Sometimes life can get stressful. However, living a simple lifestyle can lead to less stress, better health, improved relationships, spiritual growth and much more. Learn how to reduce stress with these five ways to bring simplicity to your life now.
1. Follow a routine
Maintaining structure and routine is a simple way to help you reduce stress levels and feel more organized and in control during times of stress. Even if you’re the type of person who does not like having a strict schedule, repeating simple tasks daily can improve your overall health. These can include:
- Exercising daily
- Making your bed every morning
- Eating healthy on a regular schedule
- Reading a set number of pages a day
- Writing in a journal before bed
When you have a routine, you spend less time worrying and thinking because they minimize the decisions you have to make. This is one of the better ways to simplify life because it results in more time and energy for the things that matter the most.
2. Remove clutter from your home or workspace
Another way to simplify your life and reduce stress is to remove clutter from your home or workspace. Getting rid of excess stuff can help you feel calmer, happier and in control. In fact, one study shows women who described their homes in a positive manner had a lower level of the stress hormone cortisol than women who described their homes as cluttered or unfinished.
Decluttering your environment is a simple way to reduce stress. Here are some quick steps to help you remove clutter from your home or workspace:
- Identify areas where there’s the most clutter.
- Get rid of unused items or items you think you might use.
- Create a place for your items to keep them organized and out of sight.
- Unsubscribe from mailing lists or unnecessary newsletters.
- Avoid buying items you’ll only use once.
- Set a time at the end of each week or month to remove unnecessary items from your workspace, computer, phone and email.
3. Set limits
Too much time spent on your smartphone, social media or in front of a digital screen can cause stress. It takes time away from necessary activities that are important for your well-being, like sleep and exercise.
Take control over your emails, text messages, phone calls, social media use, and set limits like:
- Checking emails once in the morning and once in the afternoon
- Using social media for an hour a day
- Watching tv two hours a day
Setting limits like these will give you more time for activities that improve your well-being and reduce stress.
4. Plan ahead
Being prepared is a simple way to reduce stress and anxiety because it prevents you from worrying about things at the last minute. While you can’t prepare for everything, there are simple things you can always plan ahead for, such as what clothes you’re going to wear for the week or the meals you plan on eating. Thinking about your schedule ahead of time gives you a sense of control and keeps you from scrambling at the last moment.
5. Breathe
Breathing is one of the simplest ways to reduce stress. A lot of times, our stress comes from constantly being on the go. Taking a moment to just breathe is one of the quickest ways to simplify life, slow down, and put your day in perspective. Deep breathing sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. Then, the brain sends this message to your body and decreases symptoms of stress, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing and high blood pressure.
Simplify your life and reduce stress with Clarity
Stress is a part of life, and the constant pressure to perform and succeed can feel overwhelming and impact our daily lives. However, simplifying your lifestyle can help reduce some of the stress and anxiety you might be feeling.
At Clarity, we believe life is a journey; one that should be lived well. So, we’ll stop at nothing to bring clarity to the challenging world of benefits through simplicity. Offering simple and reliable benefit administration solutions that ease our customer’s pain points, provide clear direction, and lack unnecessary complexity is the heart of our company.
Contact us today to learn how we help bring clarity to employee benefits with simplicity.
Sources:
http://repettilab.psych.ucla.edu/no%20place%20like%20home.pdf
https://zenhabits.net/living-simply-the-ultimate-guide-to-conquering-your-clutter/
