Feeling down lately? To the point that you can't see the beauty that's all around you.

Dreading and feeling stressed out about the day and week ahead?

Then, it’s time to stop doing things that create anxiety.

Take a break from social media

It used to be that people tried to “keep up with the Jones” in their respective neighborhoods. Now, everyone’s trying to keep up with dozens, even hundreds of people on social media. Stop monitoring Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc to see what everyone else is doing, visiting, eating or buying. It seems harmless enough but over time, it’ll only add to your stress level. Even if you’re generally a confident person, you’ll find yourself feeling inadequate or feeling a void just by constantly being bombarded with how great everyone’s life is.

Stop Multi-Tasking

I used to be proud of my ability to multi-task. Now, I think multi-tasking is the biggest energy sucker and cause of stress. I know you can’t escape multitasking in some jobs. But don’t let it consume you. It’s best to focus on one thing until completion then move on to the next task. Otherwise, nothing ever gets done completely or done with quality.

Stop Being Super Man or Super Woman

Get honest with yourself. You can’t do it all. And even if you can, you shouldn’t. Trying to be the star employee at work, then trying to be the super parent or super partner at home will eventually take a toll on your health. If you’re constantly picking up and cleaning after someone at home, stop. It’s time to have a chat to request that person starts to hold their own weight. Let your heart speak, not your ego. Otherwise, the conversation will be confrontational and it doesn’t have to be.

Cut Down On Watching News

I used to be in the news business full-time. Now, I'm a freelancer. I have found that I need to limit my intake of news to avoid stressing myself out. Just think about it. If all you do is absorb news about what’s wrong in your neighborhood, city and the world, you start to think that’s all there is. And that’s just not true. There’s a lot of good happening. We’re just not focused on it. You get to choose what to focus on.

Get Your Rest

This is probably the most important step of all. In the past, I’ve found that the less sleep I had, the more I felt a general dissatisfaction with my life and job. Once I caught up on sleep, my outlook became more positive. The National Sleep Foundation in the US recommends 7-8 hours for adults. Its 2014 survey found Americans slept an average of 7 hours and 36 minutes a night. But despite meeting the recommended number of hours a night, 35% report their sleep quality as “poor” or “only fair.”

Feeling stressed out produces different symptoms for different people. Perhaps you can’t go to bed at night easily. Or if you do, you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night. Or maybe your appetite increases or decreases when you’re stressed. Or maybe it’s gotten to the point where you have anxiety attacks. Whatever the symptom, remember - it’s our body’s way of telling us that something’s “off” and it’s in our best interest to get to the bottom of it and make the necessary changes.

Live Your Best Life,

Robert