3 Tips for a Less Stressful Week

Stress is something that everybody feels at some point in their lives. It’s a natural response to having numerous responsibilities and a jam-packed schedule.

Although short-term stress can be beneficial to help the body adapt to different stimuli, it becomes a problem when it’s chronic. Elevated cortisol can cause negative physical and mental side effects when it persists for weeks, months, or even years.

One of the main causes of long-term stress is having too little time. When you are constantly on the go, trying to cram as much as possible into every single day, it causes you to feel overwhelmed and that can contribute to burnout.

Here are three top tips to help you manage your time and reduce your stress levels.

Create a Calendar

Scheduling your workload onto a calendar can be a great way to help reduce daily stress levels.  Use a paper or digital calendar to organize your schedule at the start of each week. This will enable you to easily see what you need to get done and allow you to prioritize your time accordingly.   Clearly laying out all of your tasks will also help ensure you don’t arrive at the end of the week to an unpleasant surprise that you forgot to do something!

Another benefit of scheduling your workload?  You will also be able to see how much free time you have to relax and do the things that you enjoy outside of your daily obligations.  This leads us to the next tip.

Schedule Down Time

Work and personal responsibilities can often bring a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.  However, we shouldn’t be working 24/7. We need some relaxation time!

When you are scheduling out your workweek, don’t forget to schedule time for social events, self-care, and exercise. These are all important things that will help to lower your stress and calm your mind around your workload.

Assess Your Expectations

Sometimes, one way to deal with stress is to take a long, honest look at the expectations we place on ourselves and ask if they are realistic.  Of course, there are many things we can’t say no to, so focus on the parts you do have control over.  Is there a way to scale back?  Or ask for help?  Remember, no one is perfect and 100% successful all the time.  Take time to celebrate your wins!/p>