Life

11 Little Lifestyle Changes That'll Reduce Stress

by Ni'Kesia Pannell

Stress in life is inevitable. No matter how many mantras or affirmations you live by, there are still moments in life where you feel overwhelmed and drained. Although these moments can make you feel defeated, you can keep clam during the chaos by implementing a few lifestyle changes that can help you reduce stress .

I know from personal experience that being overly stressed can tear you down in many ways. When I was in college, I was stressed to the max and had no idea what to do about it. Because of this, my face broke out, my hair started falling out, and my immune system was failing. I lived my life like this for quite a few years, and it wasn't until I had a talk with my grandmother that I realized I needed to change my lifestyle to help with those issues. Though the path to change wasn't easy or quick, it was one of the best things that happened to me. My health got better, my hair and skin started flourishing, and I was just an overall happier person.

So, if you're ready for the adjustment, try implementing these 11 easy changes to keep your stress down to a minimum.

1

Meditate More

According to WebMD, meditating more can severely reduce your stress. By implementing meditation daily, your amount of anxiety reduces and your brain more resilient to stress.

2

Spend More Time With Your Friends

According to Healthline, spending more time with those that you love can help ease your stressful life. Most people are bogged down with work, and experience heightened stress because of it. Taking a break to call or spend time with a friend will promote a healthy lifestyle and help you put things into perspective.

3

Get Into Yoga

According to HuffPost, implementing some light yoga into your life could help with those stressful moments. The combination of deep breathing, deep stretching, and poses all work together to help reduce stress.

4

Practice Positive Self-Talk

Psychology Today noted that practicing positive self-talk is a solid stress reliever. By doing this, you increase emotional comfort and help reassure yourself that things are going to be OK.

5

Get To The Gym

According to Men's Fitness, hitting the gym can help you burn off some steam and relieve your stress. The publication also noted that exercising can help you handle stressful situations quicker and maintain that same ability when approached with situations in the future.

6

Keep Lavender Scents In Your Home

According to Health, lavender is known to be a soothing scent that can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Plug in a lavender-scented air fresher or light a lavender candle, and get ready for the stress to melt away.

7

Change Your Eating Habits

According to Healthline, your diet is closely related to your stress level. When stressed, people forget to eat which, in turn, leads to people eating less healthy foods occurs. Try keeping fruits and veggies handy for a quick, stress-reducing snack.

8

Get Control Over Your Sleep Schedule

As noted in the aforementioned Men's Fitness article, the parts of your brain that are affected by worrying and stress inflame when you're not getting the right sleep. Try going to bed a little earlier each night until you have a solid sleep schedule.

9

Drink More Tea

According to the previous HuffPost article, drinking black tea can help with lowering stress levels and provide a more relaxing feeling.

10

Spend Less Time Consuming Media

According to Everyday Health, the more time you spend on your computer, phone, and watching TV, you are hurting your happiness. Instead of filling up your free time surfing the web and checking in on other people's happiness, try limiting yourself to a few hours a day and doing something constructive instead.

11

Stop Drinking When You're Stressed

According to Oprah, drinking while you're stressed prevents your brain from entering the stages of deep sleep, which necessary to limiting stress. Though a few drinks can make you feel relaxed, alcohol ultimately does more harm than good when it comes to keeping calm.