Whether you are on the job hunt, are a marketing consultant or are working the 9 to 5, you are likely not a stranger to stress. It is an inevitable part of our busy lives, and with more and more being expected in our professional lives, we have to actively find ways to keep it in control.
We all know the reality: stress causes major health problems. Heart disease, depression, anxiety, sleep issues, immune system issues, weight problems and so much more. But most people live by the “I can relax when I am dead” motto.
Fear of failure, not succeeding and so on can really wreak havoc with internal peace of mind.
But believe it or not you don’t need hours of meditation to distress. Take the next few minutes to check these few small things, outlined in Embrace the Chaos: How to Reduce Stress in 5 Easy Steps by Leo Babauta, which you can do in the course of your day to get relaxation results.
Take One Task at a Time
Task switching is stressful. Instead just do one thing at a time, letting go of the need to rush onto the next thing on your list.
“There will always be a next task — the nature of task lists is that they’re never ending. So let those other tasks come later. Just be in this one task, like it’s your entire universe,” Babauta suggests.
Tip: limit your email interruptions. In a small University of California study, employees were cut off from email for five days, had heart monitors strapped to their chests and their computer use tracked. While, you obviously can’t stop responding to email, the results are interesting.
“Not surprisingly, the employees were less stressed when cut off from email. They focused on one task for longer periods of time and switched screens less often, thereby minimizing multitasking,” wrote author Issie Lapowsky in Don’t Multitask: Your Brain Will Thank You.
Face your Fears
According to Babauta, it is not the external factors causing as much stress as your fears around the ideals you hold. Fear of failure, not succeeding and so on can really wreak havoc with internal peace of mind. If you have an ideal that you must be perfect, be happy at all times, earn a certain amount, etc., likely you are going to be living in a lot of stress because those things just don’t happen every day.
“Instead, let go of control. Be okay with chaos and uncertainty, and trust that things will work out. You’ll fear less and be less stressed,” he writes.
The same goes for the ideals you hold other people to. They will never live up to them, so accept them for who they are and enjoy what they bring to your life.
Take a Walk
Even just a few minutes of a stroll will do wonders to reduce stress. If you have a little more time on your hands, try taking a walk in the great outdoors. According Heriot-Watt University in the U.K. research, walking in green spaces puts the mind in the meditative space, giving you both the benefit of walking and meditation in one.
Short Mindfulness Exercises
There are quite a few things you can do to ground yourself in the moment and quiet your mind. Babauta suggests:
- A quick body scan in 10 seconds – check in with how each part of your body feels.
- Pay attention to your breath for 30 seconds.
- Walk mindfully, paying attention to your body, your feet, your breath and your surroundings, as you walk.