5 Ways To Manage Stress Without Blowing Your Budget

Shot of stressed business woman working from home on laptop looking worried, tired and overwhelmed.GETTY

If you live in the United States (or really anywhere) right now, you’re probably pretty preoccupied by the current presidential election. As of this writing, there still isn’t a definitive winner of the election, and it’s unclear when that will change. This has been an incredibly challenging year for so many reasons, and the uncertainty around the election results is not helping any of us. I know that I’m very stressed, I know that my family and friends are stressed, and I know that everyone I follow on social media seems to be barely holding it together. I also know that spending money tends to be an automatic coping mechanism that doesn’t always help us in the long run. That’s why I want to give some examples of how you can manage your stress right now without spending money or blowing your budget.

Take a Break From Social Media and the News

This is true even in the best of times, but social media and the 24-hour news media can cause a lot of stress. There’s nonstop information coming through, especially now while the election results are still unclear. I personally promised myself that I would not watch any television news during this time. That’s not because I don’t care about the election, but because I know that following the play-by-play will only overwhelm me, while still not giving me the answers I am searching for. When I want to get an update, I do a Google search about the state in question and go from there. It’s important that you understand your own personality and how you react to different stimuli during difficult times. If you can’t cut out the news or social media completely, find time to take a break once in a while so you can lower your stress levels. You will thank yourself for it.

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/