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I come from a highly stressed, anxious, ‘go at a million miles per hour’ type family. Unconsciously, I had embedded these traits, habits and behaviours deep within myself. In fact, I’d made them such a prominent part of myself and my life that in 2010, I was hospitalised and on the brink of a nervous breakdown. On top of that, my immune system decided to pack up and go on holidays… It was quite the wake-up call.

For the past few years I have had to work really hard at implementing new habits to live in a stress-free, calm, peaceful space (both internally as well as externally). I’ve had to learn how to tame my inner Mean Girl and not let her run the show. The truth is, usually stress isn’t warranted and can be avoided with some conscious awareness.

Tune in with yourself and ask…

“What is making me feel stressed right now?”

Stress causes the release of adrenaline and cortisol in the body. This puts you into ‘fight or flight’ mode, preparing your body to respond to whatever triggered it. It’s an incredibly effective protective mechanism if you happen to encounter a one-off life or death threat — like a sabre-tooth tiger or a burning building — but it is not a good state to exist in long term. While these stress hormones are an important and helpful part of the body’s response to danger, it’s vital that the body’s relaxation response be active so that it can return to homeostasis following a stressful event.

However, in today’s high-stress culture, often your stress levels don’t have enough time to recover and get back to normal. The down side is that having high levels of stress hormones — particularly cortisol — present for extended periods of time has been shown to be seriously detrimental to your immune system and your digestive tract. High stress levels cause negative reactions such as insomnia, inflammation and hormone imbalances, just to name a few. This is why, not only for our mental health but our physical health, we need to keep our stress levels down.

These are the 7 things I do daily to not let stress and overwhelm sneak in:

1. Meditation

Meditation is a great way to calm your mind and bring you back into the present moment. The best thing about it is… It’s free! You can do it anywhere at any time. All you need to do is sit cross-legged on a cushion or upright in your chair, car, bus, plane, park bench — anywhere. Make sure you are comfortable, with a straight spine and your chin tucked in. Your shoulders should be down and relaxed. Make sure you have turned your phone off and removed any distractions. Then, sit quietly and concentrate on your breathing. Slowly breathe in and out through your nose. Please note that thoughts will come into your mind when you sit still. But when they do, just gently let the thought go and bring your attention back to your breathing. Repeat this for twenty minutes first thing in the morning and again just before bed. If you’re new to meditation, start with five or ten minutes and slowly increase the time as your meditation practice improves.

2. Yoga

Yoga encompasses the body and the breath. So, it’s not only a great form of exercise, but it incorporates meditation to slow down and calm the body and the mind. Try a yin yoga class or take yourself through a few sun salutations each morning. There are loads of yoga resources online such as Yoga Glo (so no excuses). Try to get to your favourite yoga class a few times a week or do it at home each morning to really get the benefits. Schedule it in your diary to make it happen.

3. Get In Touch With Nature

Kick off your shoes and walk barefoot on the beach or in the park. Feel the sensation of the earth beneath your feet. Leave your iPod, phone, and watch at home. Take the time to connect with Mother Nature. Better yet, dive into the ocean. There is something so healing and meditative about the ocean. It is extremely cleansing and revitalising. Your body and mind will love you for it. Make the commitment to connect with nature at least once a day. Before I dive into the ocean, I repeat everything I want to let go of. Then, as I dive in, I let everything wash away from me. It’s very powerful!

4. Drink Herbal Tea

If you’re feeling uber-stressed, coffee is not going to help, sweetheart! Coffee is a stimulant. Drinking it whilst in a stressed state is like adding fuel to a fire. Try drinking a cup of warm, organic, herbal tea instead. I love The Seventh Duchess teas. The ritual of drinking tea, for me, is very calming. Either with my besties or alone, there is something about tea that really makes me slow down and connect. Taking yourself away from your computer and doing something nurturing will also give you a physiological boost. Give it a try!

5. Get Grounded

Lying like a starfish on the grass is extremely grounding. Look up at the clouds and take long, slow, deep, belly breaths. Feel the earth beneath you supporting and grounding you.

6. Dance And Sing Your Heart Out

I love to sing, especially in the car and in my office. Your bedroom is also a great stage… hairbrush ‘mic’ in hand and door closed (or open), release your inner Beyoncé. This releases loads of stored tension in the body, plus it releases feel-good endorphins. One of my fav tracks is ‘Roar’ by Katy Perry.

7. Laugh

Don’t take life too seriously. Make sure you laugh every day. If you’re feeling stressed, call someone who will make you laugh. Or invite your besties over for a hilarious ‘rom-com’ marathon. Laughing also releases feel-good endorphins, so get giggling!

Important note: Whatever you do, don’t eat when you’re in a stressed state. When you’re in fight-or-flight mode, your body shunts blood flow away from your digestive system and into your muscles. You don’t want this when you’re trying to digest your food–you’ll end up getting very bloated and gassy. So, chew your food slowly and consciously in a calm and peaceful environment.

Remember, nothing is worth sacrificing your health over. Stress is not good for us or anyone around us. So, let go of whatever is stressing you out and come back to the present moment where bliss and love hang out together.

Now, I want to challenge you. In the comments below let me know which one of these 7 tools are you going to implement today? Your comment matters because you matter — and it may be the one thing someone else needs to see to spark their inner fire. So go ahead and leave your comment now.