How I Stay (Mostly) Stress-Free

I say “mostly” because let’s face it…I am an entrepreneur and it’s a TON of stress.? Somehow though I navigate through it quite easily.? I sleep well at night (mostly) and even the most daunting news/issues I can let roll off my back (mostly).??

This morning I was thinking about it quite a lot and I thought this would be a good subject for us here.? Also, I expect you to participate with your tips/tricks as well.??

Read on and get your suggestions ready, k?

Sleep

I am a great sleeper.? Like really good.? I go to bed at 10 pm (mostly) and wake around 6:30 am (mostly).? That’s really it…sleep is great for stress.

Decaf Coffee (mostly)

I’m going to run with this “mostly” theme because let’s face it, nothing is “always” so I want to give myself some grace and a pass. I like caffeinated coffee but only when I know I will be out and about all day in the city or I am about to hike/climb for hours on end.? THEN I will drink caffeinated coffee.? At home though, every morning, I brew a cup of decaf.? Years ago I ditched daily caffeine when my intake got up to about 4 cups per day, twice per day.? I figured I didn’t want to rely on any substance to keep myself going.?

Booze Free

I bet I lost some of you here. Hahahaha!? I’ll take this angle as all towards me so I can keep you here with me and guilt-free. ;-) Alcohol isn’t good for ME.? It’s not good for my sleep, my stress levels, pocketbook, in fact, for me it only served a negative purpose SO I don’t drink anymore.? This also means I don’t rely on alcohol to “deal with life” and instead have to resort to other methods like sitting with my feelings and meditation.? <- usually not the most fun but quite effective.

Speaking of meditation…

I Meditate

Nearly every damn day (mostly).? My current app is “Waking Up” with Sam Harris.? Before that, it was Insight Timer and I still visit a few favs on there every once in a while.? I set a reminder in my calendar every day at 7 am to go to my meditation pillow and get my calm on.? Besides the practice of meditation, I learned how to just be (the easiest way I can say it).? After years of practice, it mostly equates to me keeping my sh*t together when the stakes are high and stress rises.? I can separate what is from what I can control.??

Music

I have whole playlists dedicated to moods.? And almost all music leaves me feeling GREAT…except drum and bass… which gets my heart pumping!

Here are some gotos that you may find helpful:

To Heal (a playlist to meditate/chill to) - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6RqIpWfyPfCbL8SYKRk1s9?si=2a961978b8e8413d

Skyline at Nighttime (imagine you’re looking at a city skyline at night…it’s that) -? https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1kVFxg35OR1sXRgT5p29nP?si=f9d975c0d5af42b8

Downtempo Bunny (vibey chill beats) - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0oqRayP7bWoY5OI2tEEPqG?si=16f9bf396bbb49ec

Music just keeps me calm and happy.? Calm and happy = less stressed out.

No Work Emails

Let me explain…

Have you ever opened your phone late and night and by habit went straight into your work email just to find a client who’s angry.? Now you’re all upset, your heartbeat racing and you can’t sleep that night but you also cannot do anything about it…yeah that.? I didn’t want THAT in my life.? So over a year ago, I removed my email from my phone.? I can’t even get to it during the regular workday on my phone.? Of course, I have a laptop and can get in through there.? I can even get in the back way by putting in the URL into my browser on my phone, but the actual account isn’t in my accounts on my phone.? This is a game changer because now I choose when I am in my email.

No Jerks Allowed

Yup…none of those are allowed to come anywhere near me.? I hold hard boundaries for whom I let into my inner circle and won’t blink an eye in simply walking away from a toxic person or situation.? Life is short…keep your circle of influence healthy.? No drama = no stress (mostly).

I’m curious about what you all do to keep stress to a minimal level.? Would love to hear in the comments below.

Cheers to a stress-free day, everyone!

-LeiLani

LeiLani E. Quiray is the Founder and CEO of be the change HR , Inc., certified Minority and Woman owned, a conscious company and social enterprise, providing HR support for small-to-medium sized businesses in any facet of HR from pre-hire to post-term and everything else that happens in between. She and her team also teach free job readiness courses and provide free coaching to trafficking survivors.? Her team is not only HR Pros, they are Life Changers.?

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