We’re the most productive we’ve ever been, but with that productivity comes more responsibility. Add in rising costs, the geopolitical climate, the climate crisis, and personal concerns, and it’s no wonder that we’re all so stressed.
That’s why it’s so important that we reclaim our day. This guide will cover the little ways you can have more fun and enrich your life, without requiring a huge change to your routine.
How Many People are Stressed Today?
It’s fairly safe to say that people today are stressed. In fact, in a Mental Health Foundation study, it was found that around 74% of respondents were not only stressed, but been so stressed that they felt overwhelmed by it.
Top Stress Busting Tips and Tricks to Reclaim Your Day
Stress increases blood pressure (which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease), it weakens your immune response (making you more likely to get sick), and causes issues as far ranging as headaches to insomnia to fatigue to stomach issues.
We’re not designed to stay as stressed as we are, for as long as we are.
That’s why you need to learn how to cut off your stress at its knees. The good news is that it can be as easy as being more mindful of how you spend your free time. Whether it’s having fun for a few short minutes or going tech-free for an evening, these are the best ways to reclaim your day:
- Play games
Playing games is a great way to grab your attention, have fun, and release that stress in a healthy way. While you may think that a low-stakes, calming game is what you need, these can quickly become background noise while you continue to worry or stress about your day. You need a game that is fully immersive. It could be a live poker game on a pikakasino, or a really challenging puzzle that requires your full concentration, but that full immersion is essential.
- Build a Happy Playlist
One of the easiest ways you can change your mood is through the power of music. By building a happy playlist you can help navigate low moods and bring you out of a funk quickly and easily.
Similarly, you can use calming playlists to help you relax. Just note that it won’t work if you try to calm down while actively stressed (for example, if you’re up against a deadline). Where that calming playlist can help is at home, when you are physically relaxing, to help you emotionally relax.
- Follow Comedians
Laughing is one of the greatest stress relievers. The only issue is, of course, that comedy is subjective. That’s why you should make time to find a list of comedian podcasters or YouTube subscriptions (the longer-format is better for stress-relief, so stay away from shorts or TikTok) and follow their work. Listening to a funny podcast on your way home from work can give you that essential buffer between your work life and home life.
- Use a Fitness Tracker to Make Small Changes
The best way to get fit is to understand how much every action adds up to your overall health. A fitness tracker, on top of tracking steps, can also monitor your heart rate and a host of other aspects of your health. Use this tracker to help you understand which stress-relieving activities help the most, while simultaneously using it to make small changes to your overall health.
You may know that taking the stairs to your floor is good for your health, but seeing the changes and benefits laid out in stats is a whole other matter. The same goes for your sleep quality if you go to bed at a certain time, and so on.
Fitness trackers help you really understand what’s working, why, and how well, so that you can make the tweaks that will boost your health and resilience, while, of course, lowering stress.