Lets face it. Life is busy. The days seem to speed by at record pace, you barely turn around and another month has passed us by.We are doing more and more in less and less time so it’s only natural that we feel a little stressed, and perhaps need to be reminded of the little things that we can do (with not much effort) to unwind and stress less.  

Too much on your plate?

1. Get a good night sleep

Sounds pretty obvious right? If you’re tired, you’re more likely to get stressed during the day. Studies have proven that a lack of sleep not only contributes to feelings of depression, anxiety and restlessness, it can lead to forgetfulness, causes accidents and can even serious health problems. Stressful huh! The recommended 6 to 8 hours of shut eye every night is just enough to allow your body to rest and repair. It is also important to ensure that its a proper sleep, so ensure that your ‘sleep space’ is a haven for rest. By limiting use of electronic devices close to bedtime will ensure your peepers get a chance to adjust to the darkness, allowing you the chance to power down effectively.

2. The great outdoors

Australians are spending more and more time in the office, sitting sedentary at our desks for up to 8 or more hours a day. This is not only stressful, it is seriously detrimental to our health. One of the easiest and most effective ways to relax throughout the day is to get outside. Guilty of working through your lunch break? Just 10 to 15 minutes in fresh air is enough to slow your heart rate, and lower your cortisol levels (the nasty stress hormone).  Better yet, if you are one of the tens of thousands of Australians that are deficient in Vitamin D, just 5-10 minutes is all it takes for a kiss from the sun and ensure your bones, muscles and cardiovascular system get one too.

3. Get moving

Exercise – don’t have time, right? There is no denying that the busier we get the harder it is to exercise. However it is one the easiest and most effective ways to relax. Oh the irony! While experts recommend 30-45 mins of exercise 4-5 times per week, sometimes it’s just not possible. Yet there are things you can do to still get the body moving and have it not take up too much time. Whether you bus or train to work, perhaps consider an alternate route that increases the pavement pounding. Driver? Why not combine the lunchtime escape with a brisk walk around the block. Even the smallest amounts of activity can have a huge impact.

4. Meditate

We’ve all heard about it, we all know it helps us relax, but seriously, there’s just too much going on upstairs, right? Meditation is actually surprisingly easy and you can start with just 5 minutes increasing the time gradually as you feel more comfortable.  To start, find a quiet space (or if you can’t download one of the many meditation music apps and pop in your headphones) and focus on your breathing. There is no need to try and quieten your mind, the minute that you fully focus on your breath, the rise and fall of your chest and the feeling of the exhalation on your top lip your mind will do it for you. As you progress, try to lengthen the count of your inhalation and exhalation. You’ll be a zen master in no time!

5. Get in the kitchen!

Last but certainly not least, one of the most effective ways to relax is to get cooking. Learning how to stress less is all about living in the moment – and not letting anxiety and worry distract you from your experience in the present. The simple act of chopping, stirring, mixing and dressing, is one of the best ways to melt away the stress of a busy day. As cooking is a task related activity is also allows you to focus on things other than work, leaving the meetings, the emails and the phone calls at the office. So pop on your favourite tunes, open up your delicious box of HelloFresh goodies and get creative. Best thing, is you get to enjoy the fruits of your relaxation at the end. Happy cooking!