Every difficult situation in your life may cause you to suffer from stress. It is a natural response from your body trying to protect you, so it is not necessarily bad. It can help you to get things done when you’re in a hurry and may even help to save you in a life-threatening situation.

However, the emotional and physical consequences of stress over time can make it difficult to perform your daily routine. Your body will become more vulnerable to sickness and you might have trouble concentrating and maintaining your weight, among several other issues that will affect your health for the worse.

So, what can you do to prevent stress from taking over your daily life?

We’ll show you 5 tips you can follow to make it happen.

1. Make Your Environment As Comfortable As Possible

Don’t give yourself unnecessary reasons to get stressed. Get rid of whatever may trigger your stress on a daily basis, no matter how insignificant it might seem. Avoid having conversations that you don’t enjoy, replace your remote control’s dying batteries, send that email that you’ve been postponing for so long.

These little details can contribute to making your life more difficult and thus, being more prone to suffer from stress. Solve them and you’ll notice the difference.

2. Organize Your Schedule to Fit Me-time

As much as you may need to prioritize your work to make ends meet, it will be useless if you have no time for yourself. All work and no fun will only affect your performance and make you less productive, which doesn’t benefit anyone in the end.

Reorganize your schedule to fit time to go to the gym, clean your room, go out with friends, watch a movie, or whatever other activity that can improve your quality of life.

3. Watch What You Eat & Drink

Alcohol, coffee, and nicotine can add to stress. Try to reduce the amounts of these substances that you ingest, or even get rid of some of them completely, if possible. They may give you a fake sense of satisfaction, but that will not last long, and anxiety will follow.

You should also make sure to keep a balanced diet, adding all types of vitamins and minerals with each meal. This will ensure proper nutrition for your body and mind, to help you cope better with stressful situations.

4. Exercise Regularly

Working out can help you relieve stress in many ways. For starters, it helps you to clear your mind and gives you a sense of fulfillment. It can also improve your mood, promoting the release of endorphins, the hormones that create a feeling of well-being.

You can incorporate exercise slowly into your routine, starting with a morning walk at least 5 days a week.

5. Regulate Your Sleep Cycle

Not everyone needs 8 hours of sleep. You might need less or more depending on your lifestyle. Whatever your schedule is, make sure you’re getting enough rest to function properly during your productive hours, because it might make the difference between a tough day and a stress-free one.

There you have it! Five simple tips you can start applying right now to keep unnecessary stress away from your routine. Remember you’re the one in control of your life, so you should always strive to make it better.