In today's fast-paced, often chaotic world, it can be overwhelming to manage everyday stress and navigate life’s challenges. We all experience stress and anxiety at times, but it's important to find calm in the chaos and learn how to alleviate the pressure, and support yourself better to maintain a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. 

Here are 11 ways to manage everyday stress more effectively to cultivate more peace and harmony, and a greater sense of tranquility.

1. Make mindfulness part of your daily routine

One of the best ways to cultivate more harmony and peace in your life is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present at the moment and non-judgmentally observing your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. When you practice mindfulness, you learn to respond to those emotions more positively. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, including meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises. Even simple activities such as taking a walk or doing the dishes can be done mindfully. When you practice mindfulness regularly, you will find that you are more relaxed and centered, and you are better able to handle stress and challenges.

A good way to start being mindful is to pause for a moment and just be aware. Use your senses to ground you in where you are. What do you see? Smell? Hear? 

Do this a few times throughout your day and you’ll find a deeper sense of connection to the here and now.

Join the How to Manage Everyday Stress Short Course to build a personal toolkit of healthy habits.

2. Make more time for things that boost your energy 

When thinking about your energy levels, it helps to picture your phone battery. Operating at a constant “half-full” capacity can leave you feeling depleted and worn out. With less to give, you are more likely to reach a burnout level.

Imagine a grid with four quadrants. The top layer represents the sympathetic nervous system which is your natural instinct relating to the fight or flight mode (high energy). The bottom layer will serve to represent your parasympathetic nervous system, made up of rest or digest (low energy). In the busy times that we live in, many of us spend a lot of our days in fight or flight mode. Ideally, we should be operating in a healthy combination of the two layers to recharge. 

To boost your energy, you should think about using the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to your advantage. When you’re enjoying your work and are feeling productive by completing several tasks in a short period, it is a healthy use of that energy. For restoring your energy, think about the low-exertion activities you can do to help you recharge. Reading your book on the beach or spending time in nature are some ideas.

If you’re constantly in a state of high stress where you are on edge or feeling in a slump with low energy at burnout level, these nervous system parameters could be unbalanced and shaky. Taking the time to recharge with things that boost your energy, such as doing the things you love, will sustain your mind and body.

3. Build a strong support system 

Identifying internal and external resources that have helped and continue to help you overcome stress makes life feel more manageable. It’s not always easy to ask for support, but having someone to rely on when there are challenges can make a huge difference to how quickly and easily you can navigate struggles.

There are different types of support needed in various ways and means. Emotional support is where you can offload safely and freely, informational support gives you a place to turn to for sound advice or decision-making help, instrumental support will help you with real everyday actions such as a meal when you’re strung for time, and companionship support provides love and company for switching off, fun and relaxation.

4. Remind yourself daily about what you are grateful for 

Practicing gratitude is about being more aware of the world around us beyond ourselves, and recognizing and acknowledging the gifts bestowed upon us daily. When you focus on the positive things in your life and express gratitude for them, you shift your perspective and become more aware of the good things around you. Gratitude can help you feel more content and satisfied with your life, and can also improve your relationships and your overall well-being. 

By taking a few moments when you wake up in the morning or before you go to sleep at night to reflect on three things you are grateful for, you are automatically set up for a more positive mindset. Your cup of coffee, being in a warm bed, or the presence of your pet are some simple ideas to get your gratitude list on the go.
 

5. Set professional and personal boundaries

You may think that you have good, healthy boundaries in place. Yet for most people, when asked what exactly their boundaries are, they have a hard time defining them clearly. Without them, people won’t think twice about walking all over you. When you set boundaries, you are defining what is and isn't acceptable in your relationships and your life. This can help you avoid overcommitting yourself, saying yes when you actually mean no, or letting others take advantage of you. Setting boundaries can be challenging but essential for your mental and emotional well-being.

6. Spend time with nature and focus on the simple joys of life

Spending time in nature can be incredibly grounding and calming. Whether you take a walk in the park, go for a hike, or simply sit outside and enjoy the sunshine, spending time in nature can help you feel more at peace. Being in nature can also help you gain perspective and remind you of the beauty of the world around you. Of course, not everyone has access to nature for a quick fix, or the time to dedicate for a walk, but exposing oneself to aspects of nature can still have healing, rejuvenating benefits.

7. Simplify your life and establish a productive routine

Simplifying your life can help you reduce stress and create more space for peace and harmony. This can mean decluttering your home, simplifying your schedule, or simplifying your relationships, choosing to surround yourself with people who uplift and support you, and avoiding those who bring you down or create drama. 

When you simplify your life, you can focus on what's truly important to you and let go of the rest, opening yourself up to practicing crucial self-care – which means taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional needs. This can include activities such as getting a massage, taking a bath, reading a book, or spending time in nature. When you practice self-care regularly, you are showing yourself love and compassion, and you are nurturing your inner peace and harmony.

Sometimes simplifying your life can just be about making things easier for yourself. Allowing life to feel more manageable by cutting out things that don’t add value or help you move closer to your vision.

8. Prioritize your mental, emotional, and physical fitness

Many of us make the time to exercise and get in our daily greens because we know how important it is for our health. The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. Just as preparing for a marathon requires diverse physical training in and out of a gym, so we need to carve out space with the right tools for nourishing our mental health.

Emotional and mental fitness can often be overlooked. How many times have you been surprised to hear of someone struggling with a mental health issue although, from a physical standing, they seem to have it all together? Prioritizing a time and tool such as meditation or journaling will help you keep your mental and emotional health in a healthy rhythm. 

By strengthening the connection between our mind and body and understanding how they work together, we can develop a better relationship with both. This leads to a healthier, longer, and happier life.

9. Be conscious of what you consume

As we go about our daily lives, we are exposed to different people, environments, and content on social media and beyond. When we pick up our phones, we have news notifications, messages, and access to a world of opinions and negativity at the click of a button. Before tapping into a piece of content, rather take a step back and think about whether or not it will be beneficial. 

What we put into our minds and bodies can dramatically impact our thoughts and state of being. From the content we read to the food we decide to eat; we’re flooded with choices. Each decision can be a way to build ourselves up or take away from a positive mindset. It’s so important to be aware of how things affect you so that you can incorporate what serves you into your day-to-day. Perhaps it will be beneficial to take stock of what you’re putting into your mind. It can be helpful to unfollow certain social media accounts that leave you feeling low or to just take a break from the news every once in a while.

10. Surround yourself with good people 

Stress can feel more manageable when you have a support system. Having people in your circle that encourage and uplift you will help you to share the load and remain motivated throughout the tough times. It has been said that you are the average of the five people that you spend the most time with. Our behavior, our attitude, and ultimately, our results can be impacted by those in our circle of influence.

Surround yourself with people you admire, that push you forward, and encourage you to be your best self.

11. Make time for fun and rest 

It can be challenging to find time for yourself and the things that you enjoy. Our to-do lists are long, and we have many responsibilities across the board. Setting intentions, which are more focused on the feeling behind an achievement, could be a less pressurizing way to get that sense of accomplishment in the various areas of our lives.

For most people to feel truly fulfilled, it's important to carve out time for things like work, love, play, and rest. These categories cover the key aspects of a satisfying life, and as we strive for balance, it helps to keep them in mind.

As eagerly as we set our intentions for work, we need to have real intentions for rest and play. Some ideas for the play quadrant could be listening to music, spending time with your children, or being creative. For the rest element, it could be putting time into creating better sleep habits or enjoying a weekend away.

Cultivating more harmony and peace in your life requires intentional effort and a commitment to self-care and mindfulness. It takes a combination of focusing on gratitude, spending time in nature, and cultivating healthy habits. By practicing these regularly, you can reduce stress and anxiety, improve your relationships, and enhance your overall well-being.

Join the How to Manage Everyday Stress Short Course to build a personal toolkit of healthy habits.

All of the content on our website is thoroughly researched to ensure that the information shared is evidence-based. For more information, please visit the academic journals and other resources that influenced this article:
Mindful Relating: Exploring Mindfulness and Emotion Repertoires in Intimate Relationships; Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A Non-Pharmacological Approach For Chronic Illnesses; Forgiveness and Physical Health; Find, Remind, and Bind: The Functions of Gratitude in Everyday Relationships; Physical Activity; You Are The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With