Life can be crazy and hectic and can move by so quickly and before we know it all the things that we are trying to do and all the things we are trying to say, don’t get done or never get heard because we find ourselves in a race for time and the epic ever-crossing things off a to-do list. This pretty much sums up the first five weeks of the school year. Yes, that is correct… five full weeks of school. And as usual, I could easily get distracted and caught up in all the many things I have not been able to do that I wanted to do OR I can just celebrate individual small victories in the midst of the crazy. Well, I am choosing to celebrate the small victories, because our life deserves it. If you have been following along in this blogging journey, you may have read recently as I shared some deep, heartfelt thoughts about a really close friend battling her worst nightmare. So for the last several weeks, I have felt like so much of my everyday stresses and concerns have been put into context and have faded away because in comparison to a world of evil and sickness and fear… my everyday stresses of never-ending to-do lists and abbreviated nights of sleep have been pushed aside and I have CHOSEN to CLING to the JOY and blessing of the simple things.. things like being near to family and friends, talking to loved ones, the comfort of puppy cuddles. So all that being said, I have been more in tune with my overall self within these last few weeks and have felt like for each emotion I have felt, the need to be more content and more joyful.

So on this note… I wanted to share some thoughts on ways to minimize stress in your life in order to maximize joy and peace.

Disclaimer: When an opportunity presented itself to collaborate with Chapes-JPL, a jewelry lender and share some thoughts on a stressful free life, I was happy to jump on this wonderful opportunity. While the views expressed below are opinions of and in support for Chapes-JPL, I completely support them (heck yes to stress-free living – that is what this girl is ALL about, gracefully so) and have received compensation for sharing.  

Hacks to Make Your Life Less Stressful

The world zooms by in a blink of an eye and before you know it, you are behind on deadlines, left with a full email inbox, and are struggling to catch up on work, while still maintaining your social life and your sleep schedule. It’s a constant struggle filled with stress for some.

If you read one of my latest blog post, you know that I believe you should know your worth and not allow numbers to define you, especially when we live in a world that is so revolved around numbers and statistics. If you didn’t read my post, I want to focus on one small part of it:

“Speaking of purpose. In a world that so easily uses numbers to define, be absolutely certain and sure you know your purpose. Understand your “why.” What is your reason for doing whatever it is that you are doing? Why are you in school, why are you pursuing this business, why are you using social media, why are you watching your weight? When you know and understand your why, you have that as your floor plan, your why becomes your design. It becomes your blue print to fall back on, to look towards, to cling to. Your why will keep you constant in frustrating seasons, your why will be your fuel and your momentum even when you feel tired and run dry. Know your why. Understand your reasons and believe in your purpose.

Believe in your value, believe in your worth. Know that your story is necessary to be told. Don’t let your enemies silence you. Be bold, be brave, pursue your passions, follow your heart.

And remember, no number will ever or can ever define you. You are more than that, you are more than enough.”

I wanted to share this with you again because it is a good reminder that a lot of us need every single day. But, I also wanted to share this because I think that finding your purpose and loving what you do is the #1 hack to making your life less stressful. If you love what you do, it is easier to go to work, it is easier to go “through the motions” of a tedious day (whether it is cleaning, working, running errands, etc.), and it will just make you a happier person, in general, which is extremely important.

While finding your purpose and knowing your worth are two fantastic hacks that will definitely help reduce stress and improve the quality of your life, I wanted to give you a few more, to ensure that you are living your life to the fullest potential, with limited stress. Here are the rest of my hacks to make your life less stressful:

Make a list each day

Stress builds when you are under a lot of pressure and if you are struggling with keeping up with your daily life and work, I highly suggest making a to do list each day, or each week. This will not only help you reduce stress, but it will also help you feel more organized, it will give you a goal to work towards, and you will feel rewarded after a long day of tasks, when you are able to check them off your list and physically see what you accomplished. Sometimes, I even go back and add things to my to-do list that I already have done just to feel a sense of accomplishment. Even for those who say they keep everything organized in your head, there is something super powerful about writing things on paper.. by actually writing things down on paper it removes the weight from you to the paper, helping to reduce your overall stress. 

Manage your money responsibly

A huge stresser in a lot of lives is unfortunately, money. Things are getting more expensive and it is getting harder for some to keep up with bills and necessary payments. I know of a few people with high interest credit cards who literally cannot pay them down because the interest is higher than their monthly payment. If money is a huge stresser in your life, I highly recommend doing something about it, in order to lower your stress. Places such as Chapes-JPL can help you out by providing affordable asset loans on jewelry, gold, diamonds, watches, and other valuable assets, at a low rate and at fair value. This is a great option for someone trying to pay off a high interest credit card for a few reasons. With Chapes-JPL, you are receiving some of the lowest interest rates in the industry, they typically pay 2-3 times more than the average pawn shop, and until you are ready to pick your collateral up, you know that it is safe in a bank secured vault. Although leaving your items with someone else can be hard, getting out of debt, or paying a much needed bill could help significantly reduce your stress, over a long period of time.

Say “no”

If there is something you do not want to do, don’t do it. Simply say “no.” I know that is hard, but is it worth the stress that it could potentially add? Trust me, this has been one of my weakest areas in my life and this is something I have been working on a lot lately, focusing on me and what truly brings me joy. Although it will most definitely be hard at first, you will feel so much more free and happy once you start following your heart and doing only the things that you actually want to do.

Take a digital detox

As much as I love social media and the internet, it can be very harmful and negative to our lives. We compare with others, we ignore those around us, and we spend way too much time scrolling through Instagram feeds, watching others ‘live their lives.’ Taking a digital detox will do so much good for your stress, your relationships, and your mindset. So grab a book, go on a walk outside, journal, close your eyes and dream, there is so much more to life than what is behind a screen!

Use essential oils

Essential oils have been a complete and total game changer for me over the past year. I use oils daily. They are some of the first things that I use in the morning, as well as the last thing I use each night. My sweet dreams essential oil mix has been helping with my sleep lately and it getting enough sleep is essential for lowering my stress levels. Try making DIY oil concoctions, such as my DIY lavender linen spray, in order to improve the quality of your sleep, unwind, and wake up refreshed, ready to start the day off! If you are wanting to learn more about essential oils you can check out this blog post here!

There you have it, a few tips and hacks to help make your life less stressful! Do you have any other hacks that you would add in?

xo. Haley