Upworthy's book GOOD PEOPLE, now available - take a look!

Shop
 Explore 

healthy habits

Wellness

28 simple daily habits that people say drastically reduced their stress levels

Try making these easy yet impactful changes to your daily routine.

Image via Canva

People share their daily habits that reduce their stress levels.

Americans are stressed and anxious. According to a 2025 poll by the American Psychiatric Association, these are the top things they stress about: current events, keeping themselves and their families safe, paying bills and expenses, and their health.

Stress can have serious impacts on the body and mind. If you can feel its impact, you may be looking for ways to reduce your stress.

Over on Reddit, user Head-Tangerine-8260 posed the question: "What's a simple habit that made your daily life way less stressful?" to a thread of people looking for healthy habits,

Real people shared their real-life advice for how they have reduced stress in their lives. These are 28 simple habits hat can help you lead a life of less stress.

don't stress, no stress, reduce stress, stress, stress gif Breathe Deep Breath GIF by C.Nichole Giphy

"Plan next day every evening." —digital_tempo

"Having my outfit picked out, ironed and my work bag packed the night before gives me such relief in the morning." —MarsupialLast4651

"Give yourself 30 mins more than whatever you think you need in your morning routine. Having a bit more time to shift into your day vs feeling rushed and out of time all the time is an easy but impactful change for my daily routine." —Purfectenschlag

calm, breathe, stay calm, low stress, stress tips Breathe Chill Out GIF by CSDRMS Giphy

"My doctor told me about this yoga nidra and I really enjoy it. eye mask, headphones, under covers. my nervous system melts when I hear her voice. I look forward to it at the end of a work day." —Janices1976

"I've been doing the Wim Hof Breathing Technique for a month now and I really feel more energized and motivated. It's like life is a little bit easier." —Soquerodesabafar

"Remind myself that anxiety is nothing more than thinking-rapid, untrained thinking. Stop overthinking about the future and stop fretting about the past."— slutspells

"Writing down just three priorities each morning. Not a massive to-do list, just the three things that will make the day feel meaningful or productive. It helps cut the noise and gives me a small sense of control, especially on chaotic days. It’s simple, but it’s saved my sanity more than once. What’s yours?" —Self-CoachedPress

walk, mental health walk, stress walk, walk for stress, lower stress Mental Health Relax GIF by mtv Giphy

"Actually taking a 15-minute break to step outside and walk away from the office/desk. Before I would still stay in/at it and scroll on phone, or just sit on the office couch. Started realizing I craved sunlight and silence (quiet mind), and it lets me reset. I use it to do 1-2 laps around the office complex." —BOHICA_Headquarters

"No news. Stopped watching completely. Haven’t blown up yet. Used to be something I did first thing in the morning and it just rattled me. Now I’m very selective with what information I let myself consume. Might be unpopular but it works for me." —ATXGreenEyes

"Going to a coffee shop on Sunday and planning out my week, daily workouts." —taytay10133

"Journal. Write everyday." —Spare_Lemon5010

jounral, journaling, mental health journal, write, writing Journaling Dear Diary GIF by Ryn Dean Giphy

"Meal prepping. Cooking one day a week for the whole week and partially freezing / defrosting. The mental relief of not having to think about what to eat and cooking daily is amazing. One 2 hour session in the kitchen a week is bearable and easier to battle through than the daily thought process and prep. Less mess throughout the rest of the week, as no more prep needed. Microwaving dinner is quick and easy if in a time pinch. I can also track my macros easily and saw progress in my physique within 2 weeks as I was consistent with my intake." —Consistent-Choice-22

"One load of laundry every day, with a baby. Roomba vacuum on every morning. Straightening the couch pillows and blankets before I go to bed. Running the dishwasher daily, even if it’s half full." —Bonus_Leading

"I start my day with a cold plunge. Been huge for my mental state because in my head I’m getting the hardest part of my day behind me before 8am. Everything after that is simple." —mgm904

cold plunge, cold plunge gif, cold plunging, cold plunge stress, cold plunge mental health Screaming Nat Geo GIF by National Geographic Channel Giphy

"Tracking expenses in an analog manner. Doing it electronically and relying on my bank portal wasn’t enough. Some charges would take days to go through. Some are instant. Writing down each expense for each paycheck and budgeting what’s leftover is WAY less stressful than guessing, or not knowing, when something is coming out. It’s extremely simple. Can be time consuming but extremely simple and makes me upfront with my finances instead of blindly spending." —Snipes2016

"No phone for the first hour of my day. Gives you the first hour entirely to yourself to slowly start your day and prevents a massive cortisol spike when your brain is at its most vulnerable." —lolobq47

"Ensuring my travel mugs and water bottles are all clean before I go to bed. And that my refrigerator water is filled (we put filtered water into a glass thing), and the filter is filled with water too." —mrsredfast

"Not taking my phone into the bedroom." —dl039

no phone, no phones, no phone room, no phones bedroom, no phone mental health Keep Quiet Pho GIF by Zhot Giphy

"I have a poster of the pale blue dot by Carl Sagan hanging in my room. It really helps to remind myself that in the end, nothing really matters. We are but a speck in the vast galactic ocean, alive for a brief moment. Also, 30 mins of shooting hoops." —bluebird-03

"Prayers of gratitude." —StoicallyRoasted

"Making my bed every morning. I heard it so much and I kept it up for 2 weeks (to form the habit). And honestly, it just makes my morning better and starts my day. And its nice to climb into bed at night into a nicely made bed. When I don't, my day just feels off." —InteractionNo9110

"I changed my work wardrobe to just white or gray shirts, black skirts, and three colors of shoes (besides nude and black, which are imperative). I can wear different blazers or belts to correspond with my footwear and jewelry, but not trying to put together an outfit helped. I grab something and then something else. Then something else. I only have to worry about getting a jacket that matches with my shoes. Am I wearing blue? Then the other decisions are made. Cool." —5Tapestries

From Your Site Articles

how to reduce stress

Parenting

Dad shares the unique 8-point checklist his kids must finish before they get screen time

A lot of us could use a checklist like this, to be honest.

Canva Photos

Imagine if everyone adhered to these unique screen-time guidelines.

We know too much screen time is not good for us. We also know that younger folks are particularly susceptible to screen addiction. Crucially, teachers and psychologists have been sounding the alarm about the effects of too much screen time on young people for years now. Reports flood in every year that more and more people in schools struggle to do anything without ChatGPT's help, that they're way behind in learning fundamental skills, that they're disrespectful and lazy. Every generation has been "concerned" about the one that comes directly after them, bemoaning that they don't have the same values or that their brains are being rotted by Elvis, rock and roll, radio, or television. So some of the doom and gloom is probably overstated, but there's truthfully never been anything quite like iPhones loaded up with TikTok and other forms of hyper-dopamine-fueled social media.

Still, it's unlikely that a young person, or any person, really, can exist in modern society without some level of access to screens. So parents need to effectively help teens and tweens manage the habit and offset the dangers as much as humanly possible.

Psychiatrist, author, and dad of seven Richard Wadsworth recently went viral after showing his own personal strategy for getting his kids to do something other than scrolling.

screen addiction teens, limiting screen time, teens good habits, kids, parenting, teens, dads, moms, psychologist Kids are playing outside way less. So parents are looking for new ways to get them exercise. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

It could be the perfect solution for parents to not only break screen addiction, but instill some other healthy ritual as well.

In the clip, we first see Wadsworth’s tween son doing deltoid exercises with dumbbells. Which he apparently got up at 6:30 am to do. What could possibly incentivize practically anyone, let alone a preteen to wake up at the crack of dawn to lift weights? Was his dad forcing him to exercise?

No. Wadsworth went on to show a typed out list of various tasks that must be performed before his kids even think about setting eyes on a phone or tablet. The list included a short workout in the form of one mile on the treadmill or 20 minutes of another exercise.

Wadsworth explained that rather than enforcing strict rules, this method provides necessary structure without taking away choice.

“I’m not forcing my son to exercise every day, but I am setting rules and boundaries around his screen time,” he said. “He decided he wanted to have more time after school to play with his friend. And so in order to do that, he realized that he’d need to wake up a little bit earlier and exercise in the morning.”

In addition to exercise, the list included domestic chores like cleaning the bedroom and shared areas, finishing homework, doing laundry, preparing for the next day…and, perhaps most importantly…making sure the toilet is flushed. (Not cleaned, just flushed. Parents everywhere can relate.)

“We have all of their screens locked away. And if they want access to any of them, they need to come ask us and we’ll go through the list together. And they’re not getting their screens until the list is done,” Wadsworth continued.

He also drew a comparison between screen time and sugary sweets, noting how most parents probably wouldn’t routinely allow kids to eat dessert before a nutritious meal, but instead allow it to be a treat.

“Just as you would hopefully have your kids eat dinner before they had their dessert, you should probably be having them do something positive…before they get on their screens." Hence why he tries to get his kids to complete their list before going to the phone.

And in case you’re wondering how Wadsworth’s son feels about all this, he reported having “so much energy for school” feeling “so much better” since his dad introduced the to-do list.

@doctorwadsworth
#greenscreen #parenting #parentingtips

Bottom line: kids need guidance from their parents. And Wadsworth recommends clear cut boundaries to help them develop good habits, “because if you don’t do it, nobody else is.”

Wadsworth’s parenting hack was well received, with quite a few grown adults saying they could benefit from this type of boundary-setting in their own life.

“Even I’m addicted to this screen. I have to tell myself to put it down all the time and I’m a grown adult. Kids definitely need this!” one user wrote.

Another added, “I need someone to do this for me (I’m 28).” To which Wadsworth replied, “we all need parents sometimes.”

screen addiction teens, limiting screen time, teens good habits, kids, parenting, teens, dads, moms, psychologist Phones and social media aren't going anywhere. We have to figure out how to make it work. Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

"We implemented a similar plan, and I was surprised at how easy they took to it. It’s almost like kids need structure. What a concept!" another user remarked.

While the inclusion of exercise on the To-Do List might be controversial, the facts don't lie. Most kids and teens aren't getting enough daily physical activity. Kids don't play outside or walk to school anymore, either. So if they're not exercising, they're probably not moving much at all. And that's just as dangerous as too much TikTok.

Even with potential TikTok bans, social media isn’t going anywhere. The sooner parents can implement guidelines like these, the better equipped their kids will be at balancing tech savviness with tech dependence.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles

parenting

Mental Health

Wellness expert explains what 'self-care' really is and it's not what we've been sold

Self-care doesn't need to cost you a thing.

Photo credit: Canva

Self-care is not what we've be taught one therapist explains

Self-care. It's something that has been co-opted by wellness influencers and gurus that somehow (and all-too-often) involves spending money on something luxurious. Self-care is often branded as things like pedicures, vacations, and hour-long massages at the spa, but according to Dr. Raquel Martin, we've been doing self-care all wrong.

In July 2024, Martin—a licensed psychologist—uploaded a video to her Instagram explaining what self-care is truly supposed to be. Spoiler alert? It's not meant to be indulgent. At least, indulgence shouldn't be an all-the-time expectation of self-care. Martin acknowledges that the wellness industry has monetized and conflated self-care with self-indulgence, and she explains that having self-care propped up as something that is indulgent isolates people who cannot afford those types of activities.

The psychological toll for conflating self-care with self-indulgence can get dangerously high. In the 2020 Psychology Today article, "Why Does Self-Care Sometimes Feel So Hard?", author and licensed psychologist Alicia H. Clark Psy.D notes that "indulgence stops being self-care when you feel guilty or unhappy with yourself, and this threshold is different for everyone." She goes on to say that "one person's self-caring indulgence can be another's gateway to self-harm, depending on your relationship with the activity, your capacity for moderation, and the reality of its consequences." This makes wellness influencers who tout a heavily indulgent, "treat yo' self" ideology of self-care all the more dangerous. Self-care is not one size fits all, and for those who struggle with self-discipline and moderation, the mindset can do more harm than good.

self-care, indulgence, moderation, treats, discipline Parks And Recreation Treat Yo Self GIFGiphy

So, what is self-care actually? How is it achieved? And is it always supposed to feel good? Dr. Martin goes on to share how she practices self-care, and what she lays out was surprising her viewers. According to Martin, "Self-care is not responding to every call and, if I do not have the bandwidth to have the conversation, stating that I don't have the bandwidth to have the conversation." She also notes that she says "No" to things she doesn't want to do, sets a financial budget, and does not drink caffeine after 4 p.m.

See on Instagram

These things might seem a little boring when compared to indulgent self-care, but one thing is clear: these self-care practices are actually good for Martin's body, health, and overall wellness.

Much of what Martin listed are things a lot of people don't consider as self-care, but in actuality, self-care is defined simply by taking care of one's self. This means practicing self-care is getting in a few minutes of exercise a day, drinking more water, or spending time with friends. You don't have to spend money to care for yourself.

yoga, exercise, movement, body, health, self-care A woman practices Yoga.Image via Canva.

Commenters were shocked and thankful for Martin's clarification on what self-care is actually supposed to be:

"Love this list!! As a massage therapist, I have to call out the misconception that massage is indulgent. I'm always telling my patients that self care is more than a bath. I will be sharing this list with my patients. I'm also trying to make massage more accessible," one person writes.

"Thank you for this post. I’m internalizing your advice to see how I can apply. You resonated with my thoughts on so many levels. However, you also provided some clarity and food for thought/fuel for action," another says.

"I really appreciate what you said about pallet cleansers! Sometimes I get frustrated with myself because I'm not able to read and consume and learn about all the issues different people are facing. It's really important to me to learn about those things, not just for awareness, but also so I can do something about it. But self care is so important throughout that, like leaving my phone in the other room, or watching my comfort shows like you said. I often read kids books or TV because of how horrible the world is right now, and I need something extremely wholesome to balance it out. Also, workshop? I'm not sure what that means but I like learning from you. Thanks," another viewer shares.

So, maybe it's time to collectively ditch those indulgent expectations of self-care and really take a look at ways we can actually care for ourselves instead.

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles

self-care

Parenting

Dad shares the genius checklist of tasks his kids must complete before any screen time

A brilliant example of using positive incentive.

Representative Image From Canva

Imagine if everyone adhered to these guidelines.

We know too much screen time is not good for us. We also know that younger folks are particularly susceptible to screen addiction. What we don’t fully know is how to effectively help teens and tweens manage the habit, especially when screens are such an everyday part of life.

However, psychiatrist, author and dad of seven Richard Wadsworth recently went viral after showing his own personal strategy for getting his kids to do something other than scrolling. It could be the perfect solution for parents to not only break screen addiction, but instill some other healthy ritual as well.

In the clip, we first see Wadsworth’s tween son doing deltoid exercises with dumbbells. Which he apparently got up at 6:30 am to do.

What could possibly incentivize practically anyone, let alone a preteen to wake up at the crack of dawn to lift weights? Read on.

Wadsworth then showed a typed out list of various tasks that must be performed before even setting eyes on a phone or tablet. The list included a short workout in the form of one mile on the treadmill or 20 minutes of another exercise.

Wadsworth explained that rather than enforcing strict rules, this method provides necessary structure without taking away choice.

And in case you’re wondering how Wadsworth’s son feels about all this, he reported having “so much energy for school” feeling “so much better” since his dad introduced the to-do list.

@doctorwadsworth #greenscreen #parenting #parentingtips ♬ original sound - Richard Wadsworth

Bottom line: kids need guidance from their parents. And Wadsworth recommends clear cut boundaries to help them develop good habits, “because if you don’t do it, nobody else is.”

Wadsworth’s parenting hack was well received, with quite a few grown adults saying they could benefit from this type of boundary-setting in their own life.

“Even I’m addicted to this screen. I have to tell myself to put it down all the time and I’m a grown adult. Kids definitely need this!” one user wrote.

Another added, “I need someone to do this for me (I’m 28).” To which Wadsworth replied, “we all need parents sometimes.”

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles

kids

Health

People are sharing the simple life hacks that made their daily routine so much easier

Here are 17 changes that can have big results.

via Unsplash

She's enjoying the big benefits of some simple life hacks.

James Clear’s landmark book “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide. The book is incredibly popular because it has a simple message that can help everyone. We can develop habits that increase our productivity and success by making small changes to our daily routines.

"It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis,” James Clear writes. “It is only when looking back 2 or 5 or 10 years later that the value of good habits and the cost of bad ones becomes strikingly apparent.”

His work proves that we don’t need to move mountains to improve ourselves, just get 1% better every day.

Most of us are reluctant to change because breaking old habits and starting new ones can be hard. However, there are a lot of incredibly easy habits we can develop that can add up to monumental changes.

A Reddit user named Accomplished-Rough36 was looking to find simple life hacks that can make a big impact so they asked the online forum, “What life hack became your daily routine?” and received more than 5,300 responses. The best answers were simple, effective habits anyone can implement that can yield big benefits.

The Reddit users shared a whole lot of great ideas for dealing with the things we all have a hard time staying on top of such as keeping a clean house, creating good sleep habits and breaking free from technology addiction.

Here are 17 of the best responses to “What life hack became your daily routine?”

1.

"I flip my pill bottles after taking them so I remember if I took them or not. really helps if you take the same pill in morning and at night." — [deleted]

2.

"Sleeping with a pillow between my knees. No more lower back pain." — fiddyk50

3.

"Don’t put it down, put it away.” — arcady

4.

"Washing dishes while cooking. Now it’s at a point where I just do it because I want a clean kitchen." — devatrox

5.

"I bought 24 pairs of the same socks and threw the rest of miss matching ones away. I have a couple 'winter socks' and that’s it." — familiarfate01

6.

When I'm trying to sleep in bed at night I go over what I did that day and think of everything I did in a positive light or as if it's part of a goal I'm working towards. I've never been depressed (or at least diagnosed with it!) but this helps feeling like I've accomplished something and I can feel better about what I've done. Celebrate every little thing you did, and also it helps me fall asleep a little bit faster too." — anderoogigwhore

7.

"Saying 'thank you' instead of apologizing for things that dont need apologies. I'm a chronic apologizer and it's helped a lot. For example, if I have a bad day and vent to my husband, instead of saying 'sorry for venting and bringing down the mood, I'll say 'thank you for listening and being supportive.' It puts a much more appreciative and positive light on your relationships!" — thegracefuldork

8.

"My alarm clock is across the room, requiring me to get out of bed to turn it off. Prevents me from falling back asleep." — soik90

9.

"Posting this too late for anyone to see, but I brush my teeth as part of my daughter's bedtime routine. This keeps me from snacking late at night since my teeth already feel clean and I don't want to mess them up before bed. I've lost about 5 inches from my waist, and it keeps me accountable to brush my teeth before I'm too tired to care." — petethepianist

10.

"A work from home life hack I adopted was using break time from work to do low mental energy chores. Stuff like dusting furniture and vacuuming the pool is a nice break from the mental energy of working and I’m getting stuff done." — drakeallthethings

11.

"Preparing/getting stuff ready the night before. For example:

1. Getting my shoes and putting them by the front of the door
2. Packing my backpack with all the things I'll need for that day
3. Getting my underwear, shirt, pants, etc. out and folding them in a pile
4. Packing lunch(es) for that day
5. No more running around in the mornings looking for stuff on a time crunch! It’s become so much less stressful when I know where everything is and I can just get everything (on) and leave." — KomodoJoe3

12.

"Drink. Water. It's something so simple yet so often ignored. Yeah, it can get annoying at times. I never really want to get up at 3:30am to piss. I don't really want to have to stop on, say, a six-hour drive because I have to pee. But, staying well hydrated helps me feel better, look better, rest better (yeah, there's the 3:30am piss, but that's after three hours of sleep. I didn't toss and turn for three hours before then,) etc. And it will help you live longer. Your organs will thank you." — 2020isanightmare

13.

"If it takes less than a minute, just do it." — evelynmtz821

14.

"If you have to put something down for a bit, like say your phone or glass of water, say out loud, 'I'm putting this ____ here.' I guess that by doing that you engage different parts of you brain and makes it more likely for you to remember where you put something when you need it again." — -eDgaAR-

15.

"Ignoring people I don't want to interact with." — ClubZen

16.

"That moment trick from Deadpool.

I have a bad temper, not going to lie. It felt uncontrollable for a while, but it was just because I was always so quick to react. Like as a kid, if my brother said something that rubbed me the wrong way, the next moment, I was trying to fight my brother without even thinking. Now, if something pisses me off, I catch myself and think about why that thing pissed me off. Nine times out of 10, I'm just being dumb and allowing something dumb to upset me. This helps a lot if you rage in video games. Most of the time if you're raging in a game at someone on your team, you're the problem." — _IraPirate_

17.

"Its amazing how much more i get done when i wake up 2 hours earlier." — TysonGoesOutside

This article originally appeared on 10.4.22

From Your Site Articles

life hacks

healthy habits

28 simple daily habits that people say drastically reduced their stress levels

Try making these easy yet impactful changes to your daily routine.

Dad shares the unique 8-point checklist his kids must finish before they get screen time

A lot of us could use a checklist like this, to be honest.

Wellness expert explains what 'self-care' really is and it's not what we've been sold

Self-care doesn't need to cost you a thing.

Dad shares the genius checklist of tasks his kids must complete before any screen time

A brilliant example of using positive incentive.

People are sharing the simple life hacks that made their daily routine so much easier

Here are 17 changes that can have big results.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

A hundred years ago, everyone wore hats. In 1960, they suddenly stopped. Here's why.

A dad was camping with his kids when a fellow camper slipped him this handwritten note

30 musicians came out of nowhere on the streets of Paris and began performing 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

Psychologist explains 5 personality traits of people who prefer to shower at night versus the morning

Married couple says the '3-Hour Night' hack has totally improved their marriage

A teacher asked 7th graders what 40-year-olds do for fun and their answers are merciless