Finding the grace and self-confidence to live a fulfilled life is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and those around you. Of course, we all understand that it’s easier said than done. Your goal is to live free of worry, take each day as it comes, and pass on strength to those around you. However, there are many hurdles that will fall into your path. It might be relationship problems, trouble at work, or issues around your finances, but they all lead back to one place: stress. If you’re having to cope with high levels of stress, it can be almost impossible to find the grace within you, but there is no need to panic. There are small, simple changes you can make to help remove this stress from your life.

Woman Mom Sunset

Breathe Deeply

We all underestimate the power of breathing. Sure, it keeps us alive and most days, we do it without thinking about it. But breathing has a mental and spiritual power well above simply filling and emptying our lungs. The process of bringing oxygen into your body has an amazing effect, lowering stress levels in your brain and allowing you to think more clearly. Take a few moments out of each day, especially when you’re feeling particularly stressed, and allow yourself to breathe. You will see immediate benefits, but over time you’ll also start feeling more centered, at one with the world, and able to deal gracefully with anything that comes your way.

Remove Debt

When talking about financial worries, one of the main problems that everyone faces is that of debt. Debt can be easy to accrue; it happens slowly, in the background, when you’re not thinking about it, and then suddenly you’re faced with a monster you can’t deal with. Most people submit to their debt as an inevitable burden – but what if there was a way to achieve freedom from your debts, and walk forward with a straight back and no obligations? Rather than submitting unquestioningly, it’s always worth doing some research, challenging your debt, and letting organizations know that they cannot take advantage of you. Many debts can be diminished or even written off entirely, if you just have the courage and grace to pursue this action. Take your life back into your own hands, and confront your debts head-on.

Eat the Frog

Have you heard of the ‘eating the frog’ technique? The idea was first put forward by legendary writer Mark Twain, who said that if the first thing you do in the morning is to eat a live frog, you can live the rest of the day knowing the worst is behind you. Whilst this might sound disgusting, it’s a metaphor for a way of living that removes stress and allows you to live in grace. Lots of stress gets built up little by little as we avoid doing the tasks that we know we should. This is natural, it is human nature, but if you can sidestep these tendencies and put aside an hour every morning for those ‘unpleasant’ necessities, you’ll be able to shake off stress, breathe deeply, and live confident.