The Ultimate Stress Management Plan: Part 1

Stress. It’s part of everyday life. But guess what – it doesn’t have to be! Whether you’re working on your New Year’s resolutions or you’re just trying to improve your mental health, these tips from Midwest Psychological Services will help you lower your stress levels. Check out this comprehensive stress management plan.

Declutter Your Schedule

People often associate stress with physical clutter. A messy desk, a packed closet, or a trash-filled car can trigger stress. However, scheduling clutter can be significantly more stressful, and it often goes unnoticed.

To start your journey through stress management, take a look at your schedule. Are you overstretched in certain areas? Are there responsibilities you could eliminate? Prioritize how you spend your time, and consider taking a break from non-priorities. This will free up time for you. Just you.

Don’t feel obligated to replace that cleared space in your schedule. Instead, keep your time free to finish tasks you may have been neglecting. You may need to catch up on sleep from an aggressive work schedule, or maybe you have some unfinished projects around the house. With a bigger timeframe available, you can check off those to-do’s that are creating passive stress in your life.

Break Large Projects into Smaller Tasks

This is one of the most crucial steps in stress management. A large project can feel overwhelming and unattainable. If you break it into smaller components, you can accomplish them one by one. For instance, if you want to deep clean your house, start with just one room or one space. It could be a small closet, your bathroom cabinet, or that junk drawer in your kitchen. As you progress through the small tasks, you will see your end goal within reach.

Be aware of your personal limitations, and be realistic with your goals. You may have heard the saying. “A done something is better than a perfect nothing.” Use that as a mantra as you progress through your tasks. Every step you take is one step closer to your goal. When you finally reach the end, you will be able to look back at those steps and see how far you’ve come.

Continue to Part 2