1. Eat Well-Balanced Meals

Watching what you eat is always a good idea. Eating whole, healthy foods without skipping meals restores balance and reduces the effects of stress on your body. Focus on clean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats to help regulate levels of cortisol (your stress hormones).

2. Get Regular Exercise

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress for improved mood and physical health. Even taking a short walk outside can be enough to oxygenate your muscles and get your blood pumping. Being physically active in daily activities that require both arm and leg movements are healthy choices for relieving stress.

3. Think Positively

Keep a realistic and positive attitude. Catch yourself in your negative talk (both verbal and internal) and make changes. An example:

• Think of something funny and allow yourself to smile.
• Take a deep breath and move forward from your thoughts.

It’s important to make an effort to break out of the negative thought-cycle that often accompanies stress. Try this:

• Acknowledge your stress by bringing attention to it.
• Allow yourself to take in what is stressing you out, then send it away.
• Take a deep breath and move on.

Don’t allow the thought to come back. If it does, repeat the above steps to overcome it altogether. If you allow positive thoughts into your mind, you’ll be better equipped to handle stressful situations when they happen, and remember: You can’t control some things.

4. Eliminate Energy Drains

Examine your life, and if something exhausts you or leaches energy from you, let it go. I like the analogy that people and situations are either like taps or drains. Some people and situations are like a tap in that they fill you up with positivity and energy. Others are like drains in that they drain you of energy and cause negativity, and you don’t need that bringing you down. It’s time to let the drains go.

5. Manage Your Time Wisely

Work and home-life schedules can cause stress if you don’t manage your time well. Make a list of all the important things that you need to do and list them in order of priority. Make due dates for each item on your list to ensure you’ll get all your tasks or jobs done.

6. Breathe Deeply

Deep breathing is one of the easiest and best ways to relieve stress. Deep breathing helps transport oxygen to all parts of your body and helps protect against brain fog, depression, anxiety and other symptoms of stress.

7. Relax

Having a few minutes to relax can help relieve the symptoms of stress. It also helps to take a step back from a stressful situation. Getting a massage or listening to music are excellent ways to relax. Or enjoy a bath with essential oils to enhance the calming experience.

8. Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine

Alcohol and caffeine are stimulants that increase stress levels rather than reducing them. If you can’t avoid them then reduce your intake of caffeine and any drinks containing alcohol. Swap alcohol and caffeinated drinks for water, herbal teas or sparkling water.

9. Stay Hydrated

Stress can cause dehydration, and dehydration can cause stress, as well as other problems like fatigue and headaches. To avoid this, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and up to 16 glasses a day if you’re active and outdoors for the better part of the day and especially if it’s hot outside.

10. Get More Restful Sleep

Inadequate sleep is a significant cause of stress. Sleep is crucial for maintaining good physical and mental health. When you’re tired, you lower your ability to deal with stress. Aim for at least 7-9 hours of solid sleep every night. (Children age 6-13 should get around 9-11 hours while teens should get around 8-10 hours.) You’ll reduce your stress hormone levels and get your energy back on track.