What to Add to Decrease Stress: Time

Now this sounds ridiculous, but let me explain!

Our world is spinning faster and faster! We have less time than ever for the things that truly bring us joy! So, this series, we are looking at how to decrease stress and improve our overall health and well-being!

With so many things on our plate, we are constantly forced to choose between the things that serve other people or the things that serve us! Generally, we choose to do the things that serve other people. These things may be things like, work, extra work, other outside obligations, late night work….are you getting my drift?

By doing some of these other things, we often push aside the things that serve and fill us as humans out! These things can be rest, sleep, reading, meditation and time spent with those that are most important to you. Think about it, when you are working and pushing toward that deadline, you are missing out on the time that you can spend with those that can truly fill you up, rather than sap you of all of your energy.

Harvard University has done a study that has lasted 80 years and continues today! This study has shown that out of all of the things that can be a predictor of longevity, i.e. money/wealth, fame, IQ, social status, the close relationships that you keep are the best predictor of long and happy life.

So, when we actively choose to run away from those relationships, we may be actively choosing to shorten our life spans as well.

Instead, you should consider cultivating these relationships. Cultivating those relationships means spending QUALITY time, not being in the same place while you do other work! When you spend the quality time with the people that fill you the most, your stress and anxiety can decrease and you can feel more like the person that you were designed to be!

By choosing to spend this time with your closest people, you can push the other time commitments off of your plate that don’t serve you. Doing this may be the best decision of your life!