Being stressed is one of the worst feelings ever, no doubt. Between work, side hustles and our personal lives, sometimes the “stressed” feeling seems inventible. Honestly, I think our generation thrives off telling people they are “busy” or “swamped” or “stressed”. I’m not sure when letting work and stress take over you became cool to say, but let me tell you, it’s way better without it. Social media thrives off of people looking busy/always on the go, but it truly isn’t sustainable. Finding balance will make you so much happier! These are 5 ways I like to help myself get out of that brain fog that comes with being stressed.
1. Workout at least 3 times a week
I’ve shared a little bit about this on Insta, but after playing sports for so long, I loved the thought of not having to commit to something at the wee hours of the morning. In college, I thrived off of 5 pm workouts or 2 pm runs. I loved being able to go at random times and never truly commit to a “routine”. However, over the past year or so, I have really tried to be an early morning gym-goer. It has CHANGED my life. Truly. I mean it. From my work ethic, to self confidence, relationship and health, being at the gym consistently through out the week has helped me so much. Most of all, working out every morning before getting to the office lets me have a brain dump. I forget about the stressors in my brain, I physically CANNOT check my email and most of all, I can’t be stressed. I am to focused on other things to think about all the factors that should get to me. I try to go 4-5 times a week, but if you are just starting off trying 2 or 3. See where it takes you! See how much better you feel. From there, ease into more days and see how good you feel. The mental freedom working out gives you is seriously priceless.
2. Turn off your email notifications when you walk out of work (and Slack...)
You heard me. TERRRIFYING, right. I know. I am guilty of not always doing it, but when I do, my stress level automatically drops. I get to enjoy my relationship more and be truly present. The best part? I get to feel like I have a life outside my job. That is HUGE. Your career can be your whole life, that is so okay, everyone has that phase! But setting aside time to be present will help you more than you can imagine. Turn your phone off, leave it in another room, give it to a friend, throw it in the ocean, whatever it takes to turn those notifications off. Do it for yourself! You work hard all day long. Probably on the weekends too. Don’t let after hour emails get your stressed. Be present and shut off that technology. My COO once told us something along the line of your never going to get everything possible done by 6pm, so get done what you MUST and tell yourself that the rest will come tomorrow. You may not be in a phase of life where work and life are balanced, but you should try to be in a place where work in life can coinside.
3. Schedule quality time with friends
The older we get, the harder it is to get all of our friends in one room. Unfortunately that is just the truth. But, those moments where you can all be together will without a doubt help you forget why you are stressed. Make an effort to plan events. Whether it’s Friday nights out or Taco Tuesdays, setting aside time for friends and getting it on the calendar will make you feel so much better. It will give you that “I do have a life” feeling and make you realize life isn’t all about our jobs. If you are blessed enough to have good friends nurture those friendships, put in effort and try to be a good friend. Having endless week nights with friends don’t last forever. Cherish them now!
4. Go to bed by 11 pm
Okay you caught me, I am terrible at this. I am really good at getting ready for bed by 11. But actually in bed, asleep or trying to sleep by 11 is hard. However, every time I do it, I feel so good the next day. Plus, I never get to that “I wanna cry” feeling late at night when I still have work to do but want to sleep if I tell myself I am done by 11. By going to sleep earlier, you will get to the gym in the morning, literally be healthier from giving your body more time to rest, and lastly take away from that stress by just going to sleep.
5. Cook homemade dinners
This sounds silly, but it helps. Maybe it adds stress if you hate cooking and don’t know what to do, but even then, I challenge you to try and learn! Russ and I have tried really hard to mostly cook at home during the week and have found that taking that extra little time to just cook a meal that fuels you helps abundantly. The action of cooking is super calming and really brings my stress level down. If you are a big eater-outer, try cooking in MWF and see how you feel. Play some music, make an appetizer to nibble on while you cook and enjoy.
