When it comes to stress, we all encounter it -- sometimes suddenly, like a sweeping tornado of doom -- other times like a low-burning stove.

Whatever your relationship to anxious feelings is, it is important to know that you can create relief. You can take small steps live with enthusiasm and a zest for life in more and more moments.

And it starts with subtly changing habits -- here’s 3 easy stress relieving techniques to live your best today, tomorrow and every day.

1. Bring peace your nightly routine
   It’s too easy to turn on Netflix, pull the covers over your head as soon as you hit the pillow and move onto your next day a little off-kilter.

   Tonight, jump off from a better foot and take 5 or 10 minutes to table-set your day tomorrow: what are your big 3 goals for the day ahead that would make the day a success? Write them down. 

   Maybe jot down a person or two you want to connect with - and take a minute to keep your space at peace before you hit the lights - you’ll take a gentle smile and calm readiness into tomorrow. 
    

2. Use your time mindfully
   The world around us is always going, going, going -- and it’s so easy to get swept away in the tide of the day’s chaos.

   Play around with taking a few minutes at some point today - be with your breath, smell a new bouquet of flowers, taste a hot cup of coffee, take 10 seconds to feel your feet root into the ground beneath you. 

   Our senses are always here with us, whether we choose to greet them or not. Making friends with our oldest companions helps create ease, energy and a clear sense of self to take on the day at hand.

   Have a few more minutes? Take a break from your phone and wherever you spend most of your time - and retreat to a bench, street corner or closet. Disconnecting from the constancy of your world can mean reconnecting to your truth - and resting in that bliss, wherever you relocate. 
    

3. Rewrite your script and stories
   Needs, shoulds, and other forms of self-critical language are a common part of our thousands of daily thoughts. Note them when they come up and start small - what you could’ve done, what you’d like to have happened. The grooves of how we talk to ourselves are deeply rooted - small changes to be your own best friend can have hugely beneficial effects. 

Learning to love that part of ourselves - and treat it firmly yet gently - is how we can awaken to the joys of simply being alive. Because your life is well worth it.