Tip #3 – Get back into nature

Nature is where your ancestors once lived and those genetics are still very much apart of you.

When you are in nature your senses come alive. You will listen intently, look with wide eyes and all the while feel and smell the environment. There’s a sense of awe and vulnerability being in nature – it might be grand like hiking in the mountains, swimming at the beach, skiing in the snow or just being in the forest.

On the other hand, it could be as simple as taking your shoes and socks off, walking on some grass and getting air fresh down at the local park.

Note: Other benefits of being out in nature also include, getting a good dose of vitamin D, having beta-endorphin activation from the sun, as well as serotonin and dopamine production from being active and social.

There’s also the psychological aspects such as positive associations to reliving your childhood memories, getting fresh air and allowing the subconscious mind to catch up while you’re at play. Get back to nature to help manage your stress better.

 

Tip #4 – Get into sports, ideally a team sport

There is no other activity that will bring you into the present faster than team sports. Team sports are also completely social, you’ll have a network of friends where you can joke around, laugh and enjoy a great atmosphere.

On a personal level, you can challenge and push yourself and when you do this, you can build confidence quite quickly. On the physiological level, you’ll get a good hit of serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline (some of the feel-good hormones) and this highlights why sports is another positive tool to manage stress.

 

Some good examples of sports include:

• Rugby
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Any sport that requires fast-paced action, teamwork and focus.

 

Tip #5 – Talk it out

Find someone (ideally not a friend or family member) – coach, mentor, counselor, to help you work through your situation or problems. The beauty of this setup is your mentor, counselor or psychologist can help to break your situation down into bite-size chunks so you can prioritise and plan with clarity.

 

Some good questions to start your conversation off are:

• “I noticed I’ve been feeling a bit stressed from this….”
• “This is currently happening in my life, how can I move forward from here to get out of the situation and back on track?”

 

Summary – How to manage stress better

There are my top 4 tips on how to manage stress better. Try them out! If you’re finding it difficult, go see a psychologist, counselor or doctor to help you through the challenges. To summarize the tips again, here are the top four super easy stress management tips and tricks

Tip #1 – breathing meditation

Tip #2 – find your flow state

Tip #3 – get back into nature

Tip #4 – get into sports, ideally a team sport.

Tip #5 – talk it out

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• My PURITY Protocol is an amazing resource packed with 6 secrets to detox your life and supercharge your energy. It’s my personal wellbeing philosophy. Check it out here.
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• Want live coaching? Click here to contact me. I look forward to working with you soon.

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Bibliography

• Seneca (1997) On the Shortness of Life  (Translated by Costa, C.D.N.). Penguin Books
• Tolle, E. (2004) The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. Namaste Publishing
• Chopra, D. (1995) Boundless Energy: The Complete Mind/Body Program for Overcoming Chronic Fatigue. Three Rivers Press
• Chek, P. (2009) How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!
• Pirsig, R. (1999) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. Harpertorch
• McKeown, G. (2014) Essentialism: The disciplined pursuit of less. Crown Business.
• Kotler, S. (2014) The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance. Houghton, Mifflin Harcourt Publishing
• Levitin, D. (2014) The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload. Plume Printing
• Kok Sui, C. (2005) Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul: Meditations for Soul Realization (2nd Ed.) Institute for Inner Studies Publishing Foundation, Inc.
• Emoto, M. (2007) The Shape of Love: Discovering who we are, Where we came from and where we’re going. Doubleday
• Aurelius, M. (1964) Marcus Aurelius: Meditations (Translated by Staniforth, M.). Penguin Books
• Pirsig, R. (1974) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values.  HarperTorch
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1MHyyWsMeE&spfreload=10 – Talks at Google: Steven Kotler: “The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance”