If you are anything like the rest of us, you may get caught up in this ever-changing world and forget about finding
your purpose in this life.What did you set out to do? What are you most passionate about?

God cares about you and made you for a purpose to be
lived out while on this earth. In this video, I discuss 10 things that I personally wrote and came up with, that I
believe help people lead a less stressed, more purposeful life. These are things that I myself practice at home,
and encourage all of my clients to do as well.

10 Tips for Finding Your Purpose and Reducing Stress

Here are the 10 things that over time and with research on my own, that I have found work best for leading a less
stressed, purposeful, and passionate life:

1) Pray, as many times a day as you need. God is always listening.

2) Take time out in the morning and evening to relax and do mindfulness techniques or mediation.You can
incorporate prayer into this time as well.

Apps that I recommend to my clients which you can utilize
on your phone to help with this include: Headspace, Calm, Happify, and Abide (which is a Christian app).

3) Eat three well-balanced meals per day and 1-2 healthy snacks in between, or 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day
every 2-3 hours. Skipping meals causes anxiety and depression, so it is very important to fuel your brain as well
as your body.

4) Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night (everyone needs this, please see a doctor if you’re not sleeping
well). Lack of sleep also causes anxiety and depression issues, so it is important to prioritize this for your
mental and physical health as well.

5) Exercise daily. Even a 15-20 minute walk counts! Plus, getting out in nature is incredibly good for your mental
health as well. The endorphins you release instantly relieve anxiety and depression in your brain and release
cortisol, which is the stress hormone throughout your body. Being in nature increases endorphins as well, so any
time outdoors is a plus.

6) Have a health outlet for stress! These are things I recommend to my clients, many of which I use personally and
encourage my family to use as well. I will never preach what I myself don’t practice!

These are mediums that work for stress relief that we all need daily:
writing or journaling, or art projects such as painting, drawing, sculpting, pottery, DIY, photography, cooking,
baking, etc.

Music is a huge outlet as well, such as singing, listening to music, writing music, dancing, playing an instrument,
etc. Also, reading books that inspire or make you learn something new, gardening, watching a funny movie or TV show
but limit your TV usage to 1-2 hours per day; this is also good to pay attention to for mental health reasons). Be
mindful of what you watch and put in your soul. As a client said to me recently, “Garbage in, garbage out!”

7) Talk to a trusted family member or friend who supports you outside of counseling. I encourage all of my clients
to have at least 1-2 people they can talk to and count on for support on a regular basis.

8) Explore things you’re passionate about! Volunteer at a place you’ve always wanted to work, e.g. women’s shelter,
pet adoption center, or YMCA working with kids. Follow your heart and passions!

9) Ask those closest to you, “What do you see me doing as a career?” or  “What did I always say I wanted to be as a
young child while I was growing up?” Sometimes those closest to us know us better than we know ourselves in this manner.

10) Give back somehow. You will always end up feeling
good and grateful for what you have versus what you don’t have. It’s a switch in perspective, which leads me to my
last bonus point.

11) Gratitude

Write about, talk about, and remember what you have and are grateful for at this point in your life. Even if it’s
the clothes on your back, warm food in your belly, and the comfortable bed you sleep in at night, some people do
not have these things.

Again, it’s a perspective switch to look past our negative filter sometimes and see what we do have, instead of
what we don’t have in front of us.

May these tips for finding your purpose and reducing stress lead you on a path to a more purposeful, less stressed
out life! Please contact me for counseling on our website through my profile if you are in need of help.
“Blue Butterfly”, Courtesy of Garoch, Pixabay.com, CC0 License; “Yellow Butterfly and Flowers”, Courtesy of Larisa-
K, Pixabay.com, CC0 License; “Pink Roses”, Courtesy of Werner22brigitte, Pixabay.com, CC0 License; “Purple
Flowers”, Courtesy of Virandek, Pixabay.com, CC0 License