Automate It: Stress Reduction the Effortless Way

Everyone has stress in their lives, but sometimes there’s a lot more of it than other times. Even when you know better, as the stress builds, you can start neglecting the little things that you normally do to manage it.

Of course, this creates a vicious cycle in which you feel even more stressed. One way to manage better when times are tough and you aren’t always attending to your mental and emotional wellness in the way that you should is to put some practices in place that will help you or even force you to slow down no matter how distracted you may be.

Standing Appointments

One of the most important things you can do to relieve stress is spend time with friends, yet this is often one of the first things to fall by the wayside when you feel overwhelmed. Scheduling time with your friends might seem like too much trouble, or you might even find yourself dodging their phone calls and texts.

To combat this, have a standing appointment with a couple of your closest friends on a regular basis. Whether this is a run in the park on Saturday mornings, Tuesday afternoon coffee or drinks on Friday, being expected to show up somewhere regularly that isn’t work or family obligations is a good way to keep your friendship healthy and ensure some quality stress reduction time.

Get Flowers

There’s nothing quite like giving yourself flowers as a self-indulgence. Where you would normally send flowers to others, sending them to yourself reminds you that you matter just as much as your loved ones do.

A monthly flower subscription means you don’t have to remember to stop off and pick some up periodically. Instead, you can get beautiful flowers that are sustainably sourced from the farm where they are grown to your front door, and getting them monthly helps ensure that you have something beautiful to brighten your life and home every few weeks.

Take a Class

You can certainly take up hobbies on your own, but taking a class helps ensure that you fit them into your schedule. Whether it’s exercise, painting or learning a language, signing up for a class gets you out, helps you meet people and gives you something to look forward to each week.

It also gives you the opportunity to try out many new things. Look for classes at a local gym, a community center or a community college. Although online is not as good as in-person meetups, if you live in a place where there aren’t many classes offered, this is another option.

Sign Up for Wellness Reminders

Sometimes you just need an extra push, a little something to remind you to take some deep breaths, go over what you are grateful for today, drink more water or phone a friend. Whether you create them yourself or use an app or a website, reminders sent to your phone or email can get you back on track and help you notice that you’ve been working for hours without a break to stretch or neglecting yourself in other ways.

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