7 Unusual Things I Do To De-Stress

That don’t include yoga or journaling.

Yes, exercising and journaling can help with stress. But you’ve probably heard that advice more times than you can count. Am I right?

So, here are a few untraditional things I’ve been doing to feel better overall. Try them out — I bet they’ll help you, too.

Delete unnecessary apps from your phone

The other day, I was swiping through my phone and realized I had a ton of apps I no longer use or even recognize.

They were taking up valuable space on my device and making it harder for me to quickly find the apps I do use.

It was ridiculous.

So, I went through and deleted as many as I could.

I even deleted social media apps, which means I now spend way less time mindlessly scrolling through feeds and more time writing, playing the piano, and doing things that matter.

In fact, since deleting social media apps, I now spend 38 percent less time glued to a screen than before, according to my phone.

To me, that’s amazing progress for such a tiny change.

So, I can’t recommend this enough: If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed right now, focus on changing one little thing to make your life easier.

Just one.

It took me about 5 minutes to go through my phone and eliminate apps I didn’t need. It was so simple.

And now, I don’t have to swipe and swipe to find what I’m looking for. It saves me time and reduces distractions.

Replace screen-time with reading time

I’ve gotten into the habit recently of picking up a book (or two) instead of picking up my phone and checking the latest headlines.

I find that whenever I make this choice, I end up feeling more in control of my day and less stressed out as a result.

Since I can’t control everything that’s going on in the world, I find it really helpful to focus on what I can control.

Plus, the latest headline will be old news within a few days, but what I read can change how I think and what I do for the rest of my life.

How’s that for a good investment?

Throw out anything that makes you sad

A few days ago, I went through my college binder and got rid of everything I didn’t associate with something positive.

By the end, I had thrown out about 99 percent of its contents. It felt so good. I couldn’t believe how long it took me to free myself of all that stuff.

If you have old boxes in the back of your closet that bring back sad memories and ruin your mood, get rid of them.

You won’t believe how effective it is until you do it. It will take a weight off your mind you didn’t even know you were carrying and help you focus on a bright future instead of the past.

Look back on everything you’ve already gotten through

When I’m really stressed out about something, here’s one thing I like to remind myself of:

The situation in front of me is not new. I’ve faced problems I didn’t think I could handle before, and I’ve always found a way through them.

When you’re stressed, remind yourself of the same thing.

Chances are, you’re letting a temporary situation blind you from seeing how strong and capable and talented you are.

Chances are, you’re selling yourself short. Don’t. Look back and you’ll see that you’ve been through difficult things before.

Despite all your stress and anxiety and fear, you made it to today. That means you can face whatever life throws at you. Remember that.

Don’t obsess over to-do lists

I personally love to-do lists. But, sometimes I get too attached to getting as much as humanly possible done in one day.

The result?

I get even more stressed and burned out, which makes it even harder to get quality work done and also find time for myself at the end of the day.

Don’t beat yourself up for not finishing everything as quickly as you wanted to. Instead, focus on your top priorities, and tackle whatever else you have to do if time allows.

Keep your phone on silent

If you’re easily distracted like me, I highly recommend putting your phone on silent while you work (or better yet, putting it in another room).

If you’re already overwhelmed by your to-do list, adding a beeping, ringing, dinging phone to the mix will only make you more overwhelmed.

This little change was a lifesaver for me, and I’m sure it can do the same for you.

Celebrate small wins every day

Being able to finish projects by the end of the day, no matter how small they may seem, is a great way to alleviate stress.

There’s something really satisfying about being done with something and not having to pick it up again later.

But, if you have to tackle a big, overwhelming project, cut it up into smaller chunks you can finish every day.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish over time if you have everything laid out in advance and know what you’re going to do one small step at a time.

Bottom line

Stress is a part of life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find meaningful ways to reduce it and make your days a little bit easier.

As a recent college grad who tends to get anxious, I’ve been discovering new ways to de-stress for years.

One of the most important things I’ve learned in the process is this: Stress is often caused by our perspective on a situation, not the situation itself.

For example, I remember being overwhelmed by things like studying for exams and filling out applications.

Now that I’ve done those things many times, though, they seem way less intimidating than they did before.

Obstacles come and go, but every time you overcome them, you become better at facing the next obstacle when it comes.