Feeling a little stressed out lately?

With Covid-19, social distancing, lockdowns, quarantines, financial crisis and social unrest - you might feel under pressure, having too much on your mind and on your plate...

• Maybe you feel insecure if you will still have your job at the end of the year, or worry that clients might cancel their orders. 
• Maybe a friend or a relative caught Covid-19 and the threat becomes just a little bit too close to home.
• Maybe you miss your friends, hugs, and normal social contact.
• Maybe small things become more stressful - like grocery shopping, getting your kids to study, or planning your schedule…

Well... It’s a fact - life is full of stress.

And in order to cope with stress effectively, you need to start by understanding the types and sources of stress - short term and long term, internal and external.

So what stresses you out?

Take a moment to write down some of the top situations, concerns or challenges that make you feel stressed right now.

Stress can be caused by many different common life events, a lot of them are difficult to avoid...

Here are the Top 12 Causes of Stress in the Western World:

1. Major life changes

   (marriage, divorce, pregnancy, death of a loved one, promotion, a new house...)
2. Unpredictable events
   
(uninvited guests arrive, your rent has gone up, Covid-19...)
3. Uncertainty and lack of control
   
(waiting for the results of a medical test, a job interview, a coming election...)
4. Fears and worries
   
(fear of failure, health concerns, money worries...)
5. Workplace stress
   
(heavy workload, endless emails, urgent deadlines, demanding boss/clients...)
6. Expectations you put on yourself

   (to create a perfect holiday, to grow your business, to lose that extra weight...)
7. Not having enough time
   
(to manage all your tasks, to spend time with your loved ones, to take care of yourself...)
8. Taking on too much

   (not wanting to let people down, being afraid of missing out...)
9. Environment

   (noise, bad weather, traffic jams...)
10. Social
 stress
    (meeting new people, blind dates, conflicts at work or at home...)
11. Unhealthy lifestyle

    (fast food, smoking, drinking alcohol...)
    Many people believe that comfort food, tobacco or alcohol helps them relax - but unfortunately sugar is a false energizer, which ends up being a depressant, nicotine acts as both a stimulant and a depressant, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant... so... although they might give you a momentary relief - they contribute in a major way to your stress levels on the longer run)
12. Inability to accept things as they are

    (circumstances, other people, your own feelings...)

By beginning to identify and understand the sources of your stress, you've taken the first step to learning to better manage your stress.

Manage it, not eliminate it.
Stress is a fact of life. And that's OK.
You can learn ways to handle it.

Here are 40 Strategies to Reduce Stress:

1. Eat a healthy diet
2. Avoid, or at least reduce, your consumption of caffeine
3. Avoid, or at least reduce, your consumption of alcohol
4. Get physically active
5. Get enough sleep
6. Stop smoking
7. Ask for help
8. Get a hug
9. Talk with a trusted friend or counselor
10. Say “no” to new commitments
11. Learn to be assertive
12. Remove, or at least reduce, causes of stress from your life
13. Set realistic goals and expectations
14. Practice problem-solving
15. Manage your time effectively
16. Prioritize your to-do list
17. Enjoy the beauty of nature: a garden, the beach, a park, or your own backyard
18. Light a scented candle or burn some incense
19. Pet a dog or a cat
20. Dance around
21. Sing or play a favorite tune
22. Listen to calming or uplifting music
23. Listen to soundtrack of nature sounds
24. Laugh a lot
25. Choose a positive mindset
26. Use positive affirmations
    You can get our top affirmations for stress release, by simply leaving us a comment at the bottom of this blog post.
27. Study and practice relaxation techniques
28. Take responsibility (control what you can and let go what you cannot control)
29. Examine your values and live by them
30. Practice deep breathing
31. Meditate
32. Use progressive muscle relaxation
33. Visualize a place that feels peaceful and rejuvenating
34. Take a walk in nature
35. Make time for leisure activities
36. Practice Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong or similar practices
37. Express gratitude
38. Get a massage
39. Journal
40. Practice mindfulness
    We recommend this powerful, FREE Mindfulness for Stress Release Practice

Overwhelmed Already?

Don’t be!

Those examples are just to get your creativity flowing.

They are not meant for you to do them all...
It’s not practical, not doable, and absolutely not necessary.

The Easy Way to Reduce Your Stress Dramatically...

... all you have to do is to commit to do four things for 30 days:

1. Introduce one NEW relaxing activity into your life
   We recommend this powerful, FREE Mindfulness for Stress Release Practice
   It’s a 20-minute guided practice, which works like a charm. Promise!
2. Do MORE of one relaxing activity
   Maybe exercise one more time a week, or go to the sauna more often, or express gratitude more.
3. Do LESS of one thing
 that adds to your stress
   Maybe drink less alcohol, consume less social media, or cut the number of items on your to-do list.
4. Completely STOP doing one thing
 that stresses you out
   Maybe stop eating junk food, watching the news on TV, or spending time with toxic people.

To Wrap It Up

There are many causes of stress, as we have seen.
But... by committing to this simple 4-part stress reduction plan for the next 30 days - you would be able to better deal with stress, and perhaps even avoid a big part of it.

Let's Talk...

We love sharing our ideas, insights and experiences with you, and we'd love to make it into an empowering discussion... So... please take a moment and join the conversation in the comments (below)...

We love to hear from you, learn from you, answer your questions, or just say "hello"...

And yes... we respond to each comment (pretty quickly, usually)...

Get Our Top Affirmations for Stress Release for FREE…

Let us know in the comment box below what are you committed for the next 30 days (something NEW, one activity to do MORE of, one activity to do LESS of, and one activity you're going to stop doing), and we will email you our Top Affirmations for Stress Release as our "thank you" GIFT.

Repeat these affirmations in the morning and before going to sleep and see how your thoughts transform and with them your actions, and… your stress levels drop dramatically.