If you’re anything like me (or if you’ve attended one of our weekly yoga classes), then it’s likely one of the only times and places you get to de-stress each week is when you’re stretching and on your yoga mat.

Even though I’m a licensed counselor and certified yoga instructor, I still find myself regularly overwhelmed by stress and anxiety. Sometimes having the knowledge of how your mind works and knowing the tools to destress doesn’t equate to actually taking a moment to destress and recenter.

And, honestly, sometimes you don’t have the time to roll out your mat. Or, you’re out and about when a wave of anxiety overtakes you – leaving a work meeting, sitting in the stands at your kid’s basketball game, at a dinner party surrounded by friends, or anywhere else you find yourself.

Stress and anxiety aren’t what you’d call respecters of spaces or persons. They can show up anytime and anywhere, approaching you slowly or showing up completely unannounced. 

So, what do you do to manage stress daily and wherever you are? 

Take a look at your schedule, routine and habits. Where can you make changes? There’s a good chance your schedule might be overloaded, or maybe you need a better routine to start your day peacefully. 

There might also be a habit you have that disrupts your peace. Lately my disruptive habit has been scrolling on my phone while I eat breakfast or before I go to bed. 

On the flipside, maybe there’s a healthy habit you’d like to integrate into your schedule. It could be reading your Bible while you eat breakfast, praying on your way to work, or going for nightly walks.

Try out something simple, and do those things one at a time. You don’t have to do a full overhaul on your schedule, but maybe there’s one thing you can remove this week. Or, maybe there’s one new habit you’d like to start this month. Start small. Small steps in the right direction are still steps in the right direction. 

Some of the simplest and most effective ways to manage your stress are the things you likely did as a child:

• Free Time. As a small child, you probably had a lot of free time. Before you had extensive homework or a job, you likely did your one worksheet after school and then spent the rest of your evenings with free time. The world (or at least your neighborhood) was your oyster! You could explore outside, hang out with your neighbors, read a book, ride your bike… The possibilities were endless because you didn’t have an overloaded schedule. Make room for free time, and see where the freedom and open ended take you.
• Healthy Eating. Ok, so I realize maybe many of us didn’t actually eat healthy as children. But, there’s a good chance eating a well-rounded meal was urged to you, even if it wasn’t enforced. (Or, if you’re like me, you went crazy for candy when you first got your braces off of your teeth.) We forget some of the most basic things as we become adults. Simple, healthy foods provide us with energy to do the things we need to do and the things we want to do – much like they did when we were growing up. Plus, having a healthy gut can lead to having a healthy mind!
• Regular Time Outdoors. Much like free time, spending time outside is something we limit to childhood or summer barbecues. However, being outside is good for us to do daily. It helps calm and regulate our nervous systems. The outdoors also provide a refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. (If you’re unsure how to even spend time outdoors, here are five of my favorite ways to relax outside.) Go for a walk with your kids or a friend after work. Take your shoes off in the grass, and take a few deep breaths. Notice how the plants around you are changing as seasons transition. It really can be simple.
• Have Fun! Fun isn’t just for our youth – it’s meant to run throughout our entire lives. Having fun is also good for our brains and our bodies! Having a good laugh, enjoying a forgotten hobby, or playing a game with friends or family can all help you to relax and have fun. They’re also great for helping you look more realistically at the stressors in your life. Often the hard things in our lives seem less hard when we get out of our heads and enjoy ourselves.

Managing stress can be hard, but it’s easier when we have a tool belt full of simple stress-reducing practices. Go through the list above and create your own stress management tool belt! Even when you’re off the yoga mat, you’ll be able to reduce stress and find peace anywhere you go.