Manage Stress Like a Pro! (+ a Free Printable Cheat Sheet)

Stress has the tendency to sneak up on us when we least expect it. Often times we spend so much time taking care of others we don’t even realize we are stressed until it controls our life. Learning how to manage stress is extremely important and vital if we want to be the best versions of ourself.

If you are anything like me, you tend to put everyone else (family, significant others, friends, co-workers, children etc.) first and make sure their needs are taken care of before your own. Unfortunately, it can be easy to get burnt out and overwhelmed. Making sure you are caring for yourself is so important because it will enable you to help those you love better and make your life happier and more fulfilling.

In a previous article I explained how stress can greatly impact your wallet and financial situation. After I wrote that article I felt like you, my wonderful readers, should be well equipt in learning how to manage stress.

Between spending many years working and receiving training in the mental health field, and earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology I have learned many great tools stress management. Hopefully you find these suggestions helpful!

Manage Stress By Taking Care of Your Physical Body

Believe it or not your physical body suffers when you are overly stressed. Making sure your physical needs are being taken care of can significantly help with stress management.

Nutrition

It is important to make sure you are getting proper nutrition. Specific vitamins and nutrients are vital to the body and can drastically improve mood and energy. If you are not getting the proper nutrition in your diet, consider taking supplements (make sure they can be absorbed by the body properly).

It is equally important that you eat consistently throughout the day. Often times we put aside meals (especially breakfast) because we are busy or in a hurry. It is important that we take the time to eat balanced meals throughout the day.

I struggle with this because I like to get tasks done before I sit down and eat. Sometimes I won’t have a chance to eat until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I have been working towards improving this because I know when I am hungry I am much more affected by stress.

Since hunger can affect our mood and ability to manage stress it is important to make sure our bodies are well fed.

Physical Activity

In addition to making sure we have proper nutrition, it is also important our bodies are well taken care of. Our bodies are meant to move and moving often can help us relieve stress.

Even if you hate exercise find activities that you enjoy doing. Nice relaxing walks listening to your favorite music or podcasts can do wonders for your stress level.

Stretching is also really helpful because it helps work out the tension you experience throughout the day.

Sleep

People really underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep. When you are sleeping your brain has a chance to process events throughout the previous day, and your body has a chance to rest.

When you are stressed falling and staying asleep can be difficult. Racing thoughts can be overwhelming. No matter how much you try you simply can’t sleep!

What Should I do If I can’t Sleep?

There are many things you can do to prevent sleeplessness.

• Avoid Caffeine In The Afternoon– Caffeine during the afternoon can affect you at night
• Avoid Exercise Before Bed- Exercise increases your heart rate and energy. This can affect your sleep if you exercise before bed.
• Put Your Phone In A Drawer, Turn Clocks Away So You Can’t See The Time- Knowing it is getting late can increase anxiety. This increased anxiety about not being able to sleep can actually keep us awake. It is better to not know the time so our brains can relax.
• Don’t Watch Television Directly Before Bed- Television engages multiple senses making it difficult for your brain to relax. Your mind is completely  You may also get so caught up in a show making you want to watch “one more episode”. This can also cause you to stay up later, and get less sleep.
• Read, Meditate, Stretch, or Listen to Music Instead- Allow your brain and body time to calm down. Take time before bed to relax.
• Don’t Let Yourself Worry- If you need to worry about something don’t wait right before bed. I know sometimes it can be difficult to “shut off” the worrying but you can do it.
• Avoid Arguments- Try to solve arguments before it’s time to go to bed. Again, I know this can be difficult. Make it a mantra to resolve or postpone arguments with loved ones.
• If You Can’t Sleep Get Up- Even if it’s in the middle of the night. Get up, sit in the dark, try meditating and reading something peaceful or drinking herbal tea. It might take a change in scenery to induce sleepiness.
• Give Yourself A Break- If you can’t sleep tell yourself you can rest tomorrow. If you do allow yourself to take a nap make sure it won’t interfere with your sleep the next night.
• Consider Natural Sleep Aids- If you have tried everything and you still can’t sleep try natural sleep aids. I regularly take Melatonin, and it helps a lot. Please try other methods, and talk with your doctor to make sure it won’t interfere with other medications before trying. You could also try natural relaxing teas!
• Talk With Your Doctor- If you have tried everything and still can’t sleep tell your doctor. You may have a disorder to condition that requires medical attention.

Sleep Is so important because being rested helps with our emotional ability to manage stress. If you are well rested chances are you will be more well equipped to handle what’s thrown at you!

Relaxation

It is important that you take time and allow your physical body to relax. By allowing your body to rest and relax you will be able to manage stress better!

I highly encourage you spend at least 10 minutes a day physically relaxing your body so you can overcome stress and be your best self!

There are so many ways to relax I’ve created a cheat sheet that I will be offering at the end of this article.

Manage Stress By Taking Care Of Your Mind

The physical body is important to take care of, but so is your mind. Chances are you neglect your thoughts and needs, especially if you have others to take care of. It is so important to make sure you feel valued, important, and cared for too.

Take Care Of Yourself Everyday!

I encourage you to take time doing something you love everyday. I know you may love taking care of others, but doing something just for yourself. It could be something little like taking a bath and listening to your favorite music for 15 minutes. It could also be watching a TV show that is considered your “guilty pleasure”. Even if you only have 10 spare minutes a day, do something you love.

Be Kind To Yourself Everyday

It can be difficult to cope with stress, especially when you are overwhelmed. I know that I have the tendency to be super hard on myself when things don’t turn out perfectly. The reality is, we are not perfect and can’t ever achieve complete perfection. It is important that we are kind to ourselves and forgive ourselves for making mistakes.

In addition to really forgiving ourselves positive affirmations can be helpful. Reminding yourself that you are valuable, and you have worth is important. I also fully believe that positive thinking can impact your life in a great way. I wasn’t always positive, I struggled for years with depression, anxiety, and negative thinking. Once I started training myself (it doesn’t happen over night) to think positively things started getting better.

I created a Pinterest Board where I post positive affirmations, and quotes. I encourage everyone to create a space either physically or digitally where you can keep positive quotes or pictures. Go back to this space frequently, especially if you are feeling stress or worthless.

Mental Growth Is Also Important

Allowing our minds to grow and develop properly can help give us purpose and the will and knowledge to achieve our goals and dreams.

Don’t ever stop learning, growing, and changing. We have the great ability to become more than what we could have ever imagined. We just have to allow ourselves the time to grow and learn from our mistakes.

If you are interested in a specific subject I highly recommend that you take time everyday to research it. Engaging yourself in a new hobby or skill can be mentally fulfilling and can help you reduce and manage stress.

Just a few years ago I started learning how to cook. At first I wasn’t that great at it. I started practicing and researching techniques and I got better. There is still room for growth, but if I compare myself now to my 30 year old self I have vastly improved.

Never limit yourself to what you are familiar with. If you want to gain a new skill, hobby, or interest, go for it. Now is the time to do it. Even if you fail at it, at least you tried, and you can be proud of yourself for that!

Sometimes failure is necessary to weed out things you weren’t meant for. These failures can lead you closer to your true purpose!

Manage Stress By Taking Care Of Your Spiritual Well Being

It is important to recognize that we all have a purpose and add something special to this world. Taking care of our spirits is important because it is how we feel fulfilled.

Many people find fulfillment in different things. I encourage you to figure out what makes you feel most at peace. Some people find peace spending time in nature, while others enjoy singing in the church choir. Some people really enjoy giving their time volunteering to help animals, while others enjoy praying quietly. Spiritual well being is vastly different between individuals. Don’t let anyone dictate how you need to be “spiritual”. Take the time and figure out how you become fulfilled.

By taking care of your spirit you will be able to manage stress and be happier. Don’t neglect this aspect in your life, spiritual care is detrimental to your health!

Quick Stress Relief Techniques

Many of the methods I have mentioned above are long term ways to managing stress. However, sometimes we are in immediate emotional crisis and need a quick way to handle stress in order to calm down.

Distraction Techniques

These techniques are meant to distract us from stress until our bodies have time to calm down. If we emotionally do not have the ability to handle something at the time these techniques can be useful.

Common Distraction Techniques Include:

• Watching Something Funny- Watch a funny video. Watch a favorite T.V. show that you know will make you laugh.
• Eat Something Sour- If you are physically overwhelmed you can distract yourself by eating something that has a strong flavor. I have used super sour candies in the past. Strong mint or cinnamon flavors would also be effective.
• Take A Cold Or Hot Shower- Physically changing your body’s temperature can be a great distraction.
• Go Somewhere Else- Sometimes removing yourself from an environment can be helpful. Go to a park, or someplace peaceful. Go to a friend’s house or the library. If you go to a store or the mall, be careful because you might be vulnerable to spend money!
• Call Someone- You don’t necessarily have to talk about yourself. Just having a nice conversation with someone can change your mood.

If you are experience stress or anxiety do something to change the environment. Sitting and dwelling is not helpful.

Mindfulness Techniques

According to Wikipedia Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment.

Mindfulness can be another way we manage stress, especially if we are overwhelmed. It helps us become focused so that we can better manage stress.

When I am overwhelmed I will do mindful breaking exercises that help me focus on my breathing. This helps me relax immediately and distracts me from anxious thoughts.

Some people are skeptical about mindfulness techniques. I encourage you to try it and decide for yourself if you like it or not.

It’s All About Balance

Living a balanced life is the key to managing stress. It is important to make sure you manage your tasks, but still take time for yourself.

You only have one life, so make the best of it. Do something you love every single day.

Stop caring so much about what others think about you. Spend time with people that support you, and encourage you to be your best self.

Be careful not worry so much about small things. Figure out what is important to you and focus on that.

Lastly, live your life to the fullest by managing stress like a pro!

I created a “Manage Stress Like a Pro” cheat sheet exclusively for those subscribed to my newsletter. If you sign up  for my newsletter you can get the Cheat Sheet for FREE. Plus you will get exclusive content before anyone else!

Once you get the Cheat Sheet I encourage you to print it out, or save it to your phone. Review it every time you begin to feel stressed or overwhelmed!

What are your favorite ways to manage stress?