I realize that you are a busy, stressed out person with no time to waste. Respecting that, here are 10 things you can do starting one minute from now that will greatly reduce your stress today.
1. To calm down, write it down
In order to avoid stress of having to remember something, then worry about forgetting it, apologizing for it or messing up, immediately write it down into your task list. If you have nothing to write on ask Siri and she'll do it for you.
2. When stress is on the rise, you must prioritize
You cannot do everything so prioritize your list and pare it down until it is doable. Practice the rule of five and only do things if they fall into your top five. If they don't then delegate and ask your husband/wife to do that thing you know they hate doing but you are sick of handling.
3. Multitasking leads to stress, step by step will clean this mess
Research shows that those who multi-task actually lower their IQ, decrease brain density and tend to be pissed off a lot more than those who do one thing at a time. Thus, quit thinking that you are a robot and take it slow.
4. Give stress a shove and rise above
Seriously, what will happen if you don't do everything on your list today? Can you stop thinking the world will end? Unless you lost the keys to the nukes or are performing surgery at the moment, just breathe and realize it's may not be as important as you perceive it.
5. Your stress will go with the TV show
Ever find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat not knowing which of your favorite characters is about to be killed? You are "killing" yourself by doing that because your brain cannot distinguish between a real threat and an imaginary one. So it turns on the stress response and pumps you chock full of cortisol and adrenaline.
6. It's good to wait and meditate
Meditating for just 20 min/day can rewire your brain and reduce stress by reversing the stress response. Thus meditate for 10 min right after waking up (don't even open your eyes and sit up) and 10 min right before you fall asleep (no lotus position required).
7. Let go of despair with tons of fresh air
Getting enough fresh air is vital to every part of your body but it also decreases stress. It does so through activating the parasympathetic system (reduces the stress hormones). Also the smells from the outside such as scent of pine trees for instance decrease stress and promote relaxation. So don't just be a tree hugger, be a tree smeller.
8. An Orange a day makes your stress go away
Drink some orange juice, eat an orange, or smell an orange. This can reduce stress by up to 70 percent. It's due to Vitamin C which reduces cortisol levels in the body unlike coffee (sorry but that's the truth).
9. Stress is all gone when the music is on
10 minutes of music listening lowers your stress - so turn off News and Talk and turn on Mozart while commuting. Thirty to 60 beats per minute is best for stress reduction and relaxation. You get bonus points for finding music at 432 Hz (tuned with the Universe).
10. Get your life in order and drink lots of water
Stress causes dehydration and dehydration causes stress -- lovely stress cycle. Thus it is important to drink lots of fresh water throughout the day and keep those cortisol levels low.
There you have it, 10 things you can do starting now to make your day less stressful. If only I hadn't mentioned less coffee...
Allen Vaysberg is a Recalibration Expert and creator of the SEAMLESS method who facilitates people's transition from unfulfilled and stressed to doing what they love and being at peace. He speaks on life purpose, career change, work-life balance and the recalibration process and runs online programs helping people re-calibrate their lives. For more information and practical inspiration visit www.allenvaysberg.com and www.seamlessmethod.com