5 habits for a less stressful week

I don’t know about you, but I find this time of year really stressful. Despite the year ending and things supposedly winding down, it seemslike my to-do list is the length of my arm and every time I tick one off,another one crops up. That ‘never enough hours in the day’ feeling crops updaily and my stress levels are sky-high.

We all get stressed – it’s a matter of fact. But to helpfuture me out, there are a number of things I do each week to ensure my stress is kept to a minimum:

     One day to get shit done

My day off currently is Friday. This is my dedicated ‘get shit done day’. Blogging, cleaning, emails, the lot – I do it all. Every Friday morning I’ll try to get up at a reasonable time and have a good old ‘brain dump’ on a piece of paper. This is, I’ll write absolutely everything in my brain at that time. What I need to do, what I need to be thinking about over the next week or so, and everything else.

Fridays are my productive days, and I try to get as much done as possible, without tiring myself out.

     The night before rituals…

Work can be stressful too. That’s why I do the night before rituals. I’ll pack my gym bag, get my clothes out, and pack my lunch every night before work to give me one less thing to worry about in the morning. I know if I kick the day off in a stressed mood, it’ll set me off on a wobble for the rest of the day.

      Schedule some me time and some gym time

Every week I like to plan in some me time and some gym time. For me, the gym helps massively to combat any stress. I usually pop in after work 3-4 times a week for an hour long workout with just me and my headphones.

Equally though, I feel like some me time is always necessary too. This usually takes place every Sunday night and consists of a bath, a face mask, a good old pamper and some Netflix. We all need time to relax and unwind – don’t ever forget the importance of self-care.

     Tidy up

I’m a big believer of a tidy space = a tidy mind. I’m a bitof a cleaner, and like my space to be tidy. Sure enough I do let the mess pileup every once in a while, but I like to do my best to put things away after Iuse them and try to avoid creating that clothes chair I’m pretty sure everyperson ever has.

     Get out and socialise

If you know me, you know I’m not a massive socialiser. I much prefer a night in on the sofa than a night out on the town. But I think it’s important to socialise with different people throughout your life, not just when you’re feeling stressed! 

Make some plans, whether it be going to a gym class with a friend, going out for coffee or a night up your local. It’s important to have occasions booked into your diary to look forward to. Sometimes you might not even look forward to it, and you’d prefer to stay at home watching telly, but chances are you’ll be grateful once you’ve been. It’s great to talk to friends about how you’re feeling, or if you’re not up for that, just hanging out with others works as a great stress-buster to get your mind off things.

How do you tackle your stress?

Lucy x