{"id":27270,"date":"2014-10-03T05:00:25","date_gmt":"2014-10-03T10:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/?p=27270"},"modified":"2014-10-03T05:00:25","modified_gmt":"2014-10-03T10:00:25","slug":"reduce-stress-restore-your-sanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/reduce-stress-restore-your-sanity\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Sure-Fire Ways to Reduce Stress and Restore Your Sanity"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Wall Street Journal<\/em> recently ran a story<\/a> on the trend in slow reading. The idea is that intentional time in a book can improve our minds and reduce our stress.<\/p>\n\n

If you\u2019re a book person like me, this is no surprise. It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s paper or digital, just taking thirty minutes out of a busy day brings me a sense of calm. A good book gives me a moment to myself in a world of racing and rushing and lets me collect my thoughts\u2014or even escape them for a while.<\/p>\n

We all have favorite things we do to deal with the stress in our lives. These are things that take our minds off our difficulties, help us reframe them, or reenergize us to face them. Here are my top-seven stress reducers.<\/p>\n

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  1. Exercise.<\/strong> I\u2019ve been using a trainer for a while, but before that my primary exercise was running. It\u2019s still the centerpiece for me. Running cuts my stress in several ways. Not only do the endorphins and improved circulation help, but it also gives me a big hunk of time for thinking and processing. It\u2019s impossible to count the number of times I\u2019ve left the house in a knot and come home with a solution.<\/li>\n
  2. Sleep.<\/strong>\u00a0Getting solid, regular sleep has become one of the main things I do stay balanced. I\u2019ve written a lot<\/a> about the importance of sleep. Few things charge my batteries and boost my optimism like waking refreshed after a good nap or a long night\u2019s sleep.<\/li>\n
  3. Connection.<\/strong> Time with friends and family can melt troubles. The people who bring us joy may not even know the burdens we hold when we sit down to the table or lean against the porch railing\u2014and we just might forget them too. It happens to me all the time. Laughing, telling stories, and even sharing our frustrations can make us feel restored and our problems more manageable.<\/li>\n
  4. Learning.<\/strong> Reading is a big part of this for me, but I find conferences, courses, and hands-on training work too. For me, learning is not only entertaining, it\u2019s also empowering\u2014both of which are good for battling stress.<\/li>\n
  5. Art.<\/strong> I love photography. I geek out with the technology and theory. When I was on my sabbatical in August, I spent a lot of time behind the camera. Creative and artistic expressions<\/a> are immersive and restorative. Gail found this with painting. I also experience it with music, particularly playing guitar.<\/li>\n
  6. Movies.<\/strong> Consuming art, especially film and theater, also helps lower my stress. The theater environment creates an immersive experience that pushes everything else to the margins. Depending on the movie, I can leave reflective or reenergized. Either way, I usually find myself in a better place than when the lights come up.<\/li>\n
  7. Gratitude.<\/strong> If there\u2019s a category killer for stress reduction, it\u2019s gratitude. The other day I was frantically working on a project, trying to complete it. Gail had gone to dinner with friends, but called to interrupt me. Drop what you\u2019re doing and go look at the sunset, she told me. I didn\u2019t want to, but I took her advice.\n

    I stepped outside, and the sky was dazzling. Suddenly my heart filled with gratitude\u2014for Gail, who made me stop, for God, who painted such an arresting scene, for everything really. It hardly matters how tough things are, slowing down long enough to be grateful washes most of life\u2019s stress away.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t