The 5 Best Ways To Reduce Stress

Reduce stress with exercise! Time and time again, exercise has been proven to help reduce stress, make you feel happier, help you lose weight, increase energy levels, reduce risk of disease, helps your skin, helps with brain health and memory, AND helps with relaxation and sleep quality! Exercise releases endorphins and makes you feel happier and makes your body smile! The best part is, you don't need to work out every day! Aim for getting 30 minutes of movement every day- this is only 2% of your day! If you are someone who dreads the words: gym, workout, and exercise...don't fear! It doesn't matter how intense your workout is! Your mood can benefit from exercise no matter the intensity of the physical activity. Go for a power walk, do some yoga, go for a light run or go to a fun fitness class with a friend! Just get your body moving and grooving! PS- a dance party counts as exercise too!

One of our favorites: OrangeTheory Fitness

Candles are a beautiful thing. They provide light, a lovely aroma, and cozy vibes! The temperatures are FINALLY starting to drop, the air is becoming crisp and fall feels as though it has fully arrived! With all the joy fall brings, we know that life can still feel hectic and stressful. For students: between managing one or more jobs, clubs/organizations, sports, social life, and schoolwork, the days can feel as though they are disappearing and stress is elevating. For adults and parents: managing a job, home or apartment, pets, and social life and the lives of your kids can be quite stressful. Candles are known for their soothing, healing properties and are often used to create a peaceful ambiance. The sheer act of lighting a candle, the lovely flicker and the gentle glow, help ease and soothe the mind. Burning candles can help with anxiety so if you ever feel very anxious, light a candle and breath in happy vibes.

FUN FACT: scents like mint, lemon, and cinnamon can invigorate your senses and give you that extra boost you need to stay on top of your work and off your phone.

Journaling can help control your stress levels and improve your mood by helping you channel your emotions, whatever they may be at any moment. Track symptoms of daily stress in your journal so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them. The main benefits of journaling are managing anxiety and reducing stress! No matter the size or shape of the journal, as long as it provides an outlet, that will be perfect! Can't pick one journal? Try our 6-1 Ultimate Planner and Notebook. So, grab a pen and let that wrist flow, fill your journal with emotions, memories, and thoughts. Write a poem, a song or just scribble out nonsense! Anything to get the stresses of daily life onto paper and out of YOU!

Feeling organized is a MAJOR help in reducing stress and will help create order in a life that feels overwhelming with a million things to do. So now you may be asking, ok but does making a list REALLY help with stress? YES. And we have the facts to prove it.

Making a to-do list is an orderly way to organize the tasks you wish to complete. PLUS, writing it all down holds you accountable! Use a to-do list, to feel in control and at ease. Among the chaos of life with due dates overlapping and the feeling you have to be everywhere at once, a to-do list helps to break life down into bite-size chunks! 

Now it is time to prioritize! You can see all of the items at a glance and decide what needs to be checked off first! 

Check those items off that list! This gives you a positive productive feeling and this alone is worth making ENDLESS to-do lists!

As you see your tasks getting completed with efficiency and the list dwindling down, it allows you to relax more...take in a sigh of satisfaction! Work is getting done and so you can take a well-deserved break!

No science needs to be provided to prove that hanging out with your friends can instantly lift your mood and make your stresses fade away, even if it is only for a little while. Your friends are always there to pick you up when your down, listen to you vent, make you laugh uncontrollably, and most importantly be your hype girl! If you feel overwhelmed and consumed by stress, take time to step away and be with the people who make you feel good!