6 Ways to Keep Stress to a Minimum This Year

With a brand new year upon us, it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and set New Year’s resolutions for the year ahead. One of the most common resolutions people make is to lead a healthier life. Being healthier could mean eating better, losing weight, or taking care of your mental health. Your mental health is exactly what we’re talking about today.

A resolution we’re encouraging you to make this year is to de-stress on a regular basis. Stress can be very damaging to us, both mentally and physically. It’s important to take that time to unwind, calm down, and just relax. To help you out, we’re sharing six ways to keep stress to a minimum this year. Take a look at these tips… 

1. Take a Break

When those stressful feelings start creeping up, sometimes the best thing you can do is to just step away from the source of the issues. To make this more effective, figure out what helps you de-stress. It’s different for everyone. You may get relief from a yoga session, meditating, listening to upbeat music, or taking a few minutes to write in your journal. Whatever it is, take a break from what’s stressing you out and do your favorite de-stressing activity, even it’s just for a few minutes.

It’s also a good idea to add breaks into your day. It’s easy to get sucked into our work and look up from the computer to find hours have passed. Instead of staring at that computer screen for long blocks of time, add short breaks into your daily schedule. Use them as a time to de-stress even if you aren’t feeling stressed. It’ll help prevent any stressful emotions from popping up and you’ll be more equipped to handle them if they do.

2. Pamper Yourself

Quick question for you! How often do you actually make the time to pamper yourself? Do you ever get even a half-hour where you can just relax? If you’re finding that time for self-care has been limited over the past year, make it a priority in 2017.

The best thing you can do is to take time for yourself. Get away from the computer and your phone. Have someone else watch the kids for a bit. Just do something for you! One great idea is to give yourself an at-home spa session. Unwind with a warm, relaxing bath. Then, give your skin some attention by treating yourself to some amazing skincare products. (After all, you’re totally worth it!) We love to use our Lotion Yon-Ka PNG to achieve that radiant complexion everyone covets.

Lotion Yon-Ka PNG is the perfect toner for anyone dealing with oily skin. It helps to purify the skin and its aroma will leave you feeling invigorated. Plus, it doesn’t contain alcohol or parabens, so you don’t have to worry about any skin irritation when using it. Spritz it on morning and night and you’ll feel instantly pampered! You can even use it in the middle of the day for a daily pick-me-up.

3. Exercise Regularly

Not only is exercise great for keeping your body healthy, but it’s great for encouraging good mental health as well. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins that will help lift your mood so you can say goodbye to those stressful emotions. What’s even better is that you can choose the exercise that you enjoy the most because they’re all amazing for your body and mind. Try yoga, pilates, or just go for a run through your neighborhood for instant stress relief.

It’s recommended to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every single day, so find a way to work it into your schedule. Block it off on your calendar if you have to! It’ll be worth it in the end when you’re feeling (and looking) amazing.

4. Choose Your Foods Wisely

Did you know that what you eat can have an impact on your mood? Well, it definitely can! Research has shown that spicy foods, which contain high levels of capsaicin, trigger your brain to release endorphins to your body (just like exercise does). So, while some may reach for comfort foods such as pasta or ice cream when they’re stressed, they should actually go for something spicy instead.

The next time you’re feeling stressed, skip the savory foods and the sweets. Make yourself a spicy meal and watch those stressful feelings fade away. Alternatively, you can also reach for oranges and limes. The smell of citrus can boost our moods since it causes your body to release norepinephrine. It may sound silly, but give it a try by keeping oranges and limes on hand.

5. Resolve Issues Instead of Avoiding Them

Here’s the thing, we have a bad habit of trying to avoid the issues that arise in our lives. Not good! After all, if you let a situation brew for a long time, it’s likely to backfire and basically blow up in your face. It’s better to avoid making the situation worse by facing it head-on as soon as it arises.

Whether you have an issue at home or at work, you need to address it immediately. Talk to those involved and create a plan of attack to handle the situation calmly and cooly. It’ll be easier to manage when the problem is small and you’ll be glad you didn’t avoid things.

6. Express Your Emotions

In order to effectively manage stress, you need to be open and honest about your feelings. If something on your mind has been bothering you, tell someone about it! Share your feelings with a close friend, family member, or even a co-worker. There’s absolutely no reason to feel ashamed about opening up. In fact, expressing your emotions is a great way to release what you’re feeling so you don’t keep everything pent up inside. In the end, bottling those emotions is never healthy. It can lead to even more negative feelings and could even cause you to break down when you’ve finally had enough.

Open up and share what you’re feeling to someone you trust. You’ll feel much better when you do and it encourages them to open up to you as well. Opening those lines of communication will be a huge stress reliever. If you don’t have someone to talk to, you can always try journaling. While it’s not quite the same as having someone there to listen, getting your thoughts and feelings out on paper can be very therapeutic.