Stress is a part of life and something we all have to deal with. But we know that once it becomes too much, we risk putting ourselves in danger. That’s why it’s so important to destress every once in a while.

And since it’s the start of a new year, it’s definitely worth considering adding “less stress” to your goals for 2018. Sure, almost no one follows through on their new year’s resolutions, but since reducing your stress brings so many benefits, it’s worth a try! Here are a few tips for tackling stress in your life.

Why are you stressed?

Before you start looking to manage your stress head-on, you’ll need to figure out why you’re stressed in the first place. Think about what the different stressors are and how you usually react to each one.

At this stage, it’s important to remember that stress isn’t just restricted to a heavy workload or high demands from your family, but can come in many different forms. It can be big, such as a new job or moving house, or smaller like some paperwork you’ve been putting off or planning a get-together at your place.

Compile a list of the things that trigger your stress so you can view the big picture. What are the things that you can easily solve, either by improving some aspect or even eliminating them from your life? What are the stressors that will require a bit more work? Asking these types of questions is a crucial step.

Make small adjustments

The next step is to start making the small improvements that you’ve identified before. Stressed by your morning routine to get the kids ready for school and your commute? Perhaps, you can come up with a routine that is more efficient or frees up time—make adjustments that work for you.

Feel like you’re constantly falling behind on your plans? Now that you know that this causes you stress, you can examine the situation and look for ways to solve the problem. Look for things like productivity-boosting tricks to help you.

What’s important is that you start off small and that you understand that these things take time. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to fix all your stressors immediately. In fact, this is unreasonable and will only cause more stress later on.

Improve your organisation

For some people, stress appears because it’s difficult to stay organised. In these cases, try investing in an agenda or planner to help you keep track of your tasks, appointments, and commitments.

The great thing about a planner is that you can tailor it to your needs and preferences. For example, some people can make do with just a hastily-scrawled note while others go the whole hog and coordinate everything with a calendar and notebook. Do what works for you.

Organisation is crucial in big life changes such as planning a holiday trip or when you’re moving away, since these moments require a lot of planning and preparation. If you try to improve your organisation, you’ll be surprised at how much more manageable everything will seem.

Dedicate more time to your social life

Often, the best remedy to stress is spending quality time with people who make you happy. During difficult times, don’t stray away from your friends and family. Instead, try to maintain your relationships with them and they’ll help you cope and solve your issues. After all, that’s part of what they’re there for!

Once in a while, going for dinner or drinks with friends will do wonders for you. Also, doing fun activities with your family, such as a little getaway or a quick stroll through the park, is great for destressing. Anything to take your mind off of your stressors, really.

Perhaps you can try joining a club or class in something you’re interested in? Having a chance to interact with other people really helps reduce your stress. It is definitely more effective than staying indoors all the time, worrying about the things causing your stress.

Freshen up your home

Sometimes, all we need is a new perspective on our surroundings. This is where your home comes in. Introducing a new look to your home can really improve your quality of life. In fact, it could be possible that it is your house that is causing you stress so you’ll need to improve upon it.

A major stressor is clutter—things that lie around your house and take up space. Go through your items and categorise them into three groups: keep, donate/sell, dispose. Get rid of the things you don’t really need at all and you’ll benefit greatly.

Not only will you add more space to your home, you’ll remove all the things that stimulate your attention all at once. Getting rid of your clutter also leaves a healthier environment—something that does wonders for reducing your stress.