Stress is the number one mood crusher in my book. Sometimes it just seems like there are not enough minutes in the day to get everything I need to be completed done so I end up spending all of my time, even those few moments of “down time”, still trying to rush and get something else done. I have no doubt this is what most of us do, which is why it is important to learn that when we do get that minute of free time to take advantage of it instead. However, some of us have such busy schedules that we do not have the time to destress often which is why we need to also learn simple ways to create these moments. Some of these tips may seem pretty obvious, but still should definitely be put into practice. We live in a crazy world that doesn’t wait for us to catch up so follow these tips to stay sane and stress-free!

1. Setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier

For all the consistently tardy people like myself, trust me this helps. Instead of setting an alarm for the latest possible time you have to wake up, and then pressing snooze 3 more times, setting an alarm 10 minutes earlier gives you that extra time to wake up without running late. No one wants to start their day off in a rush.

2. Eating sitting down

I am lucky enough to live close enough to my workplace so most of the time I come home during my lunch breaks. However, I have a very bad habit of not sitting down most times when I eat and I end up regretting it when I realize I did not sit down one time before I go back and spend the rest of the night on my feet. Sitting down to eat allows you to actually take a break and head back to work with a fresh mind ready to bust out the last half of the shift.

3. Meal prepping

I remember when I was younger and my mom tried to get me in the habit of making my lunch the night before because I would be rushing to find something in the morning… I should have listened. Meal prepping is the best way to save time and money! It doesn’t have to be the boiled chicken and broccoli people assume when they hear “meal prep”. I have made almost a week’s worth of spaghetti meals and it was a great time saver and delicious.

4. Limiting social media time

At first, I did not think social media could be labeled as “stressful” and it is not so much the applications, but the effects of being on the applications. I’ll have a whole list of things to do and think “I’ll just check my Instagram really quickly” and then an hour goes by and nothing on my list gets done. Wasting time is super stressful when there are so many things you should be doing so it is best to avoid anything that might be a distraction.

5. Staying active

Being active is a great way to relieve stress. Working out releases endorphins that are known as happy hormones, so you end up leaving in a better mood than when you started. So when that overwhelming “I just want to hit something” feeling comes out, go out and hit that punching bag like it’s your five late homework assignments and copious loads of dirty laundry.

6. Writing things down

There is nothing worse than when you finally lay down to end your super eventful day just to remember you forgot to do something semi-important. When there are so many things on your plate, it is hard to remember all the tasks you have to get done. Writing stuff down is helpful to remember what you need to get done so you can go to bed with some peace of mind.

7. Saving some time to relax

There are so many things to do and so little time with such a busy schedule that we forget that it is still important to take some time to ourselves.It is just as necessary to finish our list of tasks as it is to sit down and enjoy some quiet time to ourselves and the end of the day in order to keep our sanity intact.