15 Tips to De-Stress Your Day

It’s a little wacky that we live in a world that glamorizes stress. When did it suddenly become okay for us to consistently be running around with frazzled nerves and a to-do list the size of a small book? We have our jobs, our side jobs, our blogs and websites, and it’s easy to understand why stress has taken a permanent residence in our lives. We talked with Berlin-based minimalist lifestyle advocate Anushka Rees about ways to slow down and destress your life. She told us that the main thing to remember is always give any changes you make to your routine at least a full week before you drop them. Benefits like lower stress levels or better sleep quality usually take a while to become obvious. So don’t stress if you’re having trouble not stressing. Just take a step back and take a deep breath — here are some stress-busting tips to keep your heart rate low and make your day-to-day a little better.

1. Have a Morning Ritual: Whether it’s a little yoga routine, making the perfect cup of coffee, taking the dog for a walk or journaling, having something you can look forward to each and every morning is necessary. It will help get you out of bed on time and make mornings less rushed and more enjoyable.

2. Don’t Check Your Email Right Away: We are all guilty of this one. When your phone is your alarm, it’s all too easy to hit snooze and then flip straight to your emails. Turn off notifications so you’re not getting constantly distracted, then at designated times during the day, process your emails all in one go. The key here is to only open every email once and decide what to do with it straight away. Either delete it, act on it or reply.

3. Streamline Your To-Do List: Whether you keep your lists in your phone or stick to good old-fashioned paper, try to set clear priorities and limit the number of things you aim to achieve within one day. Start your work day with 1-3 things that you want to accomplish today and then try to complete those tasks when your mind is fresh and not cluttered up with day-to-day tasks.

4. Create a Distraction-Free Workspace: Multi-tasking may make you feel super productive, but research has shown that it really just slows you down and drains energy. So, close all tabs, turn your phone on silent and, if you work in an office, put your headphones on (even without music) to let other people know you are busy and not available for chats. Try setting a timer and working on one task in intervals for half an hour before taking a little break to regroup.

5. Group the Little Tasks: The best way to keep those pesky little tasks from cluttering up your schedule is to create a separate list for five 20-minute jobs. Then, once a day, or even just a couple of times per week, take an hour to go through your list.

6. Learn Something New: The key here is to let this be a fun time of exploration, not a time to stress about being perfect. You are just discovering something new and expanding your horizons to see if you like it. Pick something you’ve always been curious about, then find a book or a local or online class and learn a little more each day. Not to brag, but we’ve got some pretty killer classes, from photography to knitting, as well as super awesome DIY kits if you’re feeling creative.

7. Protect Your Down Time: If you are passionate about your job, it can be hard to switch off, but your brain needs time to recharge after a long day in order to stay healthy and productive. If you work in an office, try not to continue to work once you get home, and if you work from home, try to keep a regular schedule and when it’s time to “leave work” take the dog for a walk or clear your desk of all work-related stuff.

8. Pretend It’s the Weekend: Research has shown that doing something purely for fun can result in some major happiness. Even though it’s easy to schedule out every minute of your routine, try to make it a point to do something each day that you can look forward to.

9. Be Aware of Social Media: Yes, social media keeps us connected, but it can also be a huge source of stress. Take a moment to consider how social media is making you feel and if the negatives outweigh the positives. You might consider putting your social self on vacation, even just for a couple of weeks.

10. Clear the Clutter: Look around your home/office and notice what cluttered areas make your heart race a little bit. Clutter impacts us more than we realize and can be a major contributor to stress in our lives. Devote a little time each day to doing something small, like cleaning your desk or hanging up your clothes. It makes a huge difference coming home to relax in a neat, organized space.

11. Take Care of Yourself: Yes, we all know we should exercise more, but this doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym for hours. Take care of yourself by not looking at a screen for an hour, giving some love to your cat, drinking green tea instead of coffee or just walking around the block. Taking a break from work reduces stress, gets your blood flowing and helps improve sleep patterns.

12. Go to Bed Earlier to Read: Research has shown that looking at screens before bed can really mess up your sleep pattern. So instead of scrolling through your Instagram feed or watching TV until you fall asleep, spend just 30 minutes reading that book you’ve been meaning to finish since last year.

13. Make a Healthy Dinner: Don’t know how to cook? That’s okay! Grab a cookbook and teach yourself. Not only is home cooking more healthy, it’s also fun and therapeutic. Pick a recipe (we’ve got lots of healthy recipe suggestions), turn on some music and give yourself plenty of time so you don’t feel rushed.

14. Get Some Natural Light: Working in a dungeon with no windows? Take a mid-morning walk, eat lunch outside and do your best to get a little light. It’ll perk you right up.

15. Forget Yesterday, Focus on Today: So, you didn’t work out, you didn’t finish that project and the laundry still isn’t folded. That was yesterday — don’t dwell on it and stress yourself out by telling yourself of all the ways you failed. Today is a new day and a fresh start.

What are your favorite ways to de-stress during the day? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Sigh. There’s yet another Trader Joe’s recallto be aware of. The chain just announced that anyone who purchased one particular frozen meal should discard it out of an “abundance of caution” for potential plastic contamination.

Scroll on to learn more about the latest Trader Joe’s product recall.

Trader Joe's

On February 14, 2025, Trader Joe’s posted a recall warning to their website, noting that the Trader Joe’s Organic Acai Bowls may contain “foreign material” – noting that the foreign material in question is indeed plastic.

Trader Joe's

The grocer urged customers to discard the acai bowls or return them to their local Trader Joe’s store for a “full refund.”

Reddit

Trader Joe’s has since removed the product listing for their Organic Acai Bowls from their website, removed the product from their freezers, and posted in-store notices about the recall.

Reddit

The frozen bowls became popular for being a convenient breakfast or mid-afternoon snack option. They contained a puree made from acai, bananas, and berries that turned into a smoothie-like texture after a good microwave thaw. The bowls also came complete with packets of granola and coconut flakes for topping and texture.

Trader Joe's

As of February 19, Trader Joe’s is the only entity that’s announced the recall of the Organic Acai Bowls. The FDA’s recall website does not list the item, but does mention the recall of specific canned tuna products that were included in a February 10 recall due to “manufacturing defects,” which impacted several more major retailers like Walmart and H.E.B.

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Blake Lively allegedly isn't the only actress ready to testify against Justin Baldoni in the It Ends With Us stars' legal battle. After Justin Baldoni published his Amended Complaint against Blake, the actress published her own on Tuesday, February 18, where she claims she “was not alone in complaining about Mr. Baldoni," and two other actresses were “one million percent made uncomfortable” on the film, according to the document (via Page Six).

Here's what Blake Lively's lawyers have to say about her amended complaint against It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni.

“Ms. Lively has filed an amended complaint today that provides significant additional evidence and corroboration of her original claims," Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, Blake's lawyers, said in a statement. "That evidence includes previously undisclosed communications involving Ms. Lively, representatives of Sony and Wayfarer, and numerous other witnesses. The complaint includes significant contemporaneous evidence that Ms. Lively was not alone in raising allegations of on-set misconduct more than a year before the film was edited; as well as evidence detailing the threats, harassment, and intimidation of not just Ms. Lively, but numerous innocent bystanders that have followed defendants’ retaliatory campaign.”

While Blake Lively's lawsuit alleges two other actresses from the film could testify, we don't have their names, quotes, or screenshots like Justin's lawsuit contains. That way, the women won't "be exposed to the same sort of cyberbullying and threats Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, claim they have endured," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Importantly, however, these victim-witnesses have given Ms. Lively permission to share their communications in the Amended Complaint as they are laid out, and they will testify and produce documents in the discovery process,” one of Blake's spokespersons told THR.

Blake Lively's amended complaint includes a text message exchange with a mutual friend in May 2023, where Blake writes, “I was gonna invite you to set tomorrow. These people. Whoa . . . It’s like HR nuts today," she says. "The both of them. I wasn’t expecting that turn. I mean it’s been present but today I came home and cried.”

"Keep your hormones to yourselves," she continues in another text. "This is not mine. I don’t want it. I don’t want you [sic] gaze or words or tongue or videos of your naked wife. Yeah. It’s shocking. Clowns.”

We don't know who the two other actresses are, but both Jenny Slate and Isabela Ferrer played major roles in the film — and we already know Blake's BFF Taylor Swift could be called on as well. The It Ends With Us cast also included Hasan Minhaj and Brandon Sklenar, the latter of whom was just asked about the legal battle...on live TV.

On February 17, the 1923 actor said he wants "people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for, and just keeping the focus on that."

"That movie meant so much to me, and I have someone very, very close to me in my life who's gone through what Lily's going through for a long time and I've been on the front lines helping her navigate that space," Brandon continues. "Me doing that film gave her the strength to change her life...It's unfortunate that things get taken away from what the ethos of [the movie] is and gets convoluted, and I just want to remind people of why that thing exists in the first place."

"I'm Team It Ends With Us," Brandon says when CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King asks if he's Team Blake or Team Justin.

Follow us on Facebook for the latest updates on Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's legal battle.

There's just something so comforting about a bowl of rice topped with veggies, meat, or even fruit. Plus, having your whole meal in one bowl is a proven time-saving cleaning hack, which is totally fine by us. That's why we've found 22 rice bowl recipes that you might just have to add to your arsenal of go-to weeknight dinners. So get out your homemade gilded bowls and fill 'em up with some of these yummy, one-dish rice bowl recipes.

Scroll on for our 22 best rice bowl recipes!

Poke Bowls

Sarah Anderson

Poke bowls can get pretty pricey when you order them as takeout, but this rice bowl recipe makes enjoying the delicacy super easy – right at home! (via Sarah Anderson for Brit + Co)

Bibimbap Bowls

Brit + Co

The same idea goes for bibimbap. Load yours up with all your fave toppings! (via Brit + Co)

Fried Cauliflower Rice

Brit + Co

Basically, what we’ve learned here today is that cauliflower is a great substitute if regular rice isn’t your thing. But just because it’s healthy, doesn’t mean you can’t fry it! (via Brit + Co)

Banh Mi Slow Cooker Rice Bowls

The Real Food Dietitians

Use the freshest of freshest ingredients to craft these slow cooker bowls – you won't regret it. (via The Real Food Dietitians)

Chicken + Egg Rice Bowls

Sea Salt with Food

Sometimes simple and traditional is best, which is why this classic chicken and egg dish tops our list of rice bowl recipes. (via Sea Salt with Food)

Cauliflower Rice Fish Taco Bowls

Julie’s Eats & Treats

Now you can have the flavors of fish tacos without many of the carbs, thanks to the star of this dish – cauliflower rice! Who knew? (via Julie’s Eats & Treats)

Homemade Chicken Burrito Bowls

Crowded Kitchen

Chipotle, who?! (via Crowded Kitchen)

California Chicken, Veggie, Avocado + Rice Bowls

Half Baked Harvest

Add avocado to anything, and it instantly turns into the best thing ever. This dish is fresh eats at its best! (via Half Baked Harvest)

Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs & Rice Bowls

The Girl on Bloor

The sauce on these chicken meatballs is basically the tastiest thing ever. (via The Girl on Bloor)

Island Rice Bowls with Coconut Ginger Rice

One Lovely Life

The coconut ginger rice and pineapple combo in this recipe add a bit of sweetness to this savory, tropical dish. (via One Lovely Life)

Brown Rice Bowl with Chard + Nutty Tomato Romesco Sauce

The Kitchn

The tasty romesco sauce made with pimiento peppers and almonds (among other things) really makes this dish stand out. (via The Kitchn)

Spicy Italian Sausage Rice Bowl

Noble Pig

With Italian sausage and an Asian-inspired sauce, this meal in a bowl makes it easy to bring fusion cuisine into your home kitchen. (via Noble Pig)

Shrimp Puttanesca Rice Bowl Recipe with Capers + Tomatoes

Cookin’ Canuck

No one ever said rice bowl recipes only have to be Asian influenced!Bright Italian flavors make this dish healthy and comforting. (via Cookin’ Canuck)

Oven-Roasted Salmon & Rice with Coconut Tomato Sauce

The Original Dish

This dish is truly restaurant-tier... without the restaurant prices. (via The Original Dish)

Pineapple-Sriracha Chicken Bowls with Wild Rice

Spache the Spatula

Sriracha makes everything better — especially chicken breasts. Add some pineapple, and you’ve got a meal that’s equal parts sweet and spicy. (via Spache the Spatula)

Black Rice Salad Bowls with Chipotle Orange Chicken, Cashews + Feta

Half Baked Harvest

Upgrade your rice bowl recipes with black rice for a fun way to create a pleasing meal! The contrast of the colors of the oranges, avocados, and tomatoes pop. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Ben’s Chicken, Bacon + Rice Bowls

Iowa Girl Eats

Remember how we said rice bowl recipes were comforting? Well, add some bacon, and you’ve hit the mother lode. And there’s spinach in there, too, so it’s healthy! (via Iowa Girl Eats)

Rice Bowl with Fried Egg + Avocado

Bon Appétit

Talk about a power lunch! The egg and avocado in this rice bowl have all the protein you need to feel powered up throughout the day. (via Bon Appétit)

Tofu + Chickpea Curry with Green Peas

Partial Ingredients

Rice takes a backseat in this dish, because let’s face it – the rice is just a vehicle for soaking up the deliciousness that is this curry. (via Partial Ingredients)

Summer Peach Marinated Salmon + Avocado Rice Bowl

Cooking on the Weekends

Summer will be all about fresh fruit and fresh seafood, making this a perfect end to those extra long (and hot) days. (via Cooking on the Weekends)

Roasted Harvest Veggie, Curried Avocado + Coconut Rice Bowls

Half Baked Harvest

Oh yes, you read that correctly. Curried avocado… AKA the best idea ever. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Slow-Cooker Coconut Brown Rice Pudding

Food Network

Who says a rice bowl has to be savory? This refreshing take on rice pudding is made in a slow cooker, so you can let it go all day and come home to a sweet and light dessert. (via Food Network)

Which of these is your favorite rice bowl recipe? Share your faves and ideas in the comments below or join our email newsletter for more inspiration!

This post has been updated with additional reporting by Meredith Holser.