Living a laid back life entails living a life free of stress and anxiety.

 

For some people, it may mean having enough resources so they are free to do what they want to do, when they want to do it, and how they want to do it. 

 

For others, it means being able to earn a living without working too many hours. And working in an environment that’s relaxed where they have control how they perform their jobs.

 

And yet for others, it means getting rid of the 9 to 5 job, waking up in the morning when their body clock dictates and going to bed when they wish.

 

So, living a laid back life may mean something different for different people depending on their personalities and life circumstances. 

 

For example, Type A personalities  are naturally ambitious, competitive, and aggressive while Type B personalities are naturally more patient, flexible, and laid-back.  

 

So, if you have a Type A personality, you may have a different perception as to what a laid back life looks like than if you have a Type B personality.

 

In terms of circumstances, a younger couple, for example, with four kids may have a different idea of what a laid back life is than an older couple whose kids have grown up.

 

Benefits of living a laid-back life

The benefits of living a laid-back life include having reduced stress levels, increased creativity, improved work-life balance, a more incisive focus on what’s important in your life, and more time for hobbies and other leisure activities.

 

Stress can be defined as an increased state of mental tension and worry caused by difficult or intractable situations. 

 

Stress is an important contributor to many of the health problems we face today. 

 

These health problems include headaches, chest pains, sleeping disorders, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes among others.

 

In addition, stress can cause psychological problems such as poor concentration, forgetfulness, learning problems, negative thoughts and emotional issues.

 

So living a laidback life can lead to you eliminating these health, psychological, and emotional problems from your life. 

 

In other words, it can lead to you having improved physical health, and a more calm mental and emotional state.

 

Some of the specific benefits include the following:

 

Improved Relationships

When you start to lead a laidback life, you will find that your relationships with others improve. You will become more patient, understanding, and tolerant with friends, family, and colleagues. 

 

This is because you no longer have mental pressures overhanging in your head that you have to deal with.

 

Increased Creativity

Under stress, your head is full of work pressures, impossible deadlines, and other difficult situations that you have to deal with. 

 

When you are free of stress, you you have more capacity to think freely and out-of-the-box, wander, and explore new ideas; ideas that may lead to new hobbies, projects or an even a more relaxed life!

 

Better Work-Life-Balance

Leading a laid-back lifestyle can lead to you placing a greater emphasis on your personal life, hobbies and other leisure activities. 

 

This in turn could actually lead you to becoming more productive in your career and more satisfied with the general direction and state of your life.

 

Greater Focus on What is Important

When you are living a laid-back life, you will have the mental freedom and capability to focus on what is really important in your life. 

 

In other words, you are more likely to be able to avoid spending your time worrying about small things. 

 

And you will be able to focus on the more important things in your life such as relationships, personal growth, family and friends.

 

More Time for Hobbies and Leisure Activities

If you can achieve a laid-back lifestyle, you will have more time to spend on your hobbies and leisure activities. 

 

These may include reading, the arts, hiking, and spending time with loved ones and friends. In addition, you may even have time to develop new ones.

 

 

How to Identify Sources of Stress in your Life

In order to be able to live a laid-back life, you must first identify the various things that cause you to be stressed. 

 

These can sometimes be difficult to identify because you might be feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.

 

But by performing some of the following actions, you will become aware of, and understand the  issues and problems that are causing you to feel stressed.

 

Observe you how you respond physically and emotionally. 

 

For example if you may feel you are getting quickly annoyed with friends, family or others. 

 

Or you may find yourself being very impatient when you are in a line in a shop or some place waiting for your turn. 

 

These could be signs that you are under stress. 

 

Also, you may start experiencing headaches, having muscle tensions, or having trouble sleeping. These could also be signs that you are under stress.

 

Keep a stress journal. 

 

Make a written note in your journal every time you start feeling tense or feel like your head is overloaded and wants to burst open. 

 

Write down where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing. Also write down exactly how you felt.

 

Consider major changes in your life. 

 

Starting a  new job, starting a new relationship or getting married, and moving to a new house or city can all be stressful events. 

 

Pay attention to how you adapt and deal with these kind of changes.

 

Examine your daily routine. 

 

Review the various activities in your everyday life and try to figure out if there are any of these that consistently cause you to be stressed. 

 

Examples of such activities could include dealing with difficult co-workers, a neighbor playing loud music in the house next door, commuting every day in the rush hour, and having a very heavy workload.

 

Examine your relationships. 

 

Which of these are causing you to be stressed? How do the various people in your life make you feel when you interact with them?

 

Consider your daily habits. 

 

Do you go to bed late and end up not having enough sleep? 

 

Do you have healthy eating habits or do you bing on fast food nearly every day? 

 

Do you get sufficient exercise every week? 

 

By considering these kinds of lifestyle choices you may be able to make changes that could reduce your stress.

 

Once you have identified the sources of stress in your life, you will become aware of what you should do to reduce or eliminate the things that cause you to be stressed. 

 

And you will be on your path to living a more laid-back life.

 

Strategies for Reducing Stress

The strategies you employ to help you reduce your stress and anxiety levels will differ depending on your particular circumstances. 

 

However, there are numerous steps you can take that will help reduce your stress levels. Some of these are as follows:

 

Exercise 

 

Make sure you get physical exercise at least a few times every week. 

 

This of course depends on your preferences but could include walking, running, stretching, going to gym, etc.

 

Diet 

 

Make an effort to eat healthy foods and drink healthy drinks. 

 

Avoid binging on fast foods, fizzy drinks and alcoholic beverages. 

 

Eating foods and drinks that have high sugar levels, and that full of carbs, oils and fats can negatively affect your mental and emotional states and cause you to be stressed.

 

Make sure you get sufficient sleep

 

If you are having sleeping problems try to see a sleep therapist or doctor to help you resolve the problem.

 

Relaxation Techniques and Practices. 

 

Try to engage in practices that could help you relax. 

 

These include, yoga , meditation, Tai Chi, and general deep breathing exercises. 

 

There are many groups in most towns and cities that have centers or groups that do one or more of these practices. 

 

In addition, there are a plethora of YouTube videos that you can follow in the comfort of your homes.

 

Biofeedback. 

 

Find out if there are biofeedback specialists in your town or city. 

 

A doctor specializing in physical therapy at your local hospital may be able to recommend or point you in the right direction. 

 

Biofeedback is a non-invasive psychological and physiological procedure that can help you understand how your body responds to sleep.

 

Inner Voice: 

 

Watch your inner voice. 

 

These are the things you say to yourself in your head. 

 

Try to exchange negative thoughts for positive ones. 

 

I sometimes feel very stressed when flying and there is turbulence, to the point that my heart starts pumping very fast. 

 

I had to start changing the way I thought about the flight, from ‘this plane is going to crash’, to ‘these turbulences happen every day, the pilots have gone through good training and have lots of experience flying the planes, there is no problem’. 

 

‘Its only the plane flying through some clouds or some winds’. 

 

I usually feel better. When I change my thoughts in this way.

 

Laugh Therapy. 

 

When you laugh, you inhale a lot of oxygen and your heart and lungs get some exercise. 

 

By so doing, your body emits feel-good hormones. 

 

Laughing helps strengthen your immune system and improves your mood as it distracts you from your daily problems. 

 

Laughter therapy can be done in group settings. 

 

You could also do it at home with your family or on your own by following along with some YouTube videos.

 

Limit your Social Media Time. 

 

Spending a lot of time on Instagram, Facebook, Tick-Tock and other platforms can have a stressful effect on your being. 

 

Constantly watching negative video clips of antagonizing political scenes, accidents and other traumatic events can contribute to you being tense and stressed. 

 

Also, you might start to feel bad that you are spending so much time on social media; time that you could have used for doing other productive things in real life like starting a side hustle, reading a book, or visiting friends. 

 

Limiting the time you spend on social media can contribute immensely to your path to living a laid-back life. 

 

You don’t need to be always up-to-date with the latest developments in the news or public life.

 

Socialize 

 

Asking a friend out to the cafe, or to have a meal at a restaurant, or at each others place can help you lead a laid-back life. 

 

Humans regardless of whether they are loners or socially-oriented in temperament need other people they can connect with and talk over their problems. 

 

Sometimes, the mere act of discussing your problem with a friend helps you to feel relaxed. Its not that you require solutions to the problems that are making you feel stressed. 

 

Its just the interaction and sharing with others of the difficult experiences and circumstances they encounter in your life.

 

In conclusion, leading a laid-back lifestyle in essence means removing as much stress as you can from your life. 

 

It entails first identifying the various sources of that stress and anxiety and then using one or more of the strategies I have outlined to reduce or eliminate them.

 

To learn more about living a laidback lifestyle and removing stress and anxiety from your life, you can review the following resources.

 

Some Helpful Resources

 

How biofeedback for stress can improve your health

 

5 Minute Laughter Yoga Workout