What activities have worked for you to manage stress?

Guided yoga videos, and then self guided yoga after I've memorized the moves/order. Something about combining active breathing with active movement helps clear the mind.

I tried regular meditation, but my mind kept crowding with anxious thoughts, and taking walks, I was just taking my anxieties for a walk with me.

Strength training, bouldering and swimming

1. Get on a consistent sleep schedule. Consistent both in terms of the total number of hours and the window of time when you sleep. Consistency increases the quality of sleep, on average. Maintaining the schedule on weekends is difficult, but not impossible.

2. Avoid alcohol within 2 hours of sleep. Alcohol worsens the quality of sleep, and while you may feel relaxed, it’s more of a physical sedation rather than a sleep aid.

3. Drink more water. More than you think. A general rule of thumb is to drink your body weight in ounces: if you weigh 150lbs, drink 150 ounces daily.

4. Avoid using social media, and if you can't, at least avoid using it for entertainment. Social media can create negative psychological stress, and it’s usually a distraction — which can cause anxiety if it’s used as a tool for procrastination. We have mobile devices capable of voice, video, and text communication. Social media is a distraction.

5. Wake up a few hours before you have to go to work and do something which is personally stimulating. I like to play an (easy!) game of sudoku, read, or work on a personal project.

6. Run Outside. Do this before work if possible. Running can act as a mental cleanser of sorts, and gives you an opportunity to meditate/think/reflect. It also helps keep your natural rhythm in check, let’s you blow off steam, and makes it easier to fall asleep at night if you physically exert yourself.

7. Ween yourself off of caffeine if you drink more than 1 cup per day, and don’t drink after 11am. Caffeine can negatively impact sleep quality, and on days when you are caffeine deficient, your stress and frustration levels will be unnaturally high. If you think you need caffeine, you don’t. You need more sleep and water.

8. Take inventory of the things you spend your time on, and determine whether they are energy-positive or energy-negative. Work is usually an energy-negative, but sleep and spending time with people you care about can be energy-positive. Try to switch out as many energy-negative tasks with energy-positive. For instance, I recently quit playing video games because I noticed I would get overly consumed with them, and instead of giving me energy, I’d feel drained because I spent time grinding a useless achievement or item. Instead, I’ve replaced that time with hanging out with friends and reading more, which are things that make me feel recharged.

With regards to building a habit, the Nike slogan is particularly relevant: Just Do It. Set alarms for each day to stop drinking, to go to bed, to wake up, to run, to stop drinking coffee. It sucks for the first few weeks, but if you just do it, it’ll become a habit. Saying no and prioritizing yourself is probably the most difficult part of developing a habit, but it’s essential.

Hope this helps. Managing stress is difficult, but it pays dividends. The fact that you’re looking to more effectively manage your stress is a healthy sign, so best of luck.

try meditation.