5 life hacks to slow down and lead a more stress-free life

From breathing techniques, to beauty products, here’s what you need to know to reach peak zen and make this autumn as stress free as possible...

In Partnership with Rituals

Stress. Let's talk about it shall we?

Considering that most young professionals right now live in one of the most stressed cities in the UK (ahem, London), it's no surprise that we're becoming far too acquainted with the cortisol hormone.

And, although there's probably around 101 ways of coping with stress, we've decided to break it down for you in five simple steps instead (because, guys, stress is even affecting your hair.)

Simplify everything

From your schedule to the content of your home/wardrobe/handbag, channel your inner Marie Kondo and embrace your minimalist side. Right now, take a look at your diary. Do you have plans every day for the next however many weeks? We thought so. Be kind to yourself by making sure you have wiggle room for time for yourself, too. Don't burn out by trying to pack too much in because we guarantee you won't be able to enjoy it all. And, take out the stress of decision making (and mess) by streamlining what you own. Yes, we're envisioning a Sex and the City-style wardrobe detox.

Focus

Whether you want to call it meditating, concentrating or just freeing your mind of that constant natter, forcing yourself to focus on one thing is a surefire way to silence all those negative thoughts. In fact, Rituals' UK & Ireland Managing Director Penny Grivea recommends lighting a candle, or using Ayurveda sticks, to get yourself in the zone: 'I light my Ritual of Ayurveda Candle and take time to focus on the flame for at least two minutes a day. It's intensely calming and has a meditative effect on me immediately. It's a technique I learnt from our innovations director and I do it every day.' And, in the same way, eliminate distractions and rebel against the multi-task lifestyle by sticking to one thing at a time.

Be early

Running late will make anyone's adrenaline kick in - so why do we do it to ourselves so often? It might sound obvious but giving yourself more time to get ready, more time to commute and more space between events is actually life-changing. Plus, you can fill whatever waiting time in with a good book or TV show catch-up. Basically, everyone wins.

Breathe

Any living thing breathes, but you'll be amazed at how much we, as humans, forget to breathe deeply. When you're stressed, your breath often speeds up and you find yourself flustered, so master being able to inhale and exhale deeply enough to calm your heart rate. And, remember the power of breathing in essential oils, like lavender to relax, and eucalyptus to invigorate, too. The Rituals' Ayuveda bath foam promises to immediately reduce fatigue and boost your mood and breathing helps you restore the balance between body, mind and soul. The Rituals’ 100% natural Vata Oil promises to restore your inner balance leaving you joyful, creative and energised.

Have a routine

Allow yourself to go into auto once in a while by establishing a routine that gives you what you need. If you're a breakfast person, make sure to give yourself time (and the ingredients) to enjoy it - or if you know exercise keeps your anxiety at bay, don't even give yourself the option of not going to that class/gym/that personal training session and just go. Routines reassure people and put us all at ease because we're comfortable in what we know so enjoy that calm state as much as possible.

If you take one thing away from this list, it's to give yourself permission to do nothing in-between the somethings. After all, philosopher Bertrand Russell once said: 'the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time' and we couldn't agree more.

Bye, bye FOMO. See you later stress. And, hello to a life with more time for everything else.