How to Stress Less and Re-Energise Your Life

Stressing less. Who wouldn’t want that? Here is a simple two step approach to help you stress less and re-energise your life.

We live in a society that is always on and active. The pressures of modern day work and life are leading to more and more people struggling with their wellbeing at work and at home. A recent series on The Burnout Crisis by Harvard Business Review revealed that “the pandemic has intensified the conditions that lead to burnout including exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy in the workplace”.

It is time to focus on our wellbeing, to stress less and re-energise our lives.

As someone who personally experienced high levels of stress and burned out during my City career, I know a thing or two about de-stressing and re-energising. The approach to do so is simple. (Notice I said simple not easy).

Step One: Saying No to the Activities That are Draining Us

The first step in stressing less is to remove or minimize the activities that are draining us and are causing us stress. By doing so we create the necessary space for our body and brain to recover and recharge.

The easiest way to create space is by setting clear boundaries and saying no to the things that are holding up unnecessary space. We can create space in many areas of our lives such as our calendars at work, social events and even in our mind.

Take the example of creating space in your calendar at work and ask yourself: Do I really need to be at that meeting? Is this project I am working on a priority right now? What are the activities that are draining me?

Start by unsubscribing yourself to meetings and removing or delegating some of the draining workload. I challenge you to find at least 5–10 hours of space in your calendar next week. Imagine how good freeing up that space would feel. Can you feel your stress levels decreasing?

Step Two: Saying Yes to the Activities That Recharge Us

Once you have created space and removed some of the activities in your life that are draining you, decide what you will do with the space you created.

Think of the activities that are helping you to unwind and recharge. Can you do more of those?

Can you use this space to spend more time taking care of yourself or spend it with the ones you love? Can you focus on a (work) project that inspires you? Maybe you want to start a new hobby, exercise more or learn a new skill?

Often times when we are stressed out we feel like we need a break, and the only thing we need to do is rest. Scheduling breaks and rest is vital, however it is not the only way to re-energise ourselves.

Think of this scenario. What do you do when your phone is running out of battery? Do you lay it on the side, letting it rest? No, you plug it into a power source and charge it! Which is exactly what we need to do for ourselves in order to re-energise our life.

If you would like to book Laura Deetman for a motivational call with you or your team on how to cope with pressure and avoid burnout, click here to book a PepTalk with her today.

* Please see your GP or a health professional if you have any concerns about your mental, physical or emotional health.

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