The first Wednesday in November is Stress Awareness Day.

Stress affects everyone, and it affects everyone differently. It’s not uncommon for people to accept stress as a factor in everyday life, therefore impacting their overall happiness and health.

Stress Awareness Day aims to bring our mental health to attention. The first step includes identifying stress factors in your life and then coming up with healthy solutions to reduce them.

National Stress Awareness Day is also the perfect day to introduce new habits into your life that will help ease stress and clear your mind. Stress negatively impacts the body in many ways and can lead to increased headaches, stomach issues, depression, blood pressure, and other issues.

If you are someone who is heavily affected by stress, here are a few things to make time for this Wednesday, November 3rd.

  1. Make time for you

Life is busy, and oftentimes stress increases when we don’t have time for ourselves. Treat yourself to something you enjoy on National Stress Awareness Day, whether that includes decorating for Christmas early, taking a hot bath, enjoying a float therapy session, or simply watching your favorite show.

2. Journal about your biggest stress factors

The first step to reducing stress is recognizing where it comes from. It might be surprising what things end up on the list after bringing it to mind. Once you have the list complete, it’s time to start thinking about solutions and ways to reduce the stress factors in your life.

3. Make a plan to reduce stress

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and even though this season is filled with love and family, it can also come with a lot of stress. Make a plan to minimize stress factors and take care of your mental health before the holidays are upon us. Here are a few ways to do this:

  • Exercise: Even a simple 30-minute walk can make a world of difference when it comes to mental health.

  • Float therapy: This unique stress therapy treatment helps stabilize the mind and reduce stress by shifting brain frequencies and promoting deep meditation.

  • Reduce stress triggers: Take a look at the list of stress factors and think about ways you can eliminate or reduce the stress impacts they are having on your life.

  • Say ‘no’ more: We often feel pressured to do everything and say yes to opportunities. Know that it is completely okay to say no – even if you technically can, mental health is more than enough reason to pass.

  • Treat yourself – remember how #1 on this list was to do something for you? You don’t need a national holiday to allow you time for yourself. Set up time to care for yourself, like weekly massages, yoga classes, or a daily 30-minute gap to read and relax. You’d be surprised how big a difference a little time for yourself makes.