Exercise
Using your body is one of the most effective ways to fight stress and prevent burnout. You'll feel less tired once you start including some moderate activity in your day. Moderate activity should make you feel like you're working, but is not so hard that you can't do it the next day. No stress or exhaustion allowed! You don't even have to change clothes. You just need to move your body a total of about 30 minutes each day. It can even be done in small bursts of 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
Try these suggestions for fitting exercise into a stressful life:
Take breaks at work.
Breaks of 10 to 15 minutes each can add up to 30 minutes of exercise. Rather than buying coffee during your work breaks, go for a power walk around the parking lot, or go visit that co-worker three stories above you. You will come back to work with a clearer head and save some money. Some workouts don't even require you to leave your office. Type the words "exercise" and "desk" into your search engine (e.g., Google, Ask) for a list of fun options.
Stretch while waiting for toast or coffee.
You put your bread in the toaster, or you pour water through your coffee maker. Now, while you wait, stretch. Reach up to the ceiling and then down to your toes. Do anything that gets your body moving.
Use time spent on hold on the phone.
Think of all that time you spend waiting for the person on the other end of the phone to finally pick up. If you have a cordless phone, go for a little walk, even just back and forth between your living room and your kitchen.
Exercise while watching TV.
Commercials appear approximately every seven minutes on most major networks. At least once during your favorite TV show, get up during a commercial break and do your favorite exercise.
Make exercise a priority.
Aim for consistency and not repetition. Set a reasonable goal for yourself, something you will be able to do at least four times per week.
Try these classic suggestions for fitting exercise into a stressful life:
Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.
Maybe your office or apartment building is on the 14th floor. Get off the elevator a few stories early and take the stairs.
Run errands.
Park your car toward the back of the lot when you go to the grocery store. The extra distance can really add up. Walk or ride your bike when you need to purchase only a few items and can carry them home or put them in a backpack. Some people like to use a log or a pedometer to keep track of their progress.
Get others Involved.
Turn exercise into a social event. Do you have a weekly lunch engagement with a friend? Make that time an opportunity to get fit. Go for a hike or a bike ride. Studies reveal that people who partner up when they exercise stick with workout regimens longer than those who try to do it solo.