A certain level of stress seems to be structured into modern lifestyle, and for most people it is inevitable. It might be even ‘trendy’ to seem stressed out due to job demands, being a mom of young kids, having a troublesome mom-in-law, etc. Hence, tension and to some extend, even anxiety seems to be ‘normal’ these days.

Welcome to our era where being heavily over scheduled, road rage, inevitable trips to crowded grocery stores, demanding jobs, and families with never-ending lists of needs that must be met are literally part of our day to-day lives. Consequently, the fact that we simply don’t pay adequate attention to our own physical and emotional well being goes unnoticed. For most people, penciling in some time for exercise, a massage, or even just to sit and do nothing seems like a luxury and not a necessity.

Hence, we put them off, with empty promises to ourselves that we’ll get to them somehow, but when we do, guilt gets in the way and tells us there there are a million other more productive things to do with our lives, so get to work!

What we fail to realize is, our bodies have limits…
Jugging many little so-called pressing duties has the same, if not worse ramification for our wellbeing as enduring isolated traumatic events.

It’s obvious, if we can understand it better now, that we need to address this right away while we still can. Of course, the remedy has to be quick and simple too, and easy to fit into our tight, heavy schedules. We say this because while everyone knows that healthy eating and regular exercise can be effective in reducing tension and stress, it isn’t always easy to make time for home-cooked meals or physical activity.

It’s a good thing that there are still ways to manage stress quickly and easily on a regular basis to help alleviate tension and create an inner sense of calm. If you’re ready to slash those stress levels in half, here’s what you need to do.

When something bothers you, write it down

It may seem silly, but trust us on this one, for it does help. Jotting down your feelings (and why you’re feeling that way) not only gives you a safe and much-needed space to vent; it can help you gain a new perspective on the situation, allowing you to see things a little clearer, and also, allows you to let the dust settle on the matter. Strategies for resolving the issue or ways to overcome them may also come to you.

So, keep a notebook in your bedside table drawer so you can jot down a few sentences at night before bed. If you prefer, you can even have a file in your computer, laptop or tablet for this same purpose.

Hug a loved one (this includes a pet!)

Very few know or realise that there are stress-relieving benefits of physical connection with another person (or animal). All it takes is a few moments of hugging, cuddling, or stroking to create the hormonal changes needed (lowered cortisol, increased serotonin) to get that peaceful, easy feeling of love and wellbeing. Next time you’re feeling stressed, just wrap your arms around someone you love for a few moments and within minutes you’ll be enjoying a marked sense of comfort along with the feeling of tension slipping away.

Take your vitamins.
As mentioned earlier, not everyone has the time for home cooked meals, especially on a daily basis. However, it shouldn’t mean that we ignore the fact that we’re missing out on important nutrients. Vitamins C and E, for example, help regulate stress hormones and lower your blood pressure. Taking a multivitamin daily — one that contains C and E along with other important nutrients — could offer important stress-reducing benefits.

Let it all out

Though it might seem nobler to keep it to yourself when someone’s comment or behavior shocks, bewilders or shakes you up inside but as far as your stress levels go, you’re not doing yourself any favours here. It can actually be a much more effective stress-buster to go ahead and open up to a someone you trust – your spouse, your grown up son or daughter, your best friend, etc, about your feelings about the offending situation or behaviour.

This isn’t about malicious gossip; it’s simply about getting irritation and other tense feelings off your chest in order to release the bubbling, self-destroying steam trapped inside Also, quite like writing things down, talking things over with someone else can help you gain a different, better perspective, making the act of forgiving possible, and moving on with your life, much easier.