New Year, New You: Easy Steps to a Stress-Free Year

By Candy

[It's a new year (which I am having trouble remembering when I have to write the date on anything), meaning it's the perfect time to wipe that slate clean and start anew. And we're gonna help you out. Every Thursday in January we're bringing you advice from experts on ways to improve yourself and your life. From mental health to making the most of your workspace, we'll all work together to get our lives, health and GPAs back on track. First we feng shui-ed our rooms to make them happier, more productive places; now it's time to overhaul our inner selves with mind/body coach, Sarah Yost.]

Stressors in life are inevitable: deadlines, expectations, the lack of time to do it all. But you don’t have to be at the mercy of those things. The less you stress the better you’ll feel and the more you’ll accomplish. Think about your energy as if you have a finite amount of it every day. If you use a lot of it stressing out about things beyond your control, you’re left without the energy you need to actually do the things that matter to you.

So how does one simply not stress?

Try these six easy tips to calm down and preserve your energy so you can accomplish everything on your plate and all those other things you just want to have time for.

Attend to your breath.
You know how people are always telling you to “just breath”? Well, there’s a reason for it! Full diaphragmatic breaths aren’t going to cut a full fledged panic attack, but they will make a noticeable difference. Full breaths change you physiologically, bringing more oxygen to your blood, slowing the heart rate and soothing the nervous system.

Try this: Inhale through the nose to the count of four, exhale through your mouth to the count of four.  Do that four times. That simple exercise will make a huge difference, and it takes less than a minute and you can do it anywhere with your eyes open. No one needs to know what you’re up to and you don’t need to schedule any extra time in your busy day to find some inner peace.

Schedule breaks.
Productivity decreases with time spent on projects. And if you try to push through just to get done, you’ll get less done. Even brief breaks recharge the brain, allowing it to function more optimally.

Have you ever forgotten a word—something simple, that’s just on the tip of your tongue? The more you focus on trying to remember it, the more elusive it gets. And then when you stop forcing it, it floats to the front of your consciousness. The same kind of thing happens when you’re pushing through while studying or doing big projects. Breaks are necessary for success, so while it seems counter-productive, give yourself some time away to breathe (or just not to think about it for a bit), then come back and get it done right.

Decide how you want to feel.
When you awaken each day, think about what you want to feel that day: focused, clear, competent, joyful, confident, strong. Whatever it is (even simply “happy”), pick a word or emotion that appeals to you. Then, make your choices for the day based on whether it will support that feeling state. Like everything in life, if you make the effort of making it a goal, you’ll be more cognizant to make it happen.

Avoid overwhelm
When you’ve got a lot coming your way in a short amount of time, it can seem impossible to get through it all….at least without a major stress session. The key is breaking it all down. Capture everything swimming around your head that needs to be addressed. Whether you’re overwhelmed with all of your responsibilities or with one big project or paper, write down everything that’s swimming around in your brain so you have some room in there to figure out what to do first. Then, break down the project into smaller, more manageable pieces.

If you feel muddled or overwhelmed at any point in the planning process, you need to break down the steps even further. Each first step needs to feel ridiculously easy or you’ll never get through it. Newton’s Law of Motion says what’s in motion stays in motion. Breaking down a project into ridiculously easy steps will get you moving and once you’re moving on it, you’re more likely to keep moving on it.

Laugh.
It’s impossible to laugh and worry at the same time. Plus, laughter decreases the levels of stress hormones and increases healthy hormone levels. Aim for laughing 20 times a day by exposing yourself to funny things (bookmark this, ladies), laughing at your mistakes instead of taking yourself so seriously, and hanging out with people who laugh a lot (it’s contagious).

Let your mistakes go.
Look for others who can benefit from your mistakes. Tell them what you did and how you overcame it. This can be in the form of a lesson or a funny anecdote. The more open and honest you are with others, the more they’ll reciprocate. Screw ups aren’t nearly as terrible when you realize you’re not alone. And if nothing else, sharing it might make you laugh about it…and that’s just another way to make it all better.

Get more of Sarah’s expertise at www.sarahwagneryost.com.