On top of it: 6 Secrets to a stress-free life

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Stress affects us all at one time or another. For some, it may be a little more, but regardless, it's a feeling we would all like to be rid of. But, how do you cut it out of your life, how do you achieve that euphoric feeling of being comfortable with your own choices and not feeling overwhelmed by numerous factors, such as disorganisation, or an inability to live in the present?

Well, we've got the answers to give you that stress-less lifestyle you've been craving. So, read on for 6 simple tips and tricks on how to live a stress-free life.

Stress can often be found in a disordered lifestyle. When you're not allotting yourself enough time to undertake your various tasks and activities, be it life maintenance, or work-related, it can lead to that last-minute panic as you scramble to get everything done at once.

You may also find yourself left with an uneasy feeling, that feeling that comes from never knowing if you've missed a deadline, event or appointment. And, the continuous string of apologies and rescheduling missed dates that come as a result.

Even if you're somebody that feels equipped to deal with this kind of lifestyle, over time you'll find yourself aching from a build-up of stress within your life. This can have both mental and physical repercussions, from headaches and backaches due to tension build-up, to anxiety problems, or simply a continuous stream of unease.

So, how do you fix this? Firstly, grab yourself a 2022 and 2023 diary. We may be halfway through the year but it is never too late to create lasting habits for yourself. Whilst the majority of us have calendars on our phones, the physical act of writing something down helps to better remember things in the long run.

Seeing things all laid out in one place provides structure and gives us the ability to properly understand when we have free time, and when we don't.

Once you have all your important dates set out in one place, you're able to create a routine around them, rather than the constant disarray of not knowing what is happening at any given time. A diary not only ensures that you can keep stock of all your commitments, but allows you to understand if you have the capacity to take on more activities, or responsibilities.

It may be that you simply don't have enough time to accomplish everything you've taken on, or that you have a habit of double booking commitments. But regardless, by putting the pen to paper and creating some semblance of order and understanding of your own schedule, you're sure to feel some weight release itself from your shoulders.

One of the funny things that we as people do, is stress about situations that are not only out of our control but are completely imaginary in the present. Humans have a habit of worrying about things that are yet to even come to fruition.

Maybe it is a mystical conversation with your boss that you've lived out within your mind. Or, a tension-heavy imaginary showdown with your ex-boyfriend at a party you'll both one day be at.

Today, it is so easy to create full-blown scenarios that breed a wild and rapidly developing panic-filled ecosystem within your mind. Whether it's from fixating on the negative events playing out on the nightly news or overhearing others' conversations discussing the future.

Your brain begins to compare your situation to theirs and all of a sudden you've planned out every worst-case scenario in the next twenty years. This is where you need to trim the fat. It is completely natural to feel stressed about certain situations.

But, spending mindless energy on problems that are completely unreal is a waste of mental capacity, and a sure-fire way to feel burned out. It is much easier said than done to just completely ditch the mental mind games cold turkey, but it will be worth it when you finally kick the habit.

Try different tactics until you find one that works for you. Maybe it's meditation anytime you begin to feel overwhelmed, or perhaps it is simply taking stock of the big picture, to see things in perspective during times when you think you've reached your limit. But, whatever the tactic is that works for you, it will be highly beneficial for your mental wellbeing and stress levels in the long run.

We all have moments of regret, or times where we wish we had said something different, be it smarter, cooler or more quick-witted. Sometimes we know we've made a mistake, or look back at a period of time where we know we could have worked harder, or done better.

But, hindsight is 20/20 and planting yourself in the past will do nothing for your future except make you feel weighed down, and overly stressed. So, it's time to move out of the past and into the present. Sit with the knowledge that everybody has had moments of embarrassment and virtually nobody's life is completely lacking in mistakes. The best thing you can do now is to work hard to not make them again.

However, people don't just live in the past due to regret. Sometimes, you can live in a period already gone due to it being such a highlight. Although this doesn't seem like a major problem, this can give you undue stress in the present because you're putting unnecessary pressure to relive moments like that again.

Appreciate each phase as it comes, and when it's over, usher in the next with excitement for what's to come.

As previously mentioned, we all have moments within our lifetime that we might regret in some capacity. But, something many of us do is criticise ourselves in a way where the punishment does not fit the crime. It's time to break this cycle.

Making mistakes is a part of being human, so even when you do mess up and make a mistake, it is important to remember, that you are not the first person to miss a deadline, forget somebody's name or sleep through your alarm.

Don't be so harsh on your own appearance and don't measure your self-worth in meaningless metrics like the sort of job you have, how many events you get invited to, or the number of social media followers you have.

Everybody is going at their own pace, and everybody only gets one life, so why spend yours constantly berating yourself for not measuring up to your own impossible standards?

The words "wellness" and "self-care" seem to be synonymous with social media these days and are buzzwords for companies wanting to advertise various products and services. But, true self-care is a real and incredibly important way to rinse your life from unnecessary stress.

However, it isn't a one size fits all type situation, sometimes self-care could be deleting social media from your phone and taking one weekend out of your month to clear your head. For others, self-care could be the luxurious experience of a facial and a massage, a way to be kind and treat themselves to a moment just for them.

But, for many, self-care isn't so aesthetic. It consists of doing the necessary, but maybe slightly difficult things that you've been putting off. This could be anything from calling your family, or a friend you haven't seen in a while or maybe it's doing that exercise you've been ignoring, or cleaning out your house for the week.

Whatever your self-care looks like, it's always valid and beneficial if it helps to drain the build-up of stress that's been bobbing just below the surface.

One of the least fun things to do in just about everybody's life is sorting out their finances. For many, their bank balance and spending habits are something that is best left in the background, something to not put too much attention on for fear of triggering that panicky feeling.

However, understanding your finances will cut a whole lot of stress and panic from your day-to-day. Many opt for a spreadsheet in which it is easy to see where their money is going, and how rapidly. By doing this, you're able to see where you need to cut back, and where or when you're able to relax a little bit more.

This may not be the most fun of activities, but doing this will have a significantly positive impact on your wellbeing.

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Whether you're organising your life with your new 2023 diary, ensuring your finances are in order, or simply treating yourself to a day of slow self-care, by following these tips, you'll be able to significantly transform the lense you look through life with and rid yourself of all the unnecessary stress and panic you've had before.

One thing is for certain though, you're sure to feel a whole lot better and more optimistic for the future when you follow these tips and tricks.