Life is stressful. Period. On any given day we are juggling dozens of pieces—school, work, bills, social schedule, personal health, just to name a few—it’s a circus act bound to leave us tense and on edge. This feeling, also known as stress, is among the least pleasant, but sometimes it feels impossible to escape.
 
So here are 3 ways to decompress after a stressful day, that will potentially bring you great relief:
 

1. Disconnect
   Turn off your phone! Let your loved ones that you’ll be off the grid for X amount of hours so that they don’t worry about not being able to reach you, and then put your phone out of reach. Being constantly connected to the outside world sends a message to your mind that you have to be alert at all times. When you turn off this electronic stimulant, you have the opportunity to turn inwards and discover the relaxation of pure self-care. The world can wait, it will be there tomorrow. And you’ll begin to learn that it’s safe for you to take a break from your roles and responsibilities. You’ll begin to learn that if you take a night to stop juggling, the pieces surprisingly won’t come crashing down, leaving your life in shambles. Everything. Will. Be. Fine.
    
2.  Breathe Deeply
   Slow, deep breathing sends a message to your mind and body that you are safe and everything is alright. Try counting to ten as you inhale. Hold it for just a moment, and then exhale slowly, counting to ten. If ten feels difficult, start with five. Repeat this process until the stress begins to melt away. When you breathe deeply, your stress is guaranteed to lose its power.
    
3. Go Outside/ Walk in nature
   Getting out of your house helps you get out of your mind. Just the simple change of scenery can help change your thought patterns and shake away some of the stress. Even more effective than that is venturing into nature, away from the bustle of city life. When faced with the beauty of nature, the plants and bodies of water that have been here before us and will be long after us, can help you realize how trivial your problems actually are, and that if you “fail” to accomplish a task, the world will absolutely go on. Sometimes the realization that you’re not the center of the universe, that the world doesn’t rest on your shoulders, can be a huge relief in the way of stress.

 Life is too short for stress. When you’re stressed it is because you’re trying to run the show and believe the stakes of your actions are high. But guess what? It’s not your job to run the show, and in reality, what’s meant to be will be. So take a deep breath and let stress be a thing of the past and when stress does rear its head (which it’s bound to do), look to these methods for relief.