Taking Life a Little Less Seriously

Sometimes life gets just a little crazy. And that's the time when you need to take a step back and take things less seriously.

Play a little. Take a day where you don't have such high expectations of yourself. Be spontaneous. Go play in the park, hike to a quiet place, watch a sunset or just do your own thing.

What's causing the stress? Is it seasonal or is it a long term issue? What, if anything can you do about it? Maybe you need a little more help with the problem. Maybe you can take a break and come back to it refreshed.

But cutting back on stress doesn't have to mean taking a lot of time out of your day. Just a few small changes can help. Silliness is optional.

Slow down when you walk. There is rarely a need to rush everywhere. Walk at a more moderate pace and enjoy everything around you.

Yoga, meditation, Tai Chi and similar activities are a great way of coping with stress. These are ways of getting your mind away from the stress and relaxing your entire body.

Keep something beautiful around you. Flowers or a beautiful picture can give you something pleasant to focus on even when stress is building up. That tiny bit of relaxation can really help.Some problems in life require a focus on coping with the problem. Money trouble, for example, is going to be stressful and you can't just ignore it. You need to work hard at solving money problems, since they don't just go away with time. Talk with someone you trust... not asking for a loan or anything, but just so someone is listening to your problems.

Stress in the workplace is very common, especially if you don't like your job or have a difficult boss or coworker. The steps you take depend on the exact problem.

If you hate the job you may need to work harder on the job search. This is never easy and adds a stress of its own, but may solve the problem in the long run. A job where you can smile and enjoy your work is very much so worth the effort.

Trouble with a coworker or boss at an otherwise good job may be best handled by first discussing the problem with the person involved to see if it can be solved that way. If not, going through your boss or even to the company's Personnel Department may be your best option.

Sometimes life is full of stress. Finding ways to relieve the stress even for a little while can help you focus on solving the problem rather than suffering. And if you have a little fun at it, it's even more of a break.

Stephanie Foster runs www.nonstopchatter.com/ where she blogs about whatever appeals to her at the time she's writing. She writes reviews, talks about politics, things around the world and more, depending on her mood.