How to Relax: Stop Being Busy, Take a Break and Get Better Results While Doing Less

by Martin Meadows

To reiterate the most crucial advice, here are five key things to remember: 1. If you start your day on the right note, it will unfold in the same exact way. If you start it by rushing and stressing out, you’ll be in a reactive state of mind during the entire day. Guess what your chances of feeling good and slowing down during the day are if you can’t even control your first waking hour. 2. Your body needs to recharge if you want to reduce your stress and feel better. In addition to the obvious advice of eating healthy and exercising regularly, remember about: - getting enough sleep (or improving your sleep quality if you feel tired despite getting enough sleep), - giving your digestive system a break by fasting (not necessary, but worth experimentation), - letting your muscles relax by massage or foam rolling. 3. Noise is a major source of stress for many people, particularly those living in large cities. If it’s a factor in your daily life, come up with ways to make your surroundings quieter. Escaping to nature is one of the ways to recharge your body away from noise and other people. 4. Don’t let negative thoughts harass you every single waking hour. Reduce the intensity of past stressful situations in your head and filter negativity in your life. The more positive your surroundings are, the less negative stress you’ll feel on a daily basis. 5. Manage your stressors. If you aren’t sure what exactly makes stresses you, what are your chances of fixing it? Assign scores to...