Secrets To A Less Stressful Life

IN OUR OFTEN-HECTIC SCHEDULES WE LEAVE LITTLE ROOM TO CARVE OUT SPACE FOR OURSELVES. MARIA HOYLE SUGGESTS SOME WAYS TO CREATE A LESS-STRESSED LIFESTYLE

Ah, the serenity. There you are, the sand between your toes and the wind in your hair and the only decision to make is what to throw on the barbecue tonight. But as we all know, it doesn’t take long for the pressures of work and daily life to take over. That’s why we’ve put together a toolkit of handy stress-busting habits so you can weave a little serenity into your life every day for the rest of the year – even during the busiest of schedules.

Create buffers

Like a cup filled to the brim with anxieties, we carry the pressures and concerns of one sphere into another, ending up overwrought and overwhelmed. You may arrive home frazzled after being stuck in traffic or with lingering work challenges bouncing around your brain so you’re only half listening to your loved ones or, if you live alone, never truly able to switch off and chill. In the morning, you may arrive at work run ragged by the kids, or still fraught after battling to find a park. It’s important, therefore, to mark the transition between one sphere and the other so you can hit pause and regroup. Here are some simple ways to create a buffer between one realm and another.

1 SHIFT THE GEARSTICK INTO ‘PARK’ AND YOUR MIND INTO ‘NEUTRAL’