Simple But Effective Options for Cutting Stress Out of Your Day

As explained by the official Mayo Clinic website, stress can affect your behavior, feelings, thoughts and body. Chronic stress that's not addressed can also play a role in health problems like diabetes, obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. Because those are very serious issues, you don't want to let stress have free reign over your life. Instead, if you feel like there's too much stress in your life, you need to take an active role in working to reduce or even eliminate it.

When people first hear that they need to do something about the stress in their lives, it's common for their initial reaction to be along the lines of "I wish!" Since stress isn't something that anyone wants, most people would be happy to cut it out of their daily existence. But because it's the result of things like having too much on your plate, a common assumption is unless you make a major career change, you really can't do anything about the stress you experience.

Although it's easy to see why that assumption is so common, the good news is it's actually not true. While switching to a less demanding career is one way to reduce stress, even if that's not a possibility for you, there are still steps you can take to help keep your stress levels in check. To get a better idea of what you can do, let's go over five different options right now:

Wake Up Gradually

How you start your day has a big impact on how the rest of it proceeds. If your standard start involves a blaring alarm clock and instantly trying to stumble out of bed, you're definitely starting things off on the wrong foot. Instead of subjecting yourself to that unpleasant experience, opt for an app like Rise that focuses on helping you wake up slowly and in an ideal manner.

Consider Green Tea Instead of Coffee

A common misconception about green tea is it doesn't contain any caffeine. While it does have caffeine, most people agree that green tea provides much less of a buzz and subsequent crash than coffee. Instead, it generally delivers a subtle but steady stream of energy. If you feel like coffee is amping you up too quickly, the less harsh experience of green tea may be exactly what you need.

Don't Skip Meals

Not eating puts stress on your body. The most common reason people skip meals is because they're trying to lose weight or keep it under control. If that's also one of your goals, you can still accomplish it even if you eat three times a day. The key is to focus on eating real foods with actual nutritional value. By taking that approach, you'll feel satisfied and have energy but won't rack up a huge excess of daily calories.

Make Time for Just You

Whether it's in the morning before anyone else is up or shortly after you get home from work, it's important to carve out slices of time that are just for you. Doing so will give you an opportunity to unwind and think about the things that truly matter to you. If you really want to make the most of the time you have to yourself, consider creating a little ritual.

For example, you can get a Magic Flight Launch Box, Arizer Solo or Pax by Ploom. Once you have a vaporizer, along with some essential oils, you'll be able to fully relax with aromatherapy. If you like this idea but have any questions about the Pax by Ploom or other Pax vaporizers, it's easy to get an answer.

Pay Attention to Your Posture and Breathing

When you're sitting at your desk during the day, you may assume that what's happening around you has the biggest impact on how you feel. But the reality is that what you're doing can actually be very influential. If you notice your posture is starting to slouch, be sure to remedy it. The same goes for doing your best to keep your breathing consistent and full.

A key component of successfully managing stress is learning to identify the types of events and circumstances that really trigger stressful feelings. Once you get to the root of why you feel the way you do, you'll be able to prepare yourself for situations when your stress levels feel like they're spiraling out of control. And when that happens, you can use the strategies we just went over to help bring them back down.