Stress impacts our lives in many ways such as our physical and mental health, our relationships and our capacity to show us as our best selves. Sometimes we can forget to slow the pace down or realize just how stressed out we’ve become when we finally do take a moment to relax.

I can to attest being a busy full-time working mom and some weeks even working overtime and have had to find creative ways to help manage my stress. Some days are better than others, but I think the biggest lesson I have learned is to always remember to have compassion for yourself.

It is extremely challenging juggling so much on your own and to manage our stress on top of it all. The following are the top ten tips that have helped me the most when living such a busy life and I know they will help you too!

1) Move Your Body

Moving your body can be one of the most beneficial things to relieving stress and having a calmer and more clear mind. When you exercise you are releasing any stagnant and negative energy. You do not have to do anything strenuous however to receive these benefits. Even 20 min of walking, tremendously. Bonus if you can move your body outside too!

Not only will exercise and moving your body help relieve stress and improve your mood, but it will also increase your energy and mental clarity, and we could all use a little more of that amirite?

2) Meditation and Deep Breathing

Our fast paced and overstimulated environments causes us to forget to deep breath sometimes. We can get used to this shallow type breathing which only increases anxiety. Setting aside even a few minutes to take some deep breathes can help calm our nervous system and our stressed out bodies.

Meditation goes hand in hand with deep breathing, but if you don’t feel comfortable yet with meditating then just do deep breathing as it will equally help calm your mind. If you do try meditation, just try at least 5-10 min. I know it can be hard to be still with your thoughts so listening to a guided meditation or meditative music such as binaural beats can help.

Whenever I have taken the time to sit still for however long and do some deep breathing or meditation I always instantly feel calmer and more centered. It always makes me realize that I should do this more often and you should too! The beautiful thing about this technique is you can do it literally anywhere and at anytime you need to. It can be especially beneficial before a big event, important meeting or interview, first thing in the morning, before bed, and the list goes on. I hope you truly try it for yourself and see.

3) Grounding

Our society has become so removed from nature that sometimes we can forget just how healing it is. Especially if you live in the big city. One extremely healing yet so simple technique to instantly calm your body, help reduce inflammation and ease your mind is a technique called grounding.

All you have to do is put your bare feet on the earth and feel the Earth energize and ground you instantly. The longer you do it however, the more revived you will feel. I recommend doing it everyday as it is truly that beneficial, but if you cannot due to your living situation or whatever like me than just simply do it as often as the opportunity arises. I know it may sound silly to simply put your feet on the earth and suddenly feel calm, but the affect truly is that powerful and healing.

4) Setting Intentions for your day

Sometimes the best way to set the tone for the day and help manage your stress is to set your intentions before the day even begins. You can do this first in the morning or even the night before. This can be writing in your journal or daily planner what your goals are for the day. Pick your top main goals and keep them as your priority.

Anything else you can get to through the day is a bonus, but you should not put yourself through unnecessary stress if you don’t achieve them. Tackling your top three things for the day and writing them down can help calm and clear your mind and feel more at peace that you kept those promises to yourself.

5) Let Nature be your Therapy

Nature truly is medicine for the soul. Anytime we can connect with nature in even the smallest of ways, it reminds us to slow down and be present in the moment. It reminds us to appreciate the smallest things in life and have more gratitude in each day.

You can incorporate more nature in your day even if you live in the big city, like myself. Going for a walk on your lunch break and getting some fresh air can help. Gong on a fun local hike or spending some time at a park or the beach on your weekends is especially soothing to the soul.

Other ways include incorporating more plants in your life. Having plants in your home bring life and light into your home in so many ways. Plants help to detoxifying the air in your home and to just brighten your home with color and light.

You can also try starting a garden of your own. Even if you live in an apartment like I do you can still utilize your small space and plant some fresh herbs, fruit and/or veggies. If your place doesn’t have those amenities you can look into joining a community garden. Getting your hands dirty in the soil and growing your own produce can be incredibly therapeutic and rewarding. Plus absolutely kids love the whole process too!

6) Stretching or Yoga

Similar to deep breathing, stretching and connecting with our bodies more is incredibly beneficial and something we should all be doing more often. The beautiful thing about stretching or even yoga is you can easily fit it into your busy schedules.

You can take even just five minutes first thing in the morning, on a quick break at work and as a wind down routine before bed. Stretching helps prevent injuries, but it also can be incorporated with deep breathing techniques for an even more calming effect.

Listening and tuning into your body more such as through stretching and yoga will help calm your nervous system in times of stress. It wilI help you to feel more connected and grounded within yourself which is often the opposite of what we feel when we are in fight or flight mode or just dealing with constant stress. So take a moment, just for yourself, stretch, breathe, and connect with yourself again.

7) Have healthy go-to meals

Often times when we are stressed and have a million things on our minds and on our plates we tend to reach for the quickest easiest foods that we can find to help fuel our day. But unfortunately these quick grab and go type of foods are often filled with sugar, sodium and empty calories that only deplete our energy and wellbeing.

With our busy lives and especially during times of high stress we need more than anything foods that will truly nourish and fuel us, giving us the energy we need. When your mind is already overloaded with a million different things, simplify as much as possible. Select just a few go to healthy meal options to depend on when you need to fuel yourself in a healthy way.

This will eliminate spending extra time and energy stressing over what to eat. If you have just a few go to options, keep those items stocked in your fridge and pantry first. You can also meal prep a little on your weekends by making a big pot of soup or stew with lots of veggies, a large quinoa or pasta salad, already cut up vegetables with hummus, already steamed potatoes or brown rice or some roasted vegetables to quickly add to a meal and counter so your eyes will naturally gravitate towards it when you need that pick-me-up.

It is tempting to turn to extra caffeine and sugar during the day, but those quick fixes will often make you even more tired and think even less clearly. If you need some caffeine try switching your extra cups of coffee for some fresh pressed juice or smoothie. Every little baby step to healthier choices will help you be more productive and feel more mentally able to handle times of increased stress and busyness.

8) Listen to or read something uplifting

What you feed your mind is just as important as what you feed your body. Consuming things, whether it be the music you listen to, the books and articles you read, podcasts, the news and/or social media, it can all have the power to positively or negatively impact your mindset. In addition, if you are an empath or a highly sensitive person like myself than you know how sensitive you can be to consuming too much negative or empty energy.

Things like social media while can be uplifting depending on the type of content you follow, can also be incredibly addicting and too much can negatively impact your wellbeing. Have you ever noticed how a certain song can instantly change your mood? How reading something inspirational and uplifting can be the pick-me-up you needed? That’s the power of feeding your mind with positive energy.

Instead of starting your day by scrolling through your social media feeds, checking post updates or the checking the latest news reports and drama, instead try starting your day with your favorite song! Listen to an uplifting audible book or podcast on your commute to work!

Listen to some calming music or read an inspirational book before bed! You can also try listening to something during day brings such as binaural beats or subliminal meditations to uplift your mood and shift your thoughts on a subconscious level. You’ll be sneaking in positive energy without you even realizing it but noticing the shift of how much better and calmer you feel.

9) Journaling

Often times when your mind is overloaded with the different stresses of your day and life, you can spiral into overthinking situations and outcomes which often just makes us more stressed out. I find the best solution to overwhelmed thinking is to get all your thoughts out of Journaling can be incredibly therapeutic.

You can just dump all your thoughts of what has been causing you stress, all the tasks you need to get done, or anything that has been causing you worry or anxiety. It helps to sort out your thoughts when their clearly written down and over in your mind. You can journal for even just five minutes in the morning, on your lunch break or just before bed. If your thoughts are all over the place don’t judge yourself. It is still therapeutic to have taken the time to write them down instead of repeating them in your head over and over.

Once you have everything all written down in front of you, it will make things less overwhelming. You can then organize your thoughts better, prioritize your tasks, and think more clearly and rationally. Even if all you do is journal just to have a space to unload all your emotions and heaviness, it will feel very therapeutic when you do. The act of writing everything down lifts a weight and helps your thoughts feel more fluid and clear.

10) Cuddle Your Loved Ones

I saved the best tip for last. I find the most healing thing of all when feeling stressed and overwhelmed is to take time to cuddle and hug your loved ones. This can be your furry loved ones too. All is healing and therapeutic. And the beautiful thing about this is it takes no time, but creates an instant calming affect on your body. It will fill your cup when feeling drained and lift you up when feeling down or overwhelmed. It is simple, but a powerful measure that will feed your soul and help your loved ones feel loved too.

Life can get so hectic sometimes, really hectic. But amongst our busy schedules it is so important to take time to nurture ourselves so that we don’t get burned out and can show up as our best selves even during times of stress.