Top 5 stress busting tips

Eat. Sleep. Work. Repeat. What doesn’t roll off the tongue in the same way is: trek to the shops, lug the shopping home, plan what to cook, cook said meal, eat, clean up said meal, reply to a dozen work emails, fall asleep replying to said emails, curse your alarm clock when it jolts you awake, get the kids fed, dressed, and to school, somehow get this all done before work at 8am. Repeat. Now while this is most definitely not a rose-tinted way of looking at it, the point is that we are all guilty of finding ourselves rushing around at full speed, to the point that we can sometimes forget to properly look after ourselves. Which is why we’ve come up with our top 5 tips for feeling less stressed:

1. Make sure you get that full 8 hours sleep a night. Your body needs this time to recuperate properly, and it will do wonders for your energy levels and mood the following day.
2. The great Michelle Obama once said ‘For me exercise is more than just physical – it’s therapeutic.’ And as cliché as it sounds, exercise does reduce stress, fact. Physical activity produces endorphins, the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, meaning post-exercise you will feel less stressed, will sleep better and generally feel better for it. And this doesn't have to mean punishing yourself by getting up at the crack of dawn for an exercise class situated in what can only be described as a nightclub, but going for a brisk walk at the weekend or doing a yoga video on YouTube in your PJs.
3. Diet. When we’re tired and stressed, it’s very easy to be tempted by the ready meals on the way home from work. But these processed foods have so many hidden nasties in them that will do us no good whatsoever, and will in fact make us feel worse. By removing foods that make us feel tired and bloated, and replacing them with a healthy balanced diet rich in plant based foods and lean protein, you will start to feel more energised and less stressed.
4. Switch off. Research has found that in the UK we spend on average 5 hours a day on our mobile phones, whether it’s messaging, emailing or using social media. That’s a third of our waking day. Try setting yourself an electronic device curfew, that means no phones, laptops or TV at least an hour before bed. This will help you to properly switch off and lead to a more restful sleep.
5. Allow yourself ‘me time’. Every weekend I sit down and read The Sunday Times, and it sounds simple, but the hour or two that I take to properly sit down, focus my attention on reading the content and allowing myself to focus on this one thing that I enjoy, is such a great feeling. So whether it’s taking twenty minutes for a bath, going on a post-supper stroll, or visiting that exhibition you’ve been meaning to go to, carve out that time in your schedule to focus on doing something that makes you happy.