcing you to do it however, instead, we aim to teach you how to do it in a way that actually feels good and brings joy. It’s no shock that we love the benefits of exercise so much - it really can do wonders.

Exercise has many benefits and one of them is that it reduces stress. It helps to release endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Exercise also helps to improve sleep quality, which can further reduce stress levels.

If possible, 30 minutes of exercise each day is ideal!

You don’t need to worry about being in a certain heart rate zone, or even doing a certain type of exercise, for that matter. Instead, focus on developing the routine! If you don't have time for a full workout, even a brisk walk will do wonders for your stress levels!

Exercise doesn't have to be tedious either – try and find an activity that you enjoy so that it feels more like fun than work! In addition, regular exercise can help to reduce anxiety and improve overall mental health.

Practice meditation or mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are both excellent stress-reduction techniques as well. They can help to slow down your racing thoughts, and they can promote a sense of calmness and peace (which, is sort of the goal, isn’t it).

There are many different ways to meditate, so find one that works best for you. For example, you can try guided meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or simply sitting in silence with your eyes closed. Once you find a method that works for you, make sure to practice it regularly. The more you do it, the better the effects will be! You may not believe in it in the beginning, but practicing is important, and sticking to meditating is the best thing you can do. Even when you don’t want to, a minute or two can really make a huge difference.

Mindfulness is another great way to reduce stress. It involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Yep, you heard me right - without judgement.

I like to think of myself as a non-judgemental person when it comes to people and the world - however, sometimes I’m particularly judgmental of myself, situations I am in, the volume of music in public places, how close someone stands to me in a line, and things like that. Sure, I’m not judging someone for who they love or what they wear or whether they have road rage or not - but turns out, I’m not as ‘non-judgemental’ as I thought. I have practiced over and over and over this idea of having less judgment and it takes a lot of awareness and questioning of why I believe what I believe - in any scenario. Being mindful has been instrumental to me in my stress-reducing journey.

Mindfulness can be practiced through activities like yoga, Tai Chi, and walking meditation. It can also be helpful to simply take a few deep breaths and focus on your breath. When you are mindful, you are less likely to dwell on stressful thoughts from the past or worry about the future. Instead, you are able to focus on the present moment and appreciate the good things in your life.

Spend time with loved ones

Spending time with loved ones is a great way to reduce stress. Whether you are spending time with your family, friends, or partner, being around people who care about you can help to reduce stress levels.

Spending time with loved ones can also help to take your mind off of whatever is causing you stress. If you don't have anyone close by, consider joining a support group or social club. Connecting with others who are going through similar experiences can be very helpful and therapeutic.

Some people don’t want to admit it, but the internet is a really powerful thing. Maybe you don’t have people you can call on to go and see that you feel comfortable with right now but there are online communities and if you’re the type of person who thrives online more than you do in person, that’s OKAY! Play to your strengths. It is important to also strengthen your weaknesses (finding real people to socialize and interact with) but, don’t add more stress to your life if you know that’s not really your thing.

Join groups online that are enjoyable to you. Talk to people who are into things you’re into. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll meet someone who you can build an in-real-life friendship with. (I say this because honestly, this is what I’m doing RIGHT NOW - trying to make friends. It’s not easy. It’s bloody hard at times. But I am aware that its lacking in my life since moving to the other side of the world and the only way it will get better is if I try. I’m trying, which means I know you can, too).

Another thing to consider when you’re thinking about spending time with friends and loved ones Is to consider what boundaries you have with your time. If you only have the capacity to hang out for a few hours and you know that your cup will be full from that, do not feel like you need to commit to a weekend away with the girls. Nope. Just don’t do it. There is so much pressure that our friendships are supposed to look a certain way and that’s just not the case. You get to decide. You get to use that beautiful little brain of yours to figure out what you need in your life in terms of friendships and relationships and you get to work out, with your people, what that looks like.

Relationships should FILL YOU UP, and not drain you.

And when they do, the stress will start to lessen - I promise. But again, it’s work and it will take practice. However, the end result is beautiful in so many ways and the fact of the matter is, you deserve it.

Make time for yourself

Making time for other people is important. Easy for some, hard for others.

The people who find it hard to spend time with others probably are great at making time for themselves. However, people who love to busy themselves and fil their calendars with a million things probably struggle with being alone and making sure that THEY FILL THEIR OWN CUP.

You need to make time for yourself. Again, its not easy and it will feel like work, but its important.

This means taking some time each day to do something that you enjoy without stress or obligations. It can be anything from reading a book, taking a bath, going for a walk, drinking wine in silence, yoga, stretching, tending to your hundreds of indoor plants, or even enjoying some hhc cannabinoid if that is your thing. No judebement here, because guess what. Its you, and its your time with yourself.

You get to decide.

Taking some time each day to relax and rejuvenate will help you feel calmer and more capable of dealing with stress.

If you’re not sure what makes you happy and fills your cup, then now is the time to start trying to figure out what that is. I’m not an expert to be honest. I have adhd and that means that at some point in my life, everything has been my thing, but nothing remains my thing for longer than about a month (if I even get a month out of anything). I am constantly trying to figure out what resets me, relaxes me, and makes me feel like I am more myself than ever.

What I’ve learned is that it’s hard - but every time I find something that makes me feel good, I am so much happier because I know I put in the effort to figure it out and because of that effort I’m also reaping the benefits of actually liking the thing.

Finding what works for you is SO important. You are important and it’s your job to make yourself important. Balancing your days between giving to others and giving to yourself is something I think we all can practice a little bit. Life is busy, and when it comes down to it we’re more likely to let our self-love and our self-care slip - but that just adds to the stress.

You deserve to put yourself first, okay?

In conclusion, there are many different ways to reduce stress. These four tips are just a starting point. Experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you. Remember, the key is to be patient and consistent. The more you practice stress-reduction techniques, the better the effects will be!

Need some support? Join our 8-week program where we help you reduce stress and live a happier, healthier life.

Happy Tuesday everyone, I am proud of you for getting this far.