5 Ways to De-Stress in Your Everyday Life

Stress happens to us all and in our everyday lives. The first step is to look introspectively to identify the types of stress you are feeling in those situations and what is triggering that stress.
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Stress is "a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances." According to Neil Shah of the Stress Management Society, a non-profit group, "Recent research shows that the body is designed to experience intense stress two or three times per month." At some point in our lives we all express stress in one way or another. Stress sucks and can take up so much our time and energy. Here are 5 low-budget ways you can de-stress and live a happier and healthier life.

Find Your Stress Triggers: Sounds simple enough right? That's because it is. If you can pinpoint a certain thing or time where you find you are stressed, the next step is to eliminate or avoid those. Recognizing the triggers of what makes you stressed is the most inexpensive way to de-stress.

As the Mayo Clinic explains, there are two types of stress that effect your body and mind. Acute stress is your body's "fight or flight" response to a threat or challenge. This type of stress is immediate and intense such as a job interview or sky diving. This type of stress is embedded in our DNA and can be beneficial in preventing injury or preparing yourself for an intense situation. Chronic stress on the other hand is when stressors pile up and lead to long term health problems like headaches, heart disease and insomnia. The triggers for both types of stress need to be identified and managed in order to live a healthy life.

Get More Sleep: The body needs a certain amount of rest each to for it to perform the way it was designed to. The America Psychological Association states that getting an extra 60 to 90 minutes of sleep per night will help you be a happier and healthier person. If you are not getting the required amount of sleep per night, it will cause you to be stressed without even knowing it. If you are one of those people who sleep and feel tired and stressed, get more sleep! If you have troubles falling asleep, there are various sleep aids you can purchase over the counter.

Take More Risks: Now, this is a bit unconventional but hear me out. We all have something we've always wanted to do but is always too afraid to do it. It could be from leaving a secured job you hate to starting your own business or traveling the world. I don't know about anybody else, but when I have those "shoulda coulda" moments I sit and think on them for a long time and end up being stressed. For moments like these I say go for it. It is said that we live once but I believe we live every day and die once, there is no feeling when you are dead so take a risk and do something you really want to do. Your body will thank you for it.

Aromatherapy: This involves using the natural oils extracted from plants or burning herbs to enhance physiological and physical well-being. You can find all kinds of different herbal recipes to unwind and destress. You can also purchase essential oils at your favorite stores and rub all over your body and even your sheets and pillows as a mist. The great thing about using herbal methods is that if done regularly, it can reduce stress up to 40 percent, according to recent studies. This is one of my favorite ways to de-stress after I've had a long day or week.

Eat Better
: We often hear "you are what you eat" and I can say this is true. I tried eating only fast food for one entire week and I was tired, on edge and ultimately stressed over every little thing. If you feed your body with fatty processed food filled with artificial ingredients and chemicals you can never expect your body will respond to it in a positive way. Eating healthy is not as expensive as you think and once you stick to a plan and your budget it can be accomplished and you will be less stressed. There are certain foods that can actually help you lower stress.

Stress happens to us all and in our everyday lives. The first step is to look introspectively to identify the types of stress you are feeling in those situations and what is triggering that stress. Only then can your find the tools to best help you remove that stress from your life in a healthy and positive way. The next time you feel stressed and are looking for easy low budget ways to de-stress, I'm sure with any of the 5 ways mentioned above, you will be well on your way to living a happier life.

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