8 New Functional Life-Hacks to Reduce Stress

Feeling stressed and don’t want to meditate? It seems like every bit of online advice concerning stress offers the same advice: meditate, exercise, and eat healthy foods. I know because I’ve written some of them myself, and these suggestions are offered with good intentions and backed by proven results. Still, they aren’t the only solutions.

How you manage your time, organize your home, set up your daily schedule, and even think about your to-do list can all play a major role in how stressed you feel. Making little behavioral or functional changes in your daily routine may be the only things you haven’t tried to reduce stress.

8 Life-Hacks to Reduce Stress

So, here are some “life hacks” to get you started.

• 1. Make a budget and stick to it – Finances are perhaps the largest single source of stress. The better you manage your money, the more in-control you’ll feel.

• 2. Set goals. Set little daily goals and long-term 10-year type goals – Having something to achieve and something to look forward to can give you a sense of purpose in your life.

• 3. Remind yourself that you’re human – You will make mistakes in life; it’s inevitable. Don’t beat yourself up over the missteps. Make an effort to learn from them and move on, wasting no time by burying your head in the sand.

Read: 5 Ways Stress Affects Your Mind and Body

• 4. Eliminate or distance yourself from toxic people – If you have a friend, family member, or coworker who adds stress to your life, it’s a great time to work on your boundaries. Some people you just have to learn to love from afar.

• 5. Keep your resume updated – You never know when your dream job will come knocking (unless you already have it). Keeping your resume ready to go will give you a sense of hope and optimism.

• 6. Be ruthless with your schedule – Don’t have time to workout? Cancel your weekly engagement with the movie theater. When it comes to your time, make choices that align with the person you want to be and maybe not the one you’ve always been.

• 7. Let stress be a motivator – We all have stressful days; use those days to conquer the things you’ve had on the backburner. Channel your energy into projects that require serious focus and engagement. Not only will you power through them, but you’ll feel better about the day when you’re done.

• 8. Cut procrastination with the 2-minute rule – If you can do something in less than two minutes, do it now. You’d be amazed at what you can accomplish in two minutes, and you’ll be pleased with how squashing procrastination can eliminate serious stress.

If you try all these things and you’re still stressed out, you can turn your attention to diet, activity level, meditation, and sleep. But you already knew that.