Stress and anxiety are common experiences for many people.  If you ask most adults they will tell you they experience stress daily.  Most of us deal with stress every day.  From work to family to financial issues we are all dealing with stress on some level.  If we don’t try to reduce stressors in our life, chronic stress can lead to heart disease, anxiety disorders and depression.

When I was younger, I had horrible stress and anxiety.  My mom used to call me a “worry wart”.  She said I would worry and be anxious about the silliest things.  A lot of times I would worry and stress so much that I would give myself a stomach ache.  As I got older, I learned how to start dealing with the stress in my life and I learned a few tricks to on how to manage it.

Exercise. I started getting serious about my workouts after my child was born.  I enjoy taking 30-45 minutes out of my day to get my workout in.  I love to lift weights and then go for a brisk walk.  This really helps me clear my thoughts and deal with stress more calmly.

Planning.  I have been a planner for many years.  It is one of the first ways I learned this was something that helped reduce stress in my life.  When I can plan out meals, workouts and activities, it helps me feel like I am in control.  If things feel chaotic and out of control, my stress levels go through the roof.  Being able to have a few things planned out during the week helps me manage my stress so much better.

Have some “me time”.  It is so important to take some time out for yourself.  One of my favorite things to do is run a hot bath and relax with a good book.  When it feels like you do nothing but go to work and then come home to all the family duties, stress can build up quickly.  Plan a coffee date with a friend.  Start a new Netflix series.  Schedule a massage.  Taking some time out for myself always helps me feel so much better!

Keeping a positive attitude. This was something I was not very good at in my younger years.  I little thing that happened in the morning would set my day off on the wrong foot.  Thankfully over the years I learned that my good days were all up to me and how I handled them.  I try my best to wake up each day and say today is a good day to have a good day!  Having a positive attitude is a wonderful way to help manage my everyday stress.

Laughter.  One hundred percent of the time when I am laughing, I feel so relaxed!  One of mine and my husband’s favorite thing to do is watch old Seinfeld episodes.  We will usually watch 2 or 3 episodes and it puts us in the best moods.  So make you a hot cup of tea and find something to watch to make you laugh.  The stress will melt away, I promise!!

There are so many other ways to reduce stress.  You could meditate or do yoga.  Just be sure that you are finding ways throughout your day/week to manage the stress levels in your life.