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Relax! Here are 5 Ways to Chill Out Your Hot and Hectic Life

Popular career development and impact coach Katie Sandler gives you ways to chill out with relaxation and and focus techniques.

Ways to chill out, Katie Sandler
Prominent personal development and career coach Katie Sandler

Things could get serious if we don’t find more ways to chill out.

According to the American Psychological Association, the country is facing a mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences. Much of it was brought on by the stress created by the pandemic, leaving many people to feel anxiety and worry more.

With that in mind, it’s crucial that people prioritize relaxing and reducing stress in order to protect their mental health. The good news is there are numerous things they can do to help them achieve that goal.

“Being busy became such a trend, as though busy equated success – now freedom and flexibility are the symbols of success,” explains Katie Sandler, a prominent personal development and career coach.

“It’s hard for people to chill out when their systems are programmed to be going nonstop and working nonstop. It takes a minute to down regulate the system in order to actually reduce stress and chill out,” Sandler says. We can certainly relate!

Ways to chill out, Katie Sandler

Katie Sandler has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in mental health counseling, has a strong foundation in mindfulness-based stress reduction, and has worked in hospitals and private practice. She offers retreats around the world, as well as private coaching and corporate impact coaching focusing on helping people become more successful so they can live with purpose and make an impact in our world.

A Pew Research Center survey, found that at least 60% of the adults reported that they sometimes feel too busy to enjoy life, with 12% of them saying they felt that way all of the time. Living like this is one sure way to increase stress and anxiety levels. Having long term stress can lead to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, obesity, cognitive decline, and depression, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

While many people want to reduce the stress in their lives, they are not always aware there are specific ways to chill out. Below, Sandler offers:

5 Ways to Chill Out a Hot and Hectic Life

1. Try Mindfulness

Keeping yourself in the present moment can go a long way toward helping you lower stress, anxiety, and even depression as well as help you get better sleep and establish a better sense of well-being. Mindfulness is something that everyone can learn and practice anywhere at anytime.

2. Connect with people

Ways to Chill Out, Katie SandlerGetting together with people we enjoy being around helps us laugh, feel connected, and make us happier. Those populations who are the healthiest in the world, tend to get together for social interaction regularly. Join a group or find some friends you like to be around and meet up on a regular basis. If you don’t feel comfortable being in person – create zoom social events; something is better than nothing.

3. Be in nature

There are many health benefits from spending time in nature. Even a view of nature helps us feel better and can improve our mood. Be sure to get outdoor time, taking walks, biking, gardening, or doing something else you enjoy. Nature-deficit disorder is real. Whatever you choose, just be sure to spend time outside and in nature.

4. Schedule free time

Ways to chill out, Katie SandlerWith the busy lives that people live today it may be necessary to put free time on the schedule. This way it will be a part of your plan and you will have to give it your attention. Don’t let other things crowd out your scheduled free time.

5. Set intention

The first part of making your life less hectic is to set the intention that you are going to chill out. Setting the intention will get you to formulate your thoughts, plans, and goals. Determine what you want, what you will do to make it happen, and what you want the outcome to be.

“You can’t continue to put off reducing your hectic and stressful lifestyle,” added Sandler. “Having a more relaxing life with less stress takes being proactive and making some changes. You have to put work into it, some of it may seem counterintuitive, but what you get back is beyond rewarding.”

Popular career development and impact coach Katie Sandler gives you ways to chill out with relaxation and and focus techniques.