Make Every Day Special to Beat Stress

We are frequently reminded of the stressful components of our everyday lives. Stress may come from your work – or lack of it – financial worries, your personal life, relationships, or just flying from task to task, never having time to do what you need to do. Maybe you are feeling more tired than usual, worrying more, feeling overwhelmed, having less fun – and being aware that you need to change things.

When you are feeling overwhelmed by how much you have to achieve, it can be tempting to make more time to complete these by sacrificing the activities you enjoy. Fun times can include exercise, socialising, family time, and spending time on your hobbies. But abandoning fun can be a huge mistake, because these interludes of pleasure are vital for a healthy work-life balance. They replenish our enthusiasm for life, and nurture us. Without these activities, our daily routines can become a constant round of chores and dull tasks.

We are all prone to exaggeration from time to time, especially if we are feeling stressed. We might say, ‘Why do I always take on so much?’, or ‘I’m always the one who gets the hardest jobs to do at work’ when times get tough. Seeing your life through a lens that is negative and critical can create and maintain high stress levels. This in turn can make you more vulnerable to stress related illness. If life seems joyless and tiring, it can be helpful to make a conscious effort to include the things that make time carefree and happy. We all have different ideas of what makes our lives special.

Next time you make a to-do list for the week ahead, make sure you include at least one pleasure hit every day. This need not be something hugely expensive or time-consuming. Small treats can make every day special. We all have unique favourites. That butterscotch flavoured ice cream, a movie starring an actor you admire, a forest walk, a pleasant chat with a neighbour, swimming, sketching, a manicure… there are bound to be small but enjoyable things that you have not done for a while. So make sure you include these in your plans. They will sustain you through the more mundane times. At the end of the day, before sleep, it can be enjoyable to list five things mentally that have brought you happiness. It has to be five. Three will not do. The beautiful song of a bird, a warm smile from a stranger, playing with a dog… these can bring  moments of pleasure that can add up to becoming a positive and worthwhile day.

Analysing, understanding and acting on what is causing your life to go off the rails in terms of stress management are very important. We all owe it to ourselves to make every day a special one, and one that we can look back on with a smile. ADL provides a stress management course could prove to be a positive turning point in your life.