“At work, I try to set healthy boundaries like ‘I’ll only pick up the phone until 8 p.m.’ or ‘If the task entered after 4 p.m. it will be delivered the next day'”, said Eugeniarte.

Creating boundaries in your personal and work life will ensure you don’t overwhelm or overload yourself.

“I have a lot of alarms in my phone reminding me to wake up early, exercise, do my night routine, meditate, etc. Giving time (from 15 min to 1.5 hrs) to these, helps me focus on them as a “work on myself” policy,” shared Eugeniarte.

It’s crucial to set aside “me-time” for all around well-being.

“At the beginning of the week I make a list of little things I want to get to when I have the spare time (like wipe down countertops or mirrors, change sheets, throw in a load of laundry, etc) with one or two “big things” to tackle (like reorganizing the pantry or deep cleaning the bathroom/kitchen) exclusively to do on one of my days off. That way nothing piles up,” suggested young_jawn.

To-do lists organized by priority-level can be helpful in removing tasks and responsibilities from your plate. Giving you a visual of your progress as you cross off each item on the list.

“Regular exercise, even when I don’t wanna do it, also helps. I find that I actually have more energy and stamina when I get into a regular workout routine,” said young_jawn.

Exercise has been proven to relieve stress by releasing ‘feel-good’ hormones into our systems.

“You can’t. I learned that the hard way. Rest is necessary. If that’s all you have energy for on the weekend, then that’s what you need to do. It’s more important for your health than being ‘productive’,” said MissAnthropoid.

Listen to your body. If it’s telling you to just relax, sleep, or curl up and watch TV for the afternoon – do it. There’s nothing wrong with resting.

“You can take some of the pressure off by outsourcing your housework. I had a cleaner and usually ate out or ordered in. That pretty much just left me laundry to take care of, which isn’t too bad,” said MissAnthropoid.

If you have the extra income, there’s nothing wrong with hiring someone to help with things around the house or yard. Leaving you with more free time.

“For stress, CBD oil or psilocybin microdosing can help. You need your sleep, so don’t cheat yourself,” also said MissAnthropoid.

Before you experiment with any alternative medicinal drugs, be sure to do your research.

“One whole day and evening off per week. This let me do my errands, be at the gym for as long as I wanted, do some meal prep, etc., and just spend an evening watching a movie (or going to the movies) alone, and relax. I found this the most important thing–scheduling time for myself where no one needed me and I could truly relax helped me not go nuts or feel like I was being pulled in 90 different directions,” suggested DragonMasterBrady.

Setting aside one or two full days a week to let you do whatever you’d like will give you something to look forward to and make you more productive on the working days.

“Never worked past 7:00 pm, unless I was picking up a bartending shift once in a while. This allowed my brain to know that no matter how hectic my day was, it could turn off at 7:00 that night,” added DragonMasterBrady.

Setting a time boundary like this will help you be able to cope with the stresses of the day, knowing that it does end at some point.

“Go to the gym in the morning, if you can. There was something about being up early, when the world is quiet, and getting some physical exercise done before my day really started. If going in the morning was not possible (say, a meeting was scheduled by Satan at 7:00 am), I would go in the evening, or make a point to get up from my desk every hour and take a 5 – 10 minute walk around my building,” said DragonMasterBrady.

Setting a routine is helpful when managing stress. By having an order to things, it will help keep your brain from feeling too overwhelmed and will help you better manage when hiccups arise throughout the day.

“Planned and meal-prepped every snack and meal for every day. I know that sounds horrible and tedious, but if you can think of recipes that create leftovers (chili, soups, pasta dishes, salads, baking a bunch of chicken, etc.) and space them out through the week, you can save SO MUCH TIME when you get home and don’t have to think about making dinner. Or when you’re getting your breakfast/lunch ready in the morning, you grab a few containers and a couple snacks, and boom! Spending 3 hours every Sunday meal prepping easily saved me about 12 – 15 hours of cooking/making stuff during the week,” is another helpful hint that DragonMasterBrady shared.

“Sex when I get home. Every night. My job this time of year stresses me out to the max so forgetting about it for an hour and having an orgasm usually works,” posted shiftyshellshock239.

Having an orgasm can greatly reduce stress both mentally and physically. And your partner will be happy too! Or…just by yourself is fine too.

“During work – I play candy crush whenever I go to the bathroom,” said dadadawn.

If this addictive phone game is what you’re into, then you might already be taking advantage of this tip.

“After work – I spend time with my dogs, take them to the park, work out, and then do my puzzles or adult coloring books and drink wine,” added dadadawn.

Sounds like the perfect afternoon to us! Everyone in the household is happy with a daily routine like this.

“I schedule in some downtime. Mine involves 10 minutes of meditation per day, and an hour at the gym a few times a week. I also have cats, so I make sure to spend time with them,” posted ThatJG.

Meditation can be very helpful in managing stress. There are lots of apps and YouTube videos to help guide you.

“While I’m working, I take breaks at least once every couple hours, even if it’s just to take a short walk or a few deep breaths when I’m changing what I’m working on, and I try to schedule more thought-intensive work for times when I focus better and more monotonous work when I’m tired. I find I’m less stressed when I schedule that way,” added ThatJG.

Don’t burn yourself out throughout the day. Take small breaks and make sure to prioritize your work according to importance.

“I worked 12-13 hours days ~5.5 days a week for a year. To survive, it was critical for me to get a full nights sleep of 7.5+ hours in order for me to regulate my emotions and be able to mentally concentrate at work. So that meant taking a small dose of melatonin to make sure I went to sleep at the right time,” said ID9ITAL.

Ideally, 7-8 hours of sleep is what you should aim for each night. And try your best to keep the same sleep schedule throughout the entire weekend – even on your days off.

“I always try to leave the building for lunches. Just getting out and walking can help a ton. And also not letting others make me feel guilty for actually taking my lunch I’m entitled to,” suggested CarpetAbhor.

Invite your co-workers out to lunch with you. It’s a nice change to get out of the office as well as socialize with your colleagues.

“I work full time and go to school full time. When I have off time I pamper myself. I set one day a week to an at-home spa day. Relaxing music, face mask, hair mask, pedicure if needed, waxing/tweezing, and shaving my legs,” posted livelaughtacos.

Self-care includes the physical aspect as well. When you are able to pamper yourself on the outside, it does wonders for the inside.

“What helped me is to starting playing a music instrument (piano). I never tried something like this before and it’s actually still very hard after one year of training, but this is such an amazing relaxing activity,” said eriibu.

Using your brain for something other than work and for something enjoyable can be great for your happiness and well-being. What better way to use your free time?

“Once I get home most days I pour myself a glass of wine or other alcohol. Even having one sip of it tells me that the workday is over bc I cant do my job under the influence. Half the time I don’t even finish the glass, it’s about the principle- the workday is over,” said futurepresoftheworld.

Giving yourself a small ‘reward’ like a glass of wine is perfectly fine. Just don’t overdo it.

“If you don’t drink sign up for any kind of class to remind yourself that you’re a person outside of work. I like to make intricate meals bc I know as soon as I sit down I’m unlikely to get up. I’m also religious and take a minute to pray if I’m feeling frantic at work,” futurepresoftheworld added.

Try a painting class or a yoga class – something that is calming and soothing.

“I work full time while going to school full time. I have the same day off from both every week. This lets me sleep in, deep clean my apartment, and run my errands. Most of this is done by 2, then I get to spend the rest of the day doing whatever I want to. As for the rest of the week, my husband picks up more of the daily chores around the house and we alternate who cooks dinner each night,” suggested teardrop87.

If you have a significant other or someone else in the household who can help out with things – ask! Even removing the littlest task can help greatly with your stress levels.

“Come the end of the month, I take a lot more bubble baths with a glass of wine and watch a ton of silly YouTube videos,” said teardrop87.

Bubble baths are a great way to unwind after a stressful day or week – even if only for just a few minutes.

“Keeping my work at work is a big help. A lot of my coworkers bring their work laptops home, but I’ll just stay at the office later or come in earlier if I need to. It makes it easier to stop thinking about work as soon as I get home,” shared mygawd.

Try to “log-off” from work as soon as your workday is over. It will be there tomorrow for you to jump back into.

“Do the best you can and don’t beat yourself up over it! I had suuchhh a hard time with this because I would bring work home and worry myself to death about mistakes that I made and how I could be more efficient. Now having 3 jobs, I just have to give myself more credit and do the best I can, no matter if a project gets finished later or if I don’t get back to someone on time. Putting that unneeded pressure on yourself isn’t healthy!” said sanfranbum.

It’s important to not put too much pressure on yourself. As long as you know you’ve tried your best throughout the day – you can’t go wrong.

“Prioritize your health. Set aside an hour or two to move your body. Meal prep and eat healthy. Keep alcoholic drinks to a minimum. Make sure you get between 5-6 hours of sleep per night,” posted aremarten.

Here’s another suggestion of ways this person likes to stay healthy. Everyone is different, so find a healthy routine that works for you.

“Stay organized AF. Make a plan for each day and execute it. Lean on team members that are allies at work when you need to escape for a break. I find that bullet journaling helps me organize my life the best,” said aremarten.

When you’re organized and on top of things, it will prevent tasks and responsibilities from piling up, adding to your stress.

“I usually get a massage 1-2x per month and waxing, too, to keep me sane,” posted sugarooni.

Splurge on a massage once in a while to help melt away tension. There are more and more businesses popping up that offer monthly memberships with unlimited massages.

“During weekends, I make sure that I clean my room. My room is an indicator of mine if I am still taking care of my mental health and/or myself,” posted sugarooni.

For many people, cleaning and organizing their living spaces helps them also feel organized in their minds. By decluttering the space around you, you’ll feel less cluttered in your brain.

“Shoot pool,” said leostan1.

Get out of the house, grab some friends, and shoot some pool or play darts at your local watering hole. It will help you forget about any work troubles for a couple of hours.

“Work in the yard or go for a walk,” suggested GardenWitchMom.

Gardening has been shown to be very relaxing for some people. It allows you to focus your concentration on nature instead of man-made stresses.

“I always have a notepad and pen nearby so that I can write down things for the to-do list… if I don’t write things down when they come to me I will end up losing them frequently and I find that stressful. Having a well-organized to-do list makes me feel more relaxed,” posted TantusIncTeam.

When you’re prepared, you’re never caught off guard.

“Relax, take a lot of deep breaths. When you find your jaw clenching and your stomach knotting and your shoulders hunching forward take a moment and breathe deeply utilizing all of your lungs. It really does help,” said TantusIncTeam.

Deep breathing exercises can do wonders for both your mental and physical well-being. The best part? The results are instant and it’s free!

“I spend as little time as possible around people or environments that I find stressful. While it can’t be avoided all of the time, you can generally cut back at least a little bit on the company of people that you find stressful or spending time in situations that cause stress,” posted TantusIncTeam.

It’s okay to say ‘no’ to that party or social event if you don’t want to go or it stresses you out.

“Keeping my house tidy, eating a clean diet and taking the time to work out even if I don’t want to are really helpful to my stress levels. I know that they are boring, but they really do help me feel better. The better I take care of my body and environment, the less stressed I feel,” said TantusIncTeam.

If you know that the ‘basics’ of your health and your home are in order, no matter what is thrown at you, you’ll be able to better handle it.

“Well, I go home walking while listen music, and when I arrive home, If it’s very early, take my dog for a walk, then go home, take a shower (or a bath), make a chamomile tea and sit in the bed while I’m drinking it,” posted Jo_Jo_Joness.

As we’ve said earlier, everyone’s routine and what makes them happy will be different. Try different things until you find the perfect one for you.

“I listen to self-help podcasts during my commute and work. They make me feel generally more in control of my out of control life – at least momentarily,” said Lunasuarus.

There are thousands of wonderful podcasts out there and many of them are dedicated to productivity, organization, and happiness. Listen to a few different ones to find your favorite.

“I’ve always heard you need three hobbies: one creative, one for exercise, and one to destress. I cheat by doing dance (creative and exercise). If your job is already one of these hobbies, then switch out that category for a cerebral hobby (coding, puzzles, math),” suggested KittyScholar.

Hobbies are a great way to ward off stress and focus on something really enjoy doing.

“At work – chat with work friends, grab a coffee/tea, browse Reddit for 10 mins,” said hikeaddict.

Just because you’re at work doesn’t mean you have to keep your nose down and grind away. Take a couple of minutes every so often to say ‘hi’ to a co-worker or grab a cup of coffee.

“After work – mindless TV or YouTube videos, hiking on weekends (when possible),” added hikeaddict.

There’s no shame in just wanting to mindlessly scroll the internet for a while. Just set a time limit for yourself.

“once a week I write a weekly menu and do the shopping for that menu. Not having to think about what to cook and knowing all the ingredients are already home is comforting. I also invested in a crockpot so a few times a week I can set it in the morning; knowing that dinner will be ready when I get home helps lower my stress,” posted WhenInDoubtBeKind.

“On my agenda I have a small daily chore list with 1 or 2 things, bite-size. For example: monday: change bedsheets, Tuesday: clean kitchen, water plants Thursday: clean bathroom, friday: vacuum, mop and wipe mirrors. I might have a bigger task for Saturday such as weekly laundry & doing the Windows If I plan my week that way, I don’t worry about what needs to be done and I then have a mostly free weekend as house stuff is sorted. A tidy house helps me feel calm,” suggested WhenInDoubtBeKind.

“Cuddling my cat. This one is really important,” added WhenInDoubtBeKind.

Because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love kitty or puppy snuggles? Always a great stress reliever.

“During work

• Take a 15min walk twice or take a 30min walk at lunchtime. Don’t look at your phone.

• Eat fruit

• Know you are doing your best and nothing is more important than your health so try not to stress,” shared Miss_Bossy_Boots.

Just a few simple guidelines to adhere to every day can help you feel less stressed and organized.

“Today I did Sudoku to unwind and it actually helped! Haven’t picked up my lil sudoku book in about a year, but now I think i’ll do it more often,” shared laurel_lz.

Take a small break throughout your day and try doing brain puzzles. It will keep your brain sharp without thinking about work.

“For a long time I thought setting multiple alarms would help me relax because I could rely on them to keep me on pace throughout the day. Eventually, I deleted all of the alarms that went off after work and I make sure allow myself real free time. I had actually just been waiting around for the alarm to go off marking the end of my free time without really getting to enjoy it,” shared noonetoseeheremoveon.

This is your life – find what works for you and make it happen. Just make sure you’re happy!

“I ride the momentum I have after getting off work and I use it to knock out at least one “project” or chore after work. If I’m feeling up to doing more I do it. When at least one thing is done for my house I allow myself to relax when I feel tired,” suggested noonetoseeheremoveon.

If you’re feeling amped after work, use that energy to knock something off your to-do list. Now, you’ve really earned that couch time later without feeling bad.

“I usually try to focus on doing one healthy thing for my home and one healthy thing for my body each day. Sometimes I justify my healthy things as breaking in my couch and taking some me time; sometimes it’s mopping and going for a run,” shared noonetoseeheremoveon.

“I will read a book. It’s hard to focus on anything else when your reading,” posted bookbabe15.

When’s the last time you got lost in a great book? It’s a wonderful way to escape for a while.

“Sincerely, I don’t see why I should be productive even during my free time, I am already an overachiever at work and that would kill me,” said AdorableLime.

If you work hard, it doesn’t mean you have to play hard. Give yourself time for some R&R.