Things are crazy in the world right now, huh? Seems like they get crazier and crazier, but here’s the deal… We can’t change the way things around us are. Welcome to today’s episode of The Mindset Mentor Podcast, where I’m going to give you 8 techniques to relieve daily stress that you may be feeling. You don’t have to use all 8 every day, but you can pick and choose each one to try on for size! The level of your stress and anxiety right now, will be a direct reflection of how much you are resisting the way that the world is. The people around us are the way that they are, and we can’t control that. Don’t resist. Let’s practice these great techniques to remove stress: Practice your breathing. 6 deep breaths, in through the nose… out thru your mouth. A long exhale will slow your heart rate down. Focus on gratitude. What you focus on grows. We need to change our perspectives. Thinking about everything you don’t have, and all the people that you wish were different… think about this… Those thoughts alone can be extremely stressful. When you desire something, you create a space between who you are now and who you think you’d be if you had that “thing”... and that takes you out of your current state, telling your brain that you aren’t going to be happy until you have that thing. Go for a walk! Forward physical motion seen through the eyes, will actually lower your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormones, so if possible I highly recommend that you go for a walk in nature. Science says that these walks in nature will lower your cortisol AND your stress levels. Time to write!! I’m not gonna call this journaling… (I don’t want to stress you out any more…) Scientific studies have shown that the act of writing things down, can help to get rid of some of the mess that’s in your head… OUT. This will help relieve you and give you more peace of mind. Get your blood levels checked- I know this one sounds weird but it’s just science my friends. I personally was feeling off a while back, got my blood checked, found out I was Vitamin B & D deficient. So, I made sure to get those vitamins in my system, and BOOM. Almost instantly my mood and stress levels corrected. Try to stop drinking so much caffeine… especially if your stress levels are out of whack. Side note: Sometimes caffeine is a bit of a crutch to help you get the energy you need throughout the day, that you wouldn’t actually be needing if you did #5 on this list, which is getting your blood checked to make sure your body is running optimally. Force yourself to watch 10 minutes of comedy. Laughter will release dopamine, and dopamine release will decrease your cortisol levels. When cortisol levels decrease, you are going to feel more relaxed, and less anxious. Laughter stimulates the release of your body’s natural feel good chemicals as well which temporarily relieves pain the body, and helps your muscles relax. Be cautious of the music you’re listening to. There is a time and place for everyone to get to listen to Slipknot. But when you’re desperately trying to relieve your stress levels, then you need to be a little more picky and careful with what you listen to. My personal stress reducing song: Weightless, by Marconi Union (Please go look it up, it’s life changing.) As I mentioned before, no one is suggesting that you try and do all of these 8 things everyday, but what I am suggesting is you try them each out to see which help you the most. (even the ones that you may feel like wouldn’t normally be for you…)