It would be nice to lead a perfectly serene, harmonious life, but lets be honest this is quite an unrealistic aim for most of us.

So we need to learn to manage modern day stress. At the very least, if we can’t remove stress completely, we can create space for some respite now and again. The less stress you have, the more happy you will be and the more vibrant your skin will be.

Here are my top 10 tip stress busting tips 

1. Meditate

Just a few minutes a day can help ease anxiety and stress. When I suffered from anxiety at the age of 19, hypnotherapy taught me the power of a positive mantra. Repeating the words. “Cool, calm, collected, confident and courageous” as I meditated helped me to resist the anxiety spiral

Sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Relax your body, close your eyes and take a few slow deep breaths. Come up with your own positive mantra such as, “I feel at peace”. Anything that resonates with how you want to feel. I often use “cool, calm, collected, confident and courageous” 

2. Breathe

 While many of us breathe in a sharp, shallow manner in the upper chest, not the full lungs the practice of breathing from the belly will help you feel calmer, more grounded and more mindful of the present moment.

Give yourself a five-minute break from whatever is bothering you and focus instead on your breathing. Sit up straight or lie down, eyes closed, with one hand on your belly. Slowly inhale through your nose, feeling the breath start in your abdomen and work its way up to the top of your head. Reverse the process as you exhale through your mouth. Repeat each cycle, counting for four seconds as you inhale, holding for seven seconds then exhaling for eight.

 

3. Write it down

 Often I lie in bed, my head spinning with thoughts of all the things I have to do the next day or worrying about the future. So I keep a note book by my bedside and before switching off the light, I empty my thoughts onto paper. This helps me drop off to sleep knowing I won’t forget anything, I might even wake in the early hours and do the same. 

 

4. Cut out stimulants

 I love a good soya or Oat milk cappuccino, a glass of wine or some dark chocolate – which contains both sugar and caffeine. But let’s have these things in moderation. It’s no coincidence that the last time I ate a whole bar of chocolate near bedtime, I lay wide awake for hours! 

 

5. Laugh

 You’d be amazed how helpful laughing can be. When we laugh, we release happy hormones, making the body feel relaxed, we often forget to find the fun in things and take eery day too seriously, there is often something no matter how small to make you smile or even giggle. 

 

6. Massage

 A good massage obviously feels great. Not only does it ease muscle tension, but it also stimulates nerve endings within the skin to send mental “relax” messages to the brain.

The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami has studied the connection between touch and reduced stress levels. One study showed that massage effectively improved the mood and skin conditions of a group of children suffering from skin redness and itching.

 

7. Make some you time

Get outside for a walk, run a warm bath, sit in the park or do a yoga class. Just make sure you put away all digital devices and go somewhere where you won’t be disturbed, I know thats not often easy especially when you have little kiddies! 

 

8. Find time to meet friends

 Friends can help us see things in a different light and even make us laugh about a situation that felt previously far too stressful. Just voicing your anxieties and worries can be therapy in itself & in a world where we are living evermore isolated, making time for family and friends needs to go on our to do list. 

 

9. Do one healthy thing each day

 Take the stairs at the train station. Swap a biscuit for a piece of fruit. Switch your morning coffee for a green tea. Change your pasta for brown rice or quinoa. You might find that each choice keeps you motivated to make more healthy decisions in the future

 

10. Workout

 When we take part in physical activity, we release happy hormones. It doesn’t have to be the gym, maybe your thing is trampolining, wake boarding, roller blading, just getting active, raising the heart rate is so beneficial. Exercise is also a great way of getting rid of pent up aggression a fabulous stress buster. 

 

Now you know how to deal with stress you might want to read this, the impact stress and modern day lives are having on our complexion, a little bit of motivation to help you on the stress busting track.