Managing your own business is an easy way to send your stress levels skyrocketing. But that does not make for the best way of living. Reducing your stress levels while still getting everything done on your to do list is the best way to enjoy what you are doing.

Let’s look at 5 ways to do just that!

1. The basics

The first things anyone will tell you to recuse your stress levels is to:

• Exercise
• Eat healthy
• Drink some water
• Get enough sleep

As annoying it might be to hear it again, those suggestions do have merit. But let’s tackle them all at once.

Exercise

Aside from the more common benefits, exercise is a great way to reduce your cortisol-the stress hormone. But exercise does not have to be intensive, nor do you have to block out a large portion of your day. Here are some easy and quick ways to move your body:

• Go for a walk around the block or down the street
• Do some yoga
• Stretch for a few minutes
• Find a 10 minutes workout on YouTube to follow

For something that is a little more intensive, you could go for a run or take a class like spinning. But you do not need to do anything that involved if you do not want to, you do not need to run a marathon! You simply need to move your body a little.

Food and water

You also need to make sure that you are drinking water and being mindful of what you eat.

Now, you do not need to go on some crazy diet or cut anything out. Just be mindful. If you have junk food or ice cream, it’s okay. Just aim for moderation, balance is the key here.

Another way to help your body maintain that balance is to keep yourself hydrated. Now, you may not like the taste of water, so try putting flavoring in it or mixing it with something like apple juice. Or you could eat fruit that has a high concentration of water, like watermelon.

However you stay hydrated is up to you, but you do need to stay hydrated.

Sleep

The final piece to this puzzle is creating a consistent sleep schedule.

The human body is adaptable, whatever schedule you put it on, it will figure it out. You can run on 3-4 hours of sleep if you really need to. But, at some point, that will begin to take a toll on you.

Creating a sleep schedule doesn’t mean that it is the exact same every night. You can have some variation and some outliers. But as long as you get on a mostly-consistent sleep schedule, your body will thank you.

2. Utilize breaks

Taking breaks while you work is so important. Do no feel guilty about taking them. You are not wasting time by taking breaks, you’re actually probably saving time.

A long list of tasks is a marathon and not a sprint. Yes, try to get them done in a timely manner, but know that you need to take breaks and go for a consistent pace, not just a fast pace.

If a fast pace if you’re only goal, it will be like sprinting headfirst at a wall. It is only going to add to your stress levels, all you are going to do is consistently burn yourself out. But if you take breaks, even if they are for 10 or 15 minutes, you will reduce your chances of burn out.

Taking a breather will allow your brain and body to take a moment, and then refocus. Give your brain the movement it needs to clear. It will be so much easier to continue knocking things off your to do list!

3. Take time to recharge

Along with taking breaks, you need to find ways to recharge, whatever that means for you.

If you are an extrovert, try to hang out by a friend or coworker for a little bit. Or call a friend for a 10-minute catch-up. If you work from home and live with others or a pet, go hang out with them for a little while. Even working in the same room as others could be incredibly regenerating.

If you are an introvert, find a way to get some peace and quiet. Find a place in your workspace where you can be alone for 10 or 15 minutes. Even if you have to go sit in your car, find a place you think you can be alone enough to recharge.

Your breaks can be simple things, they can be short, but you do need to take them. If you do not allow yourself to recharge, you will only raise your stress levels even more.

4. Put away your screens

At the beginning and end of your day, put away your screens. It can be hard, we always have our phones in our pockets, a computer or tablet in our bags, and a TV playing when we’re home. But studies have shown that spending some time away from our screens is incredibly beneficial and an easy way to lower your stress levels.

Now, we need to be accessible for work, absolutely. But putting pockets of time throughout your day that your are not on a screen of any sort is vital.

An easy spot to put those pockets are at the beginning and end of your day. The first and last thing you do should not be looking at your phone or any other screen. Even if it is only for 15 minutes, try to give yourself a little bit of a break from the blue lights. You could:

• Read a book
• Sit outside
• Journal
• Listen to some music
• Have a snack

It does not matter what you are doing, as long as it is something that will allow your brain to disconnect for a little bit.

5. Practice self-compassion

We are entirely too hard on ourselves. A large to do list can be incredibly easy way to raise your stress levels instantly. But we need to be carful to not treat ourselves badly because of it.

Berating yourself will only get you caught up in a negative feedback loop. This will only make it harder for you to get and stay productive. So why put more roadblocks in your way?

Even though it can be difficult sometimes, try to come to yourself with understanding and compassion instead of judgement and harsh words.

Implementing all of even just a few of these tips to your day will help you better manage the stress of your day-to-day life. Try them out for yourself and see the difference!

Other articles you might be interested in:

• How To Decrease Your Stress Levels
• How To Relieve Stress From Work With CBD Massage Oils
• 5 Office Space Ideas That Will Improve Your Productivity
• 7 Productivity And Organizational Skills For Entrepreneurs
• How To Work From Home Without Losing Productivity
• 5 Ways Menstrual Cups Can Improve Your Business And Productivity
• 5 Productivity Hacks When Working From Home

Grace Lopykinski is a blogging intern at LadyBossBlogger. She currently attends the University of Tennessee and is studying Business Administration and English.