Top ways to reduce daily stress

💙 Before shutting off that screen, practice Mel Mah’s guided exercise, Screen Off, Sleep On, for a gentle flow to prepare you for rest. 💙 Start your morning with the Daily Calm for a new 10-minute meditation led by Tamara Levitt each day. Habits are behaviors we perform automatically, often without much thought, as a result of repetition and what is known as a “contextual clue” alerting us to the action.
If you struggle to put words to emotions, try using The Feelings Wheel to identify and communicate your experience. It’s completely normal to find yourself feeling great one day, then completely down Calm Down. Hat the next and sometimes you just have no idea why. As a human living on planet Earth, our moods can shift like the weather, which makes it challenging to maintain a consistent emotional state.
CALM DOWN. It’s not a lifestyle. It’s THE lifestyle. A reminder that true power lies in staying centered. You don’t win by being rattled or restless. You win by staying cool, calm, and collected.

Whether stepping into a boardroom, hitting the gym, or living your everyday hustle, one thing remains true: greatness comes from a clear mind. CALM DOWN is the mantra that brings focus back to where it belongs. Because when the world speeds up, the best slow it down.

CALM DOWN. CALMATE:

If none of these options are helping you to calm down, and your emotions are still rampant, you still have a great last option. Your thoughts will likely orient towards blaming another person, turning the situation into  a catastrophe, insulting the other person, entitlement, or assuming malintent. However, determining whether your calmness is constructive at the moment is beneficial. When you feel agitation rising, the first step is to recognize and acknowledge it within yourself as quickly as possible. Once you’ve acknowledged your state, you have a choice about how to restore your calmness. Feel free to include any tips from following list in your plan.
However, these will vary between people and events. Exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and staying connected to people who care about you are great ways to stave off anxiety symptoms. Although everyone is different, and some people experience social anxiety, spending time with friends and family regularly may help you manage your anxiety. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy helps people learn different ways of thinking about and reacting to anxiety-causing situations.

It's about acknowledging and accepting your thoughts and emotions, living fully in the present, and adopting practices that nurture your wellbeing. It can be as simple as taking a few moments each day to focus on your breath, express gratitude, or enjoy a quiet walk in nature. Taking care of our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing isn't a luxury; it's a necessity. Don't forget to set aside time for yourself every day. Not only do you deserve it, it’s also an important way to cultivate self-love that leads to inner peace. Jan is a dog behaviorist and writer living in the Cotswolds, UK. She has shared her life with dogs for over fifty years and is fascinated by behavior.
To cope with anxiety in the moment, try interrupting negative thought patterns with positive ones, deep breathing exercises, grounding techniques, getting exercise, or using aromatherapy. To treat anxiety and manage long-term symptoms, it may be helpful to track your triggers, seek therapy, or talk to a medical provider about medication. Eating a healthy diet, staying active, journaling, and keeping an active social life are also shown to positively affect anxiety. Maintaining a positive mindset during tough times starts with acknowledging your feelings.

Situations are easier to address when you label your feelings. Fight-or-flight mode can lead to irrational behaviors, so it is important to acknowledge your feelings. Teaching children that these emotions are normal will make children more open to talking about them with their parents. You can also consider using pet gates and barriers to create separate spaces for your pets when needed. This article was co-authored by Tracy Carver, PhD. Dr. Tracy Carver is an award-winning Licensed Psychologist based in Austin, Texas.
Do you always bring dessert to family get-togethers? Perhaps you’re in tune with others’ emotions and are empathetic. Remember that many people you know have struggled with an inferiority complex at some point in their lives. An inferiority complex, or feeling less valuable than others, is something many people from all walks of life experience. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-year teacher or the school principal, struggling with an inferiority complex is common. And it’s more intense than just having low self-esteem.
When stress strikes, it goes straight to this almond-shaped part of the brain and over-rides our reasoning ability. On a personal note…I had such an experience recently. The mere fact that I had printed out the information explaining how all this works, helped me to reason my way out of a very worrying place. I look back at the place I was in and than God that I am a reader of all things ‘Psych’.

Not quite sure how to take a break or stop feeling like you always have to be "doing" something? It's not always easy to slow down, but it turns out that slowing down is exactly what we need to boost our well-being. (Not sure of your current level of well-being? Take the quiz here.) Slowing down is not only good for our well-being, but it can also help us feel less stressed while accomplishing more.
The great thing about practicing gratitude is it’s something you can do anywhere, anytime. All you need to do is take a few minutes and think of a few things you’re grateful for. Sometimes they are small things, like a warm pair of socks. Finding moments of connection and truly listening to the person you’re talking to is a great way to help you slow down and be more present in your life.
Guided meditation can also be used for specific purposes, such as pain management, improving sleep, or dealing with difficult emotions. It’s a versatile form of meditation anyone can practice regardless of their experience level. Research shows that transcendental meditation can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. TM practitioners recommend doing this for about 20 minutes twice a day.