Five Tips to Reduce Your Stress Level on a Daily Basis
Are we really meant to always holding on?
A few days ago, I was talking to an acquaintance of mine, a guy I hadn’t heard from in a while:
“How are you?” I asked him. Without thinking too much, he replied: “Everything’s fine. You can’t give up”.
I remained for a moment reflecting on his answer.
I wondered if it’s really worth always “holding on”.
Do we really have to always hold on at all costs? Does this “crossfit culture” applied to work and life in general really lead to any results?
Isn’t it instead a race to exhaustion, where we’re convinced that the only choice left is to run faster every day?
We wake up every morning to continue pushing the boulder that inevitably rolls downhill every evening, like Sisyphus.
Wait, who is Sisyphus? Let’s go back to Ancient Greece for a moment.
Sisyphus, founder of the city of Ephyra, later called Corinth, is a very clever man.
One day he even blackmails Zeus, king of the gods. The ruler of Olympus, known for his womanizing ways, has fallen in love with a beautiful girl named Aegina, daughter of the river god Asopus, and has decided to kidnap her to make her his lover.
Asopus, desperate, wanders in search of his daughter and passes near Corinth, where Sisyphus proposes a deal to him:
he will reveal the name of the mysterious kidnapper of his daughter in exchange for a gift of a source of fresh water for his city.
Zeus, angry with Sisyphus, calls on Hades, his dear brother and king of the underworld, and orders him to take Sisyphus’ life.
He also decides that the impudence of the clever mortal deserves exemplary punishment:
Sisyphus is condemned to drag a huge boulder up the steep slope of a hill.
Every time he reaches the top, the boulder rolls back down again, and Sisyphus must start over, enveloped in a cloud of dust and dripping with sweat.
And so it goes on for eternity.
So, maybe we are not obliged to drag the boulder for eternity.
Maybe it’s okay to stop every once in a while.
Admitting to being tired.
Resting our arms, legs.
Breathing.
Breathing.
Giving ourselves a break.
No pasa nada.
Maybe when we look up again, after a break, we will discover that we have more energy, that we have gained a new perspective.
Maybe we will have understood something that had previously eluded us.
Let’s remember to rest. Let’s give ourselves permission to rest. We are not condemned to any punishment.
We are not Sisyphus.
OK, let’s put this into practice.
We’re not stuck in a Sisyphean cycle. Instead, let’s uncover ways to lower our stress level and liberate ourselves from that perpetual boulder.
This advice is based on personal experience. I first cultivated these habits when I moved to London alone after university, in search of my path.
And I often turn to this checklist when I’m going through a stressful period.
- Daily Meditation
Meditating every day is like a form of medicine, and it’s no surprise. It has an incredibly effective impact on calming our minds.
It also enables us to put a stop to the never-ending stream of thoughts that can result from high levels of stress.
Numerous studies also confirm that this daily practice has many other positive effects on our minds, such as improving our attention span and productivity.
Starting slowly is a good approach. You don’t need to meditate for half an hour on the first day.
Beginning with just ten minutes a day could be enough. The most crucial aspect of this is developing a routine.
Early in the morning or before bedtime are usually good times. The former will greatly influence how your day begins, while the latter will enhance the quality of your sleep.
2. Create a List of Ten Things That Make You Feel Good
This is a common-sense tip, but it’s not frequently put into action.
Actually writing down a list of ten activities that usually have a positive impact on your physical, emotional, and psychological well-being will compel you to think about them and understand why they are important to your overall health.
Recall those moments in the past when you felt upset, frustrated, or stressed. What do you usually do to feel better? For me, it’s yoga classes. When I feel tired, stressed, or easily irritated, I know it’s time to go back to the mat.
Also, think about those activities that make you lose track of time, those that make you feel incredibly alive.
Consider that friend you typically call to pour out your thoughts and feel better, or just to have a chat and share a laugh. These moments are your vitamins, especially when things get tough.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Different people require varying amounts of sleep, but everyone needs rest. As a mother of a young child, I can attest that a restless night can have a detrimental effect on your mood and significantly reduce your focus at work. You end up operating on low energy.
This leads to another tip: reducing your caffeine intake will lead to better quality sleep.
4. Minimise Distractions
By this, I mean turning off notifications on your phone and laptop, for one. I also mean declining invitations that you’re not enthusiastic about accepting.
Skip that dinner with acquaintances, say “no” to that wedding you’re not looking forward to attending.
If you feel drained after attending a networking event or a party with friends, you might have an introverted personality. That’s perfectly fine; there’s a significant number of us in the introverts club.
Introverts usually need to reduce social interactions to maintain their energy levels, but minimising distractions is essential for everyone. It allows you to prioritise and make better use of your time.
5. Remember to Unplug
Weekends are for relaxation and rest, as are the evening hours at home after a long day in the office.
Resist the urge to check an email that lands in your inbox (by the way, you shouldn’t be checking your email outside of working hours if you want to reduce your stress levels).
You’re not missing out on anything. If there’s an urgent issue, they’ll give you a call.
I hope that these easy-to-implement pieces of advice will help you feel better during stressful times. I also hope that you can remember some of them and put them into practice the next time you feel drained and burnt out.
If you enjoyed this article, please clap or leave me a comment.
If you have some other tips or good practices that you would like to share with me and the rest of the community, I would greatly appreciate it.