Darlings, do you get easily stressed, or do you roll with the punches? Work, money, family, there’s so much to do and so little time to do it all. Is it any wonder that stress is one of the biggest health problems in the world?

There’s nothing like the stress of a looming deadline to help focus the mind and increase energy levels. But, if stress becomes a constant problem and is not properly addressed, it can become unhealthy.

Chronic stress can affect your work, relationships, your way of thinking and your health. For women especially, stress can worsen hormone imbalance and conditions related to hormone imbalance.

But how can you deal with stress?

Although there are a lot of tips, techniques, and remedies available to help you deal with stress, the best way is to try to remain calm and relaxed.

Here are five stress-busting tips for you to try today:

1. Know your stress triggers

Do you know what causes you to get stressed?

The most important stress-busting tip is to figure out your stress triggers, and the best way to do that is to journal. When you feel stressed, write what caused the stress and why, how you feel, and what you did to calm down.

This will help you identify what specific things or situations cause you to stress, so you can either avoid them in the future or work on how you can change your reaction to limit the stress.

Suggested read: What’s in Your Stress Bucket? The Stress Bucket Model

2. Switch off

We are so dependent on our phones that many of us cannot live without them in close range. Although our phones have improved our lives in terms of convenience, they come at a price, as information and notifications from family and work bombard us 24-hours a day.

So make time for yourself each day, switch off and relax for an hour every day. Turn your phone off, turn the television off, shut the world out, and do something you enjoy e.g., reading a book, baking, playing a musical instrument, or even a relaxing bubble bath with music and candles.

If your employer legitimately needs to be able to contact you, make sure you set clear guidelines for when you can and cannot be contacted and stick to them.

3. Try relaxation exercises to reduce stress

Stress affects your body by increasing your heart rate, producing a surge of adrenaline, and temporarily shutting down your digestive and immune system.

There are many stress-relieving activities available that help you relieve stress such as yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, meditation, and progressive muscle therapy.

Choose the one you enjoy, that fits in with your lifestyle, and practice regularly to beat the stress out of your life

4. Get enough sleep

Adults need eight hours of sleep each night to rest and rejuvenate both body and mind.

But, long working hours and home life mean that many adults are trying to exist on less than six hours a night, meaning that permanently stressed, tired, and cranky are marching hand-in-hand.

Your bedroom is a place for sleep, not just another room for living and working in.

To get a good night’s sleep, turn your bedroom into a calm, relaxing place for you to escape the day. Do not be tempted to finish up some work whilst sitting in bed watching the news. Remove the television and turn your phone off, preferably leaving it charging in another room.

Experts suggest switching off all devices at least one hour before going to bed and creating a bedtime routine to give your brain time to relax, this could a bubble bath, a warming drink to encourage the release of melatonin, listening to relaxing music or reading a book.

5. Take a break

When you’re stressed it can seem impossible to find your way out of the situation or find a solution to the problem.

To destress the best thing you can do is take a break. This could be stepping away from your desk for a while or even taking time away from work for a day or two.

Distancing yourself from the problem helps you gather your thoughts. It brings clarity to the situation, and give you some breathing space. You will find that solutions are easier to find when you’re relaxed and calmer rather than when you’re stressed.

Stress is unavoidable. However, these five tips will help you reduce your stress levels, but only if you put them into action.

Until next time darlings.

xx