We all live busy professional lives.  Stress can seem to come from any where these days.  It’s a 24/7 culture with nonstop ways to communicate…email, text, Instagram, snap chat, and more.  Here are some things to consider making life more enjoyable and maybe slow it down some too.

Exercise more.   A 7-minute workout might be just enough.  Recent articles have been written about how a 7-minute workout can be just as beneficial as an hour.  Whether you believe in the short burst workouts or not, a great stress reliever is exercise and the time you spend for yourself.

Sleep more.  This is underrated in our “go get’em” American bravado to getting it done.   Sleep helps the body recover and repair itself.  Sleep deprived people more often fail to recall pleasant memories and instead recall more gloomy ones.  Think happier thoughts…get more sleep.

Spend time with family and friends.  A study done recently indicated one of the top 5 regrets of those dying was not spending enough time with family and friends.  We are here for such a moment; enjoy with those you love.

Help others.  This can enrich our lives and our well being.  Studies seem to point that 100 hours a year helping others can give us the “feel good” deposit that can add happiness and fulfillment.

Practice gratitude.  Even for the small things crossing our paths like a good hot cup of tea and the sunset.  Gratitude can be practiced in many different ways such as journaling what you are grateful for or simply writing a note of thanks to a friend or colleague.  An “attitude of gratitude” can go a long way to increasing life satisfaction.

Here’s to implementing your tactics for better stress management!

Mike