How to Take a One Hour Stress Break

Everyone has stressful days and stressful times in life, but the key is to learn to deal with that stress. A one-hour stress break is the perfect way to de-stress and rejuvenate yourself so that you're better prepared to deal with whatever life throws your way. Use these simple steps to help you create your own personal one-hour stress break.

Instructions

1. Take a "time in," a time when you can sit and drink tea or coffee and write in a journal. Don't plan for anything or have any specific focus. Instead, just give yourself one hour to sit and do nothing but relax and get all your thoughts down on paper. Write about whatever is on your mind, not worrying about disjointed sentences or making things flow smoothly.

2. Decompress for an hour by window shopping, taking a nap or listening to music. It doesn't matter if you're at home, in the car or at the mall; the object is to relax your muscles and your mind. So don't think about what you need to do next or that you need a birthday present for your sister, just go ahead and relax for an hour.

3. Buy a joke book, rent a funny movie or go see a comedian. Laughing is one of the best ways to relieve pent up stress and a great way to give yourself a one-hour stress break is to spend it laughing.

4. Go out for a nice dinner and savor each bite. Eating out means there's no cleanup, greatly reducing after-dinner stress and allowing you to spend more time relaxing and enjoying your dinner.