12 Ways to be always stress-free

What is stress (anyway)?

Our mind’s response to underwhelming or overwhelming impacts on us or by us; also, on us by us (Past, present and future)
You see! It covers almost all the life in the above statement.

I reflected back on 44 years of my life to see what do I remember, what stressed me out, what panicked me, what was a happy moment for me and why, when did I feel most and least stressed?

Answers are real eye-openers and astonishing!

It really does not matter what made me happy and stress-free last year. This year it is not working! It is constantly changing. What made me happy in the past is immaterial now. Sometimes, it even makes me sad. Very same thing what I thought is releasing my stress in the past is adding on to my stress currently.

So I changed the question!

What is a constant thing that always makes me happy and keeps me stress-free?

Now the answer is totally different!

Following my fundamental core beliefs in life without any deviation makes me happy and keeps me stress-free on day-in day-out basis.
So, to always stay stress-free;

1. Find your fundamental beliefs:

Even before inspiration happens, find out what your soul is made up of! My six fundamental core values are big H’s of life. Honor, Help, Humble, Humor, Honesty and Health. What are yours?

2. Build and nourish your fundamental values:

When you work to make your fundamental values stronger, life is taken care of. Here’s how I see life in my six core fundamental values. Honor and respect others and you will feel happier. Help others and you will feel valued. Be humble and you will get a lot of respect back. Be humorous, make friends and win hearts. They will help you and you too will help them. Be honest and hold your head high. Choose health, keep exercising and stay healthy. After all a healthy mind lives only in a healthy body. What I want to say here is form, connect and merge your daily actions with your life’s fundamental values and beliefs.

3. Talk to your loved ones:

This entirely relaxes me and throws my stress right out of the window. When I speak/play around with my kids, wife, brothers, parents, friends and more loving people in my life, my daily stresses don’t even come close to me.

4. Read jokes:

Believe me it seems small, but reading a few good jokes on daily basis and if possible right after the work-day is finished will take away a lot of stress. I found out that reading jokes is actually connected to one of my fundamental core value which is Humor! I also found out the simple scientific reason of reading a few jokes right after work. Reason is to counterbalance, discard and release the stress present in your mood with a good laugh. Right away! Do you now gain some insight about critical benefits of knowing your fundamental core values?

5. Examine your worries and act:

Intentionally examine your worries yourself. Do it like an exam! Be a doctor here! Write down what your worry # 1 is? Write down why? Write down since when? Write down why you have carried over this worry for so long? Write down what (all) actions you took in the past? Write down which action most effectively reduced this worry in the past? Write down what can you do to amplify that most effective action for now and for future? Write down if you need an entirely new action. NOW ACT ON IT! Most important here is WRITE and ACT! Take only 1 to 3 really big worries a year and solve them forever.

6. Volunteer:

A great sense of help and giving is developed and felt inside when you volunteer on a regular basis. This helps you to actually be contented and be stable in peace, further helping you to be stress-free. Donate blood, help someone build a broken house, collect donations after a disaster, help someone cross the road, value someone’s time more than yours, teach some kids, help someone babysit, find and visit homeless shelter in your localities and donate, pick a cause etc. You can find many volunteering opportunities once you deliberately start looking.

7. Refresh:

If you are stressed out and nothing is working, do 2 things. Visit nature, get tired and sleep. Start afresh the next day.

8. Do not invite external stresses on you:

Much more referred as habits, some of them I call as external stresses. Smoking, drinking, drugs, social comparisons, weapons, excessive shopping, food habits even sodas! Even participating in a subject/discussion when we don’t have complete knowledge about it will increase our stress. These are stresses that we invite on ourselves. It is very important to know here that we have full control never to let them be part of our life. Sure I know the pressure of the world we live in. Some habits are a complete no and some are enjoyable only when consumed responsibly. Many of these will lure you as stress busters in the beginning but ask the people who are trying to get rid of these! They will tell you how dangerous these external stresses are to them and can be to you!

9. Exercise:

Exercising is one of the most publicized and marketed method of staying stress-free. Good part about is that it actually works! Key is, just do it regularly.

10. Create:

Find out one passion that relates you to any kind of creation! Painting, drawing, sketching, building objects, repairing, writing, designing, etc.! The power and strength realized by the mere fact that you created something is unique and an immediate stress buster. Creation actually alone is capable of putting stresses to a permanent rest! Create something!

11. Forgive:

Each time you forgive, you emerge stronger and stress-free. I personally believe that the particle of God expands each time we forgive, making us further better, capable and stress-free in life.

12. Meditate:

Spend some time to meditate. Talk to your inner-being. Breathe and release any negative energy since your last meditation. Clear up your thought clouds. Understand the difference between fake pressures and the real ones! Imagine clearly the consequences of not dealing with the real pressures. Plan to mitigate them! Meditate and connect with yourself.