Everyone experiences stress as a result of the life demands that we manage from day to day. Whilst stress can motivate us and help us achieve our goals, when experienced at high levels or for long periods of time it can have a negative effect on your health.

While it may not be possible to eliminate all the stresses in your life, you could seek out ways to manage stress in your daily life. Here are 10 easy ways that could help you in managing stress.

1. Spread Out the Changes in Your Life

Give yourself time to adjust from one change to another. For example, try to space out major events such as getting married, changing jobs, and moving houses as much as possible to give yourself some time to manage and adjust to different changes in your life.

2. Plan Your Time Well

Being more organised and planning in advance can help reduce stress. It gives you an overview of the things you need to do and helps you identify the tasks you need to complete to achieve them. At work, you could plan your day and a make a to-do list and at home, you could have a calendar to mark out family weekends and activities.

3. Be Realistic About What You Can Do

Set realistic and achievable goals for yourself so that you do not become frustrated or discouraged. Goal-setting is also a good way to get yourself started on organising and planning your time!

4. Think Positive

Think positively, even during stressful situations. Viewing a stressful situation positively helps you see it in a different way. Instead of an obstacle, see the situation as an opportunity to challenge yourself!

5. Make Some Time for Yourself

Set aside some time for yourself regularly. It could be a few hours during the weekend or at night. Spend the time doing activities that you really enjoy, be it indoor pastimes like reading or watching a movie, or outdoor activities like cycling or hiking.

6. Spend Time with Your Family and Friends

Take the initiative to organise a family outing or a gathering with friends every once in a while. Spending time with people you enjoy being with helps take your mind away from stress. More importantly, having a good relationship with your family and friends also mean that you have support in times of distress! Learn more about building relationships with your family and friends.

7. Stay Physically Healthy

Engage in regular physical activity. Not only does regular physical activity keep you physically fit, it also helps to de-stress and improves your mood. You could begin by taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking to places nearby instead of taking the bus, or arrange for outdoor gatherings with your family and friends like cycling or roller-blading!

8. Learn Some Relaxation Techniques

Controlled breathing exercises, mental relaxation exercises like visual imagery and meditation, and muscle relaxation techniques are helpful in relieving stress. Click here to learn more about relaxation techniques.

9. Have a Healthy Diet

Maintain a balanced diet based on the guidelines provided by the Healthy Diet Pyramid. Eating healthy will provide your body with adequate vitamins and minerals to boost your immune system, keeping you strong and healthy. A healthy and balanced diet will also ensure that you have sufficient nourishment to sustain your energy throughout the day!

10. Get Enough Sleep

Try to get about 8 hours of sleep every night. Getting enough sleep is a basic but important way to keep stress away. With enough sleep, you will be able to concentrate better and be more productive in the day, allowing you to cope more effectively with stressful situations.