It is possible to change your life for the better, quit bad habits, and adopt good ones with a positive impact. However, the overhaul will not happen overnight. It takes time and demands patience and commitment. You can make an effort to simplify your life by exercising and eating healthier, and doing away with adverse habits like smoking, and excessive drinking, among others.
It is prudent to point out that not all approaches work for everyone. You might have a friend, relative, or workmate who made life changes for the better, and you struggled to achieve the same when trying to do what they did. Please remember that this process takes time and entails trying different strategies to find what works best for you.
Below are a few suggestions that might prove effective for you. Give each a try and take the time to assess what works best without downplaying anything too quickly.
- One Thing At A Time
The best and highly effective way to start transforming your life without too much stress is to take things one at a time. Focus on an objective and strive to attain that goal before moving to the next. For instance, you can remove the distractions on your office desk before you start working. You then determine what you want to start with and focus on that. Do not let email notifications or calls on your private cell distract you from work. If you must send emails, focus on them until you are done. It is a process that needs practice as you fight the urges, but you will get better at it with time.
- Streamline Your Schedule
Operating on a hectic work schedule can be the highest contributor to your stress. You can minimize the stress you experience by learning to say not to some of the things you task yourself with, allowing yourself to get out of some commitments. Learn to say no to what is not beneficial for the day, sticking to the most important things. Moreover, space them to give ample time to handle each and pace yourself to avoid burning out. And most significantly, remember to allocate some time for fun and rest.
- Get Moving
Health experts recommend finding something each day to do that keeps you active. It can be playing a sport, hitting the gym, going for a walk, hiking, or doing yoga. Such activities help reduce stress, and some are fun and exciting. Consider a smaller car from car.co.uk and walk more, do you live close enough to walk to work? Or on the school run?
- Develop One Healthy Habit Each Month
Besides getting active, you also can improve your overall health by adopting a positive lifestyle habit that helps with stress. For instance, eating healthy (doing more fruits and veggies for snacks), drinking less alcohol, and quitting smoking are positive changes you can develop and strive to uphold. Pick one eat month and stick to it, making it your new lifestyle.
- Do Something Calming
Find what you enjoy and calm you. It can be a brisk walk, dancing, reading a novel, taking a nap, having sex, or soaking in a warm bubbly bath. Make the most of the short time you have doing any of these (which can be longer than five minutes) to ensure you unwind and destress. Meditating is another effective strategy for calming your nerves after a stressful day.
- Simplify Your Finances
The insecurities you have regarding your finances can have a major impact on your health. Worrying or stressing about your financial situation does little to help, though understandable. Instead, focus on finding a way to manage your money better. For instance, reviewing your spending and automating your savings and bill payments, including outstanding debts, might feel like a thorn, but the benefits are undeniable and sweet.
- Have A Blast
Decide to make each day a fun affair for a few minutes, irrespective of the circumstances. You can put on your earphones and jam to your favorite song that gets your feet and hips moving. It can be sex, a lunchtime quickie to get your heart pumping, or whatever tickles your fancy.
- Get creative
Exploring your creativity can do wonders. It could be a great way of preventing stress or distressing. Some options to consider include writing, painting, sketching, pottery, welding, or teaching yourself how to play an instrument.
- Declutter Different Areas Of Life
Take twenty minutes to assess your bedroom, office space, or kitchen before diving into the day’s duties. The objective is to identify and do away with what you do not need. Find a better place to keep some essentials and throw away what you do not use. An organized environment is peaceful and motivates you to focus on what matters, and this is applicable when you play, work, or live at home.
- Be An Early Bird
It is hard to wake up early to tend to six kids, prepare them for school, and get ready for work. However, it is nothing compared to the amount of stress you will endure when late. Hence, waking up early helps you prepare on time and leave the house earlier. You can achieve this when you schedule more space between your chores and identify what to do, how, and when. Also, allocate some buffer time (extra minutes to accommodate when things do not go as expected), such as the expected errands, meetings, or office appointments.
Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash
