Appendix 1

101 ways to reduce your stress

  1. Tell yourself you’re doing well.
  2. Exercise regularly.
  3. Make time to relax.
  4. A hot bath.
  5. A hot shower.
  6. Reduce your caffeine.
  7. Eat well.
  8. Meditation.
  9. Sleep.
  10. Set goals.
  11. Celebrate each little success.
  12. Be optimistic about the future.
  13. Better time management.
  14. Do the things you must do.
  15. Abandon the things you should do.
  16. Do more of the things you want to do.
  17. Play with your children.
  18. Play with your friends.
  19. Play with yourself.
  20. Treat yourself to something nice.
  21. Simplify your life.
  22. Tidy your desk.
  23. Clear out clutter.
  24. Go to a comedy show.
  25. Watch your favourite movie.
  26. Count your blessings (literally).
  27. Forgive someone.
  28. Breathe deeply.
  29. Drink more water.
  30. Stop beating yourself up.
  31. Pamper yourself.
  32. Make love with your partner.
  33. Buy yourself a present.
  34. Volunteer to help others with more serious problems.
  35. Say thank you when you go shopping.
  36. Say thank you to machines.
  37. Say hello to your colleagues.
  38. Listen to music.
  39. Smile.
  40. Get a pet.
  41. Eat some chocolate.
  42. Get a massage.
  43. Go for a walk.
  44. Take the phone off the hook.
  45. Leave work early one day.
  46. Say ‘no’ and feel good about it.
  47. Go swimming.
  48. Set up a squash, tennis, darts match with a friend.
  49. Walk to the pub and chat with the people there.
  50. Dig the garden and plant some seeds.
  51. Arrange a weekend away.
  52. Go to a café, order a drink, and watch the world go by.
  53. Call a friend and have a chat.
  54. Take a walk and pay attention to the colours, the plants and any birds and animals you see, hear or smell.
  55. Prepare for tomorrow.
  56. Transfer items from your To Do list to your To Don’t list.
  57. Turn down the lighting.
  58. Have an early night.
  59. Make a nice and healthy meal.
  60. Take a day off from stimulants like caffeine, alcohol and television.
  61. Curl up with a good book.
  62. Go out to lunch with one or two good friends.
  63. Control your urge to be strong and independent, and ask for help.
  64. Make some time to laugh during the day – chat at the coffee machine.
  65. Read a funny novel or buy a copy of Dilbert, Far Side or Calvin and Hobbes.
  66. Let go of any grudges or resentments towards any colleagues.
  67. Replace chocolate snacks with fruit or even vegetables like carrots and celery.
  68. When you eat, pay close attention to the smell, taste and texture of your food.
  69. ‘I should have’ is a major cause of stress – if it’s important, do it; if it’s not, then let it go!
  70. Try out a new non-sporting form of exercise: yoga, tai chi, Pilates, Chi Kung, Aikido, Alexander, Shiatsu …
  71. Join a dance class or club.
  72. Turn on some music at home and just dance like no one is watching. It’s best to make sure no one is watching.
  73. Get a manicure or pedicure, or facial.
  74. Get some toys and play with them.
  75. Plan a great holiday.
  76. Create and use a positive, de-stressing, self-affirming mantra.
  77. Learn advanced techniques for managing your mental state, such as CBT or NLP.
  78. Turn off your email.
  79. Turn off your computer.
  80. Have a lie-in in the morning.
  81. Take a break from the news – avoid papers, television or radio news and Internet news services.
  82. Ask yourself: ‘How important will this seem, this time next year?’
  83. Pay compliments to the people you meet.
  84. Eat more fruit.
  85. Have a good stretch.
  86. Take a nap.
  87. Set aside some time for silence – sit quietly and close your eyes.
  88. Eat more nuts and seeds.
  89. Have a good breakfast.
  90. Savour the moment and focus on experiencing what you are seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting now.
  91. Start to value your time as your most precious commodity.
  92. Confide in a friend and share your stresses and strains with them.
  93. Take a break – in fact, schedule regular five-minute breaks into your work pattern.
  94. Make sure you have half an hour of time to yourself each day.
  95. Plan what you will do on your weekends so you will use them well.
  96. Re-read the ‘Relax’ section on page 201.
  97. Go out to a concert or a play.
  98. Take yourself to somewhere beautiful and spend time admiring the view – especially at that golden hour around dawn or dusk.
  99. Take a day or even a week off and go away somewhere spontaneously.
  100. Have a nice cup of tea and a biscuit.
  101. And relax.
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