Stress is everywhere. You don’t need to look far nowadays to see how much physical, mental and emotional stress permeates into every aspect of our lives.

As life becomes more and more fast-paced, our bodies and minds are now reacting negatively due to the increasing pressures placed upon them.

Stress is something that very easily affects me, and so I know it’s absolutely essential for me to incorporate relaxation strategies into my lifestyle. One of these is deep breathing. Taking a couple of minutes here and there to switch off and tune into my breath is crucial for me to recalibrate and return to the present moment. Another way I relax is by scheduling fun things to do in my diary. Making sure that I always have that ‘down-time’ scheduled is so important in reminding my brain to take a break.

So as life becomes more and more fast-paced, I’m giving you five handy tips to alleviate the impacts of stress in your daily routine…

1. Slow Down

Think about it. Many of us are pent-up with nervous or excitable energy during our everyday lives. This energy can manifest itself in the speed in which we do things; rushing around to catch the bus or a train, or even talking really fast as a result of our busy and hectic schedules (I have often noticed stressed-out people on the train talking so fast that it’s hard to comprehend what is actually being said!).

A lot of people may think that this isn’t relevant, but actually slowing our movements down is a really amazing way to relieve any feelings of anxiety or stress.

Try and observe whenever your body feels the need to push itself faster; this should be a sign to actually do the opposite. Start by noticing your speech; are you a fast talker? Then observe your movements; are you rushing around in the morning because you haven’t got enough time? If so, maybe you could try to wake up 15 minutes earlier. This way you can slow down what you are doing by up to fifty per cent and feel so much calmer during the rest of your day. Walk slower and think to yourself – do I always need to be in such a hurry? Once we slow our pace down, we avoid letting nervous energy in and we can remain calm and in control throughout the day.

Remember, sometimes slow and steady really does win the race!

2. Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

Sometimes it can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. 21^st-century lifestyles demand our ability to juggle what feels like a million things at once. Remember, you are only human and you can only manage a certain amount of things at once in order to do a great job by each task. So never set yourself out to take on more than you can handle at once. Try and make life as easy for yourself as possible, without sacrificing what is important.

3. Avoid Mental Worry

When life gets stressful and your mind starts to run away with you – don’t let it. Try not to follow bad seeds of thought or anxiety; be mindful of this happening and push those bad thoughts away and focus on positivity and being kind to yourself and others.

4. Melt your Stress Away in a Soothing, Warm Bath

After a long, stressful day at work, make sure to take some ‘you’ time and run yourself a lovely relaxing bath. The feel of bathing your body in warm water will instantly soothe and calm the mind, whilst lighting our soothing Provence candle and adding some Epsom salts can add more health benefits. Epsom salts work by relaxing the nervous system, soothing aches and pains, as well as drawing out bodily toxins.

5. Meditate or Enjoy Some Relaxing Music

Whenever you can, practise different meditation techniques alongside listening to some deeply relaxing music. You can do this absolutely anywhere; on a train, walking to work, before a big exam. A method I enjoy is the ‘Buteyko Breathing’ technique, which focuses deeply on nasal breathing in order to address health issues and stress problems. There are so many meditative techniques that you can try, so find what works with you and remember to stick with it.

If we adopt these approaches and become mindful of our behaviours and feelings, we can gain an insight into how to overcome the challenges of modern life. Knowledge is power!