How to stress less and enjoy the simple pleasures of life

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. But when you’re able to get a handle on it and learn how to manage it, it won’t control your life or dictate how you feel. In this article, we will give you some tips on how to stress less and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

 Take time out from social media and your phone

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be on 24/7.

Imagine if you were a small business owner who had no choice but to be reachable by phone and email at all times, no matter what was happening in your life. You’d probably feel stressed out and overwhelmed pretty often. Sure, there may be moments when you need access to communication devices for specific reasons (like an unexpected emergency), but it’s possible—and healthy—to take breaks from them every once in a while.

The same principle applies when it comes to social media and other online activities: Although they can give us access to information and entertainment whenever we want, they also make it possible for us to frequently check in on the goings-on of our friends’ lives without actually spending time with them. Rather than scrolling through Instagram while sitting at dinner with friends or family, try setting aside some time each day just for enjoying life’s movements with you or with loved ones so that these moments aren’t lost amid all of our digital distractions!

 Don’t be afraid to say no

One of the best ways to relieve stress is to say no when you need to. It’s okay if your friends or family don’t understand why you can’t commit to something right now, but that’s not your problem. You are not a bad person for saying “no,” and in fact, by saying no, you’re actually being a good person. You can say no without feeling guilty about it, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Don’t feel like there has to be an explanation for everything either! If someone asks what happened or why you didn’t want to do something, just tell them that it wasn’t going to work out this time around (or whatever other explanation suits your needs). Don’t worry about making everyone happy; try to make yourself happy more often instead!

 Try New Things

 Try new things. The next time you find yourself in a situation that seems stressful or uncomfortable, try to think of it as an opportunity to learn something new. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the courage, now is your chance! Although too many new experiences can be overwhelming if you keep trying one at a time and focus on what interests and excites you, eventually it will become second nature.

 Check out some cool new places near where you live! One way that I get more comfortable with my surroundings is by checking out events at other places nearby—there’s always something fun going on somewhere else within driving distance of me!

 Go for long walks

Walking is one of the easiest ways to lower stress, according to Harvard Health. It can also help you sleep better, lose weight and feel happier. The best part about walking for stress relief is that it’s free and easy to do anywhere. You just need a pair of good shoes and some time on your hands!

Walking helps relieve stress because it increases the amount of oxygen circulating in your blood — which means more oxygen gets delivered to your brain and muscles. When this happens, there are fewer feelings of tension in our bodies (and minds).

Exercise has also been shown to reduce depression symptoms by increasing levels of serotonin — a chemical messenger in the brain that helps regulate moods and emotions.

 Spend more time with the people you love

Spend more time with the people you love. When was the last time you spent some quality time with your friends and family? If it’s been a while, it’s time to take a break from the hustle and bustle of life and enjoy some quality time with those closest to you.

If all else fails, try this: spend an evening curled up on the couch watching Netflix together. It may not be fancy, but cuddling in front of a TV can also be one of life’s simple pleasures.

 Follow your passions

A simple way to reduce stress is to find your passion and do it. That doesn’t mean you have to be an artist, a professional athlete, or travel the world (though that certainly wouldn’t hurt). It can be something as simple as playing with your cat or cooking dinner for friends—whatever you enjoy doing most in life.

If you don’t know what your passion is yet, take some time to figure it out by exploring different hobbies and activities until you find one that makes you happy. Then make sure that at least some of your time is devoted to this activity! Consider this a big part of what makes up who you are and how others see you as well.

The same goes for work: if there’s no way around it because of financial reasons, then try finding a job where there’s some overlap between the work itself and what brings joy into life so there’s still some sense of fulfillment even when dealing with less-than-ideal circumstances on an everyday basis (like having an office full of grumpy coworkers).

 Work on Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a state of consciousness that helps us focus on the present moment. It’s not just about meditation and yoga, but also about developing an awareness of our surroundings, emotions, and thoughts through simple exercises like noticing your breath as you breathe in and out.

Many studies have shown that practicing mindfulness can reduce stress levels. This is because it helps people avoid ruminating over past mistakes or worrying about future events. Instead, they become more focused on what’s happening around them right now! It also allows them to feel more connected with others by focusing not only on their own feelings but also those of others (such as sitting down together for dinner).

 Take notice of the world around you

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle, but it’s important to take time out of your schedule to notice the world around you.

Taking notice of what’s going on around you will help you reduce stress by shifting your focus away from yourself and towards something outside yourself. The more things we can notice about our environment, the more sensory information we have available for making decisions—and that helps put our brains at ease!

To start noticing things around you:

 Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. This will help relax both your mind and body so that they’re ready for focusing on external stimuli rather than internal ones like worries or negative thoughts.

 Notice the color of the sky today—is it clear blue or cloudy with tinges of pink? Count how many birds fly overhead while checking emails at work each day (I personally love this one), or just look up into space right now as you read this article…it may seem silly but I promise it works!

 Invest in Yourself

 Invest in your health. This can mean going to the gym, eating better food, and taking care of your body.

 Invest in your education. If you feel like there’s something you’ve always wanted to learn more about or be more skilled at, make it a priority to do so now!

 Invest in your relationships. It’s easy to get caught up with work or other obligations that we forget to nurture our friendships with people close to us. Make time for these people and keep those bonds strong!

 Invest in your work—the same way you would invest money into buying stocks: by treating it as something important rather than just another thing on the list of things you need to do today.

 Practice Gratitude

Practice gratitude. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can be difficult to remember what’s good in your life. But when you’re stressed out and in a bad mood, it’s critical to find a way to refocus on the positive aspects of living. If you keep your focus on what’s wrong and what needs fixing, you’ll never find peace or joy because there will always be more things that need correcting or improving.

 Counting your blessings helps keep things in perspective and reminds us of why we have so much to be grateful for even when things aren’t perfect right now. Here are some ideas: Write down three things each day that made you happy; write down three things each week that made you proud; list five qualities about yourself that are worth appreciating (intelligence, kindness, etc.).

 Be kind to yourself

Let’s face it, life can be tough and frustrating. We all get stressed out at times, and it’s easy to criticize ourselves for not being perfect. But the reality is that no one else is perfect either so why should you expect yourself to be? Take a moment today and try being kinder to yourself:

You are your own best friend. Treat yourself like you would treat a good friend who was going through a difficult time. Be gentle with yourself, give yourself some space if you need it, and have compassion for your shortcomings and failures – but also celebrate your small successes!

It’s ok not to feel perfect all of the time! There will always be days when things don’t go as planned or we make mistakes – but those experiences are part of what makes us human beings capable of feeling love for others around us despite our imperfections!

 Celebrate Small Wins

If you’re an overachiever like me, it can be difficult to celebrate small wins. We want the big wins—the promotions and the recognition. But if we want those big wins, we need to take time to appreciate the little victories in between. And when we do, they can help us reach our larger goals by making us feel better about ourselves and giving us confidence that we can accomplish them.

In fact, celebrating these small victories should be a habit! If you think about it, your journey towards any goal is made up of countless small steps: each time you move forward on your task list or complete an assignment at work (or home), that’s a mini-win; each time you complete a task faster than expected or earlier than planned—another one! All these individual accomplishments add up over time and eventually lead to greater achievements as well as confidence in yourself and your abilities.

So how do you celebrate these victories? You could treat yourself with something special like going out for dinner or drinks with friends after work—something that makes sense given what was accomplished today (it doesn’t have to be expensive!). Or perhaps just take some extra time off from whatever project is stressing you out at the moment and enjoy some downtime instead—maybe even go see a movie!

 There are lots of simple ways we can find contentment and happiness in our lives

Finding contentment and happiness in our lives is all about being able to relax and unwind, taking time out from social media and our phones, saying no to things that don’t make us happy, finding simple pleasures in life such as going for a walk or having a cup of tea with friends, and not becoming too stressed when things go wrong.

 Conclusion

The next time you feel yourself getting stressed out, take a deep breath, step back from the situation and ask yourself what can be done to make things better. Then, try one of these tips to help calm your mind and get back on track with whatever it is that makes life worth living for you.