Simple Daily Habits to Reduce Stress

Simply Daily Habits to Reduce Stress

You know that feeling when you're physically away from work, away from home or away from your usual routine, but your brain is still going at 100 miles an hour?

The body might have stopped but your brain hasn't.

There’s the shopping list. The emails. The washing. The appointment you need to make. The job you forgot to do. The thing you need to organise for the children. The work deadline next week.

And then there's that never-ending mental to-do list.

Sometimes I think we underestimate just how much we carry around in our heads every day.

We might tell ourselves we're having a break, but we're still mentally planning, organising, remembering and worrying.

So how do we actually create a little more space?

The good news is that reducing stress doesn't always require a complete lifestyle overhaul.

Sometimes it's the small, simple daily habits that make the biggest difference.

Start the day without immediately reaching for your phone

How you start your day can influence how you feel going into it.

If the first thing you do is check emails, social media, messages and everything that's happened overnight, your brain is immediately processing information and demands.

Instead, try giving yourself a little breathing space.

This could look like having a drink, stepping outside and getting some natural light. Take a few deep breaths and sitting quietly for five minutes.

You don't need a perfect morning routine.

Just don't give the outside world immediate access to your brain.

Get outside

Fresh air, daylight and nature can be a simple way to create a mental reset.

Why not go for a walk, sit in the garden or take the dog out.

Have your morning coffee outside or maybe go for a swim.

It doesn't need to be a long workout or another item to tick off your fitness list.

Sometimes it's simply about changing your surroundings and giving your mind something different to focus on.

For me, being near the ocean has always been particularly grounding. There's something about watching the water, listening to the waves and simply being outside that encourages you to slow down.

Even a stormy beach can bring a sense of calm.

Get that to-do list out of your head

If your brain constantly reminds you of everything you need to do, try writing it down.

Not a beautifully colour-coded productivity system.

Just a piece of paper. Write down everything that's circling around your head.

Once it's written down, you don't have to keep using mental energy trying to remember it.

You can then decide:

Does this need doing today?

If not, it can wait.

And that's something many of us need reminding of.

Not everything is urgent.

Give yourself permission to pause

This one can be surprisingly difficult. We often feel that we need to finish everything before we're allowed to rest.

The house needs sorting.

The emails need answering.

The washing needs putting away.

The work needs finishing.

And then, maybe, we'll relax.

But there will almost always be something else to do.

The to-do list will still be there tomorrow.

Rest isn't something you have to earn by completing every task.

Try deliberately building small pauses into your day.

Sit down with a cup of tea.

Read a few pages.

Listen to music.

Watch the sunset.

Have a bath.

Sit somewhere quiet.

Do absolutely nothing for ten minutes. It doesn't have to be productive.

Move your body- but don't make it another pressure

Movement can be a valuable part of managing stress, but exercise doesn't always need to mean a hard workout.

A walk, gentle stretch, some gardening or a swim. Maybe it could be a bike ride or surf or a play in the garden with the kids.

Even getting up regularly from your desk can help break up a sedentary day.

Think about movement as something that supports your wellbeing, rather than another thing you have to be perfect at.

Create some distance from your phone

Our phones are incredibly useful. But they're also very good at keeping our brains switched on.

Constant notifications, messages, emails and tempting access to social media platforms.

Before you know it, you've spent an hour scrolling when you actually needed to switch off.

Try creating some phone-free time, perhaps during a meal or when out on a walk.

It could even be for the first 30 minutes of your morning or for the last hour before bed.

You don't have to disappear completely, just create a little space.

Learn to notice when your brain is busy

Sometimes we don't realise how stressed we are because being busy has become our normal.

You might notice that you're constantly rushing.

Thinking about the next thing.

Finding it difficult to sit still.

Feeling irritable when something doesn't go to plan.

Struggling to sleep because your mind starts racing the moment your head hits the pillow.

These can be useful signals to pause and ask yourself:

What do I actually need right now?

Maybe it's food, movement or sleep.

It may also be five minutes alone time or even a conversation and a social interaction.

Maybe it's simply permission to stop.

Don't underestimate sleep

When we're stressed, sleep can be one of the first things affected. Plus when we don't sleep well, everything can feel harder the next day.

Try creating a simple wind-down routine.

Dim the lights.

Put your phone away.

Have a warm drink.

Read.

Stretch.

Take a few slow breaths.

Give yourself a transition between the busyness of the day and bedtime.

You don't need an elaborate sleep routine. Consistency matters more than perfection.

Remember, you don't have to change everything at once

This is probably the most important part.

When we're stressed, it's very easy to respond by creating another enormous list:

Eat better.

Exercise more.

Meditate.

Sleep eight hours.

Drink more water.

Stop using your phone.

Get outside.

Do yoga.

And suddenly stress management becomes another source of stress.

Instead, choose one thing.

Perhaps tomorrow you leave your phone alone for the first 20 minutes of the morning.

Or you go for a ten-minute walk.

Or you write down your mental to-do list before bed.

Or you simply sit outside with a cup of coffee without doing anything else.

Then build from there.

You don't have to switch off perfectly.

Sometimes managing stress is simply about creating little moments of calm within an otherwise busy day.

And when you're away from your usual routine, remember that you don't have to take your entire to-do list with you.

Your body might be somewhere completely different.

Give your mind permission to be there too.

The washing can wait.

The emails can wait.

The list can wait.

You might not get that moment back.

So breathe. Look around. Put your phone down.

Get outside. And be where you are.