While building your resilience to the inevitable stress you must face in life can go a long way in helping you to stay balanced with stress, it’s by no means the only route to stress relief, nor should it be. Cutting out stressors whenever possible is always a good idea. Letting go of our own self-defeating habits is another important strategy. You may not even be aware of all the ways in which you self-sabotage, so here is an important refresher course. The following are some of the more stress-inducing things you may be holding onto, with some proven strategies for releasing them from your life. If you are wondering if you can benefit from letting go of anger, ask yourself, do you find yourself ruminating about things that have happened in your past? Are you holding onto anger from your younger years—either anger at yourself for not doing things differently or at others for things they did intentionally or unintentionally that affected you in a negative way? If the clutter you have is causing stress, it may be time to prioritize simplification and streamlining—your space and your life. If you find yourself in an unhealthy relationship—a romantic relationship or a friendship, working to create a healthier dynamic is a great way to minimize stress. But if that doesn’t work, learning when and how to let go may be necessary. If you’ve tried your best to improve your toxic relationships but are still finding them to be stressful, here are some tips that may help. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts
A Word From Verywell
Letting go of these stress-inducing thought patterns and lifestyle features isn’t easy, but it may be easier than you think. And it can be addictive—once you start letting go of some of the stressors in your life, it becomes easier to let go of more. You may want to choose one at a time to focus on for a few weeks (once a month is a good place to start) and move onto another one when you’ve let go enough to feel relief. Notice and congratulate yourself on the progress you make as you make it, and remember that in the end, it will be worth the effort to have greater peace.
