Contrary to what some people believe, my experience has been that mixing up your daily activities can help relieve stress. Routine activities start out as a soothing experience, but I don’t think we were created to do the same thing every day, at the same time. Just as a marriage needs to be spiced up with doing fresh and different things, so does your daily routine. It can be anything from taking your lunch outside and eating under a huge oak tree rather than eating it in the lunch breakroom. Try a different route to work one day. But make sure you allow a little more time than usual, because it would turn out to be more stressful if you tried something new out and it made you late.

What do you think helps relieve stress? Do you find comfort in doing the same things every day? Or do you find it new and exciting to try different activities out. Sometimes, I try to just change up my morning activities just to try something new. I used to wake up, eat breakfast, take a shower, get dressed, make my lunch, and leave for work. Now, I wake up, take a shower, make my lunch, get dressed, and eat breakfast. I found that helped stimulate my mind a little more and make my day a little less stressful by lunch time.

Sometimes we get in such a routine that it is numbs our mind. Studies have shown that less brain stimulation can lead to higher stress levels, because when one thing falls out of place, or one activity is thrown out of alignment in your day, you freak out and can’t figure out how to correct the problem. I encourage you to mix up your daily routine, even if it’s the smallest of activities. I think you’ll find it as a breathe of fresh air, rather than one more thing to worry about.