Five things that will reduce your stress level

It's undeniable that, in today's world, the level of stress and lack of time make it extremely hard to lead a healthy lifestyle. But if you start targeting one thing at a time, you may be able to undertand your lifestyle better, and tackle the areas that need work in order for your general satisfaction levels to improve.

With a few steps, you can start reducing your stress levels right away, achieving a healthier and more satisfying daily routine in no time at all.

Here are five things that can help you reduce your stress levels right now:

1. Park your car
Traffic is one of the main sources for stress. Park your car and take public transit instead. If possible, it's even better to walk. If you're walking you can appreciate life at lower speed, while getting the chance to exercise at the same time. On public transit you don't have to worry about the traffic, being able to read a book or newspaper, chat with other people or even catch up on some lost hours of sleep.

2. Avoid arguments
By this I don't mean any kind of arguments, just those that serve no purpose but to create the perfect recipe for a fight, especially with friends and loved ones. Before engaging in an argument, try to see what are the possible benefits of it, if any at all. Will the other person change his or her point of view, and even if they do, will it make a whole lot of difference? Try to learn to respect the difference of opinions, and save your energy for those arguments that you feel are really difference makers.

3. Chew
Have you stopped to see how long it has been taking you to eat your meals? Are you really eating and appreciating the food, or just hurrying to get it out of the way so that you can move on to do other things with your life. Start treating meal times as important parts of your day, and take your time to chew on what's in your plate. Not only will you feel calmer and more relaxed while you're at it, but it will also help improve your health - since you will be able to absorb more nutrients from your food and also give your body time to concentrate on the task at hand, digestion.

4. Worry only about things you can do something about
What's the use of sweating, getting nervous and stressed over your team's chances of advancing deep into the playoffs. Sure, it's nice and a good pastime, but it won't really make a difference to the team if you're suffering or not in front of the TV. Relax and treat it as it is, a game. If you think your fandom will really have an impact, try at least to make yourself heard or noticed, by going to the arena or stadium and supporting the players.

5. Don't suffer in anticipation
If you're nervous about an upcoming project, deadline or event, don't suffer too much in anticipation of it, thinking about what could go wrong. Try to think positively instead, and make sure to get prepared to do your best to reduce the chances of anything going wrong. Everything may just go well in the end, and if you worry too much in advance you'll have been stressed about a projected future that never really materialized.