Living with less stress part 2

Last week I shared 5 tips on preventing and dealing with stress. Here are 5 more tips to help you on the way to a stress free life.

Don't rely on your memory; write stuff down

I tell myself this little lie all the time. I will remember this, I don't need to write this down. Believe me, you will be so much more stress free if you just write important stuff down. Download an app for taking notes and make sure they are in sync on your phone and tablet. Take notes of important books, dates, to do's, appointments, everything.

Maintain your stuff before it breaks

Get your car serviced regularly, polish your shoes, clean your couch and carpet, mend seams that are about to rip, fix that dripping sink, take your winters coat to the dry cleaners, clean your coffee machine. Fixing little problems is so much easier than having to deal with things being broken.

Say no 

Often we only evaluate how much someone else wants us to do something. Next time if someone asks you to do something, aks yourself: do I want to do this? Will this make me happy? Does it fit in my schedule? If not, say no. If people are used to you always saying yes, be prepared for some angry reactions. Don't mind them, they will get used to it.

Prioritise

If it is important and urgent, do it right away or as soon as possible. If it is important but not urgent, schedule it or make an appointment. If it is urgent but not important, see if someone else can do it for you. If it is not important and not urgent, don't do it at all.

Avoid negative people

Everybody knows someone like this. They moan and bitch and moan some more, dragging you along in their negativity. Or maybe they are someone who is always occupied with unimportant non urgent stuff and trying to get you on board as well. Avoid these people as much as you can.