1. Accept your fears!
When you accept and face your fears, you’re taking one of the most important steps in reducing your level of stress. Fearful beliefs limit our everyday life and influence us in every decision that we make.
So how can you do that? Think about what is limiting you in your life. Where do your negative beliefs lie and are there situations that make you feel uncomfortable and afraid? Instead of ignoring these fears, observe them. Take the time to accept them, and even this small step will help reduce their intensity.
2. Find happiness in every day situations
A simple change in perspective of the things that you see and do everyday will make you feel more happy and at peace. Use all of your five senses to enjoy life. Smell beautiful flowers, and strong coffee, walk or jog in the park, and meet with positive and inspiring friends often. By focusing on these things, we become more thankful and content.
3. Engage in mindfulness
Mindfulness is a state of consciousness that allows you to absorb a moment or experience thoughtfully without over-analysing or evaluating it. In this way, we stop depending on external circumstances to determine our own happiness. Our mind becomes clearer and we find more balance, which acts as a source of strength, even during times of crisis.
By using mindfulness, we:
- use our internal resources
- become more balanced and less anxious
- stop searching for happiness in external situations
- are able to cope with stress more effectively
- learn to accept things
- learn to form friendships while setting appropriate limits
4. Implement gratitude in your every day life
Learning how to embrace gratitude is quite an easy task. For example, you could start by writing a gratitude journal every morning, naming 3-5 things that you are thankful for. In this way, we quickly adopt a routine whereby evaluating things more positively, comes naturally, and thus leads to less stress.
