Stress is a natural part of life. 🌱 Feeling stress is by itself an okay thing. Its purpose is to trigger our fight or flight response when danger is presenting itself. Stress alerts us when it is time to make a change. However, it’s important to remember that stress, left untreated, threatens both our mental and physical health.

⚠️ Constant and excessive stress can cause huge ripple effects inside our body, leading to things like weight gain, acne, hormonal imbalances, digestion issues. And honestly, the list goes on.

And let's be honest, we all know that to beat stress and feel more relaxed, we are supposed to do things like exercise and eat healthily. But sometimes, to live a more relaxed life overall, there are more things you can do. 

It's often hard to know where to start, and that's understandable too. So here are a few ways to make your life feel more peaceful:

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1. Set boundaries 🚧

For many of us, work is what causes the most stress and is where we need to set boundaries. Maybe you could set a rule that when you or your partner gets home from work, you don't look at your phone for at least 2 hours. Leave it in your bag, put it away, and focus on just being home and disconnecting from your stressful day.

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2. Schedule out time for nothing ⏰

This is one of our favorite tips. We are huge fans of time blocking, and that includes blocking time for doing nothing. 

It’s stressful to have something going on every day/night of the week, so plan time to just “be” and do whatever you want during this time. Take a bath, read, journal, or literally just daydream about life. Set aside at least 20 minutes this week for nothing and see how it goes.

3. Build self care into your life 💆🏼

Self care looks different for everyone. It can be anything from treating yourself to a massage or just going on a walk – don’t feel like it has to be luxurious or expensive!

Building self care into your daily routine will bring so much more relaxation into your life.

4. Create a bedtime routine 🛌

Sleep is the best medicine! Having a relaxing bedtime routine to unwind from the day, no matter what went down during the day, will help you to sleep and rest better.

5. Create a peaceful space 🏡

While it’s hard to completely switch off, having a quiet space to retreat to can really help calm the mind. Try making your own ‘calm space’ — a spot you can claim for your own quiet zone, where you can shut off distractions. Your personal calm space should help to nourish your mind and relax your body.

6. Count your blessings 🥇

Learn to identify the positives. If all we look at is negative, we begin to feel very down and stressed. When we are aware of the positives in our lives, we are more able to be relaxed and not allow the little stresses to overwhelm us. Sometimes all we need is a little reminder. If you find yourself focusing on the negative, find a way to make the positives in your life easy to remember. Call a close friend or family member and have them remind you. Or, try writing down some positive truths, and hang them in a spot where you’re likely to see them each day. Sometimes we need to see and hear the truth to let it sink in and change our perspective. Whatever you choose to do, just be sure to make the positives in your life easy to recall.

7. Take one task at a time ☝🏼

When it’s time to focus on working, take one task at a time. Our culture of cell phones, social media, and technology seems to have decreased everyone’s attention span. Jumping from one thing to another can be stressful and leave things undone. Use your priority list to stay focused on what needs to be done first, and continue on from there. There’s only so much of you to go around.

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Learning to block out your inner dialogue and unconstructive thoughts can help you deal with the effects of stress better. Rather than worrying about that mistake you made at work last week, focus on the present. Letting go of the past can remove a lot of stress and complications from your life. Being present and ‘in the moment' is the key to a calmer and more balanced existence.

We all know how chaotic and crazy our lives are, so any small adjustments that make us feel better are definitely worth trying, right? Hopefully, these tips will help you take a moment to slow down or switch off!