In our hurried and harried world, stress is a common experience.
It is rare to find an individual who does not report being effected by stress.
For caregivers, the challenge of stress is multiplied.
While stress is a natural part of life, it doesn’t have to become a way of life.
If we find simple and practical tools of managing stress
and ways of implementing them into our lives, we are much better off.
The trick is to think proactively about stress.
Integrate moments of relaxation, contemplation and fun as a regular part of your daily life.
The following 101 tips are meant to inspire and encourage you into a more stress-free way of living:
1.
Laugh out loud without worrying about what the neighbors will think. There is nothing more cathartic then a good belly laugh.
2.Stand in the rain with your mouth open and tongue tasting the raindrops
3.Get a box of crayons and color. Grab a coloring book and color outside the lines!
4.Eat dinner with no silverware. Use your hands only!
5.Play with silly putty
6.Read your favorite book for the second or third time
7.Sing out loud, sing in the shower, sing to your children – just sing!
8.Dance – alone or with a partner. Or simply whirl in circles
9.Wear mismatched clothes around the house, or better yet out in public
10.Learn to meditate and practice daily
11.Take 10 deep breathes
12.Get a massage
13.Take a long walk
14.Have a cup of tea with a friend
15. Find that box of photographs and invite family and friends over for a “figure out who this could be party”
16.Give a Hug
17.Get a Hug
18.Kiss your children
19.Take a bubble bath
20.Begin a “wear your PJs to Work” Day
21.Send yourself flowers
22.Go outside and skip around the house
23.Whistle like a bird
24. Say 10 nice things about yourself each morning in the mirror
25. Make a list of things you are thankful for
26.Stop judging and criticizing yourself immediately
27.Learn to become an observer of your life
28.Look up and sculpt images from the clouds
29.Bend over and smell a flower
30.Skip rope
31.Get a houseplant from a friend, family, or local market and care for it each day, talk to it each day.
32.Let go of small stuff
33.Write the story of your Life
34.Forgive someone you found unforgivable
35.Focus on one thing at a time
36.Keep a journal of thoughts and feelings
37.Take Me time everyday
38.Let go of guilt
39.Take a hot bath with candles and soothing music
40.Take a deep breath into your belly and release it with a loud sigh
41.Ask for help when you need it
42.Reduce clutter – donate things you do not really need
43.Get organized – one corner at a time
44.Reduce your time watching the news – or go on a week long news fast
45.Read an inspirational book
46.Exercise for pleasure – not just for fitness
47.Be open-minded about a new idea
48.Plan a “retreat day” in your own home
49.Be in the present moment
50.Decide to have more fun
51.Create positive affirmations and use them regularly
52.Motivate others by being a model for inner peace
53.Learn visualization techniques
54.Write a daily appreciation list
55.Spend a day in silence
56.Stretch your body every hour
57.Smile, Smile, Smile – smiling releases endorphins
58.Take a class in assertiveness skills
59.List your accomplishments
60.Look for the beauty in life
61.Watch a comedy
62.Finger paint
63.Play with your pet
64.Play a game
65.Plant a garden
66.Let go of grudges
67.Make time for activities that nourish you spiritually
68.Take up a hobby
69.Write a love letter
70.Take a drive down a long country road
71.Focus on the positive
72.Give yourself permission to sleep late
73.Plan a “dinner and a movie” date with your spouse/mate
74.Watch Sesame Street with or without your kids
75.Hum a tune
76.Take a nap
77.Swing on a swing set
78.Go for a hike
79.Eat dinner by candlelight
80.Read poetry
81.Doodle
82.Take out your camera and go on a photography adventure
83.Give a good yell into your pillow
84.Bang a drum or shake a rattle
85.Take up a conversation with someone at the market you don’t know
86.Read out loud
87.Mail yourself a cheerful letter or card
88.Learn Tai Chi – a Chinese art of moving meditation
89.Hug a tree
90.Notice where there is tension in your body – imagine that body part melting like an ice cube
91.Take a sun bath – sit in the sun for five minutes
92.Silently tell yourself to relax as you breathe deeply
93.Buy a CD of the sounds of nature
94.Just for today – accept and love yourself exactly as you are
95.Meditate on your breath
96.Reflect upon a time when you felt truly loved
97.Give yourself permission to cry
98.Walk barefoot through the grass or sand – feel the massage of textures beneath your feet
99.Buy yourself a toy
100. Say “peace is in me and all around me”
101. Write your own personal 101 tips for reducing stress
