Life is not easy, no matter how social media may make it appear for some. With everyone constantly posting their “wins” and “success” on social media, many people are under the false assumption that some people are free of stress in their day-to-day life.

Remember, nobody is posting their issues, stressful situations or anything negative on social media. It’s a collection of happy moments. It’s not reality, or even close to it. So, what happens when you are stressed and need to pull out of it? Having several resources at your disposal to pull inspiration from is a great idea, but where can you find these?

Here is a list of examples that you can use as motivation next time you need it, as suggested from successful business owners and business professionals.

Join a Facebook group related to your business.

It often helps to have a group of people to talk to, who are all in similar shoes and experience the same type of stress that you do. Since everyone is on Facebook already, it makes Facebook groups a great way to connect with niche-related groups of people located all over the world.

“You can find a Facebook group related to any business,” suggests Chris Moberg of Slumber Search. “Whether you are a marketing agency owner or you own a small mom and pop corner store, there is a group consisting of business owners in that specific industry.” Facebook groups are free and they allow you to communicate in a forum that’s not connected to your public news feed.

Anything you post within a group is seen only by those in the group. This is good, as it keeps your business and personal events, opinions and discussions separate.

Fina a local Meetup for business owners or industry professionals

The website MeetUp is great for finding local events around any topic. If in=person and face-to-face discussions and networking (or venting) is better for you, then use this site to locate meetups that are in your local area that are relevant to the line of work you are in.

“While talking to a friend or family member can sometimes help, it’s often more effective to speak with people that truly understand what you are talking about,” suggests Irene McConnell of Arielle Executive. “Not only does it allow you to vent more, but the feedback and suggestions you receive are from those that have more than likely been in your shoes before.” You are going to get much better feedback that you can use to actually fix whatever it is that is stressing you out.

Take a day to unplug from work and recharge your mind and body.

Sometimes the best way to reduce the stress in your life is to just unplug from everything and take a full day to recharge your mind and body. The key is to truly unplug, which means disconnect from technology, including your email and the internet.

“If you happen to like golf, for example, take a day to go play 18 holes and leave your phone in your car,” suggests Andrew Tran of weighted blanket company Therapy Blanket. Something as simple as playing a round of golf without your phone eliminates emails, texts and phone calls disrupting you. The time spent outside and focused on nothing but playing golf will help clear your head and reduce your stress greatly. Physical exercise is great for both your mind and body.

Listen to podcasts.

A lot of people like to relax and unwind watching TV, but next time you are trying to relax try a podcast. There are podcasts for almost everything, from business to very niche topics. Everyone seems to have a podcast these days, and they will allow you to relax more than a TV show or movie.

“You can lay down, relax and close your eyes while you listen to podcasts,” says Oliver James of Perth Web Design company. “It’s very relaxing and you can also listen anywhere, since podcasts can be accessed anywhere your phone goes.” You can lay out in the sun, relax at a park or go for a long bike ride. You can listen to a podcast in any of these situations.

Find a few good podcasts that you enjoy and set them to automatically download new episodes to your phone. This is a very good way to always have audio content to listen to when you need to relax.

Spend an hour in silence reading a book.

Reading is very relaxing to some. Not all, but some. If you happen to fall into this group you can set aside time every day to read. Even if you can only spare an extra 15 minutes, get some reading in.

Not only can it be very relaxing, but it is also a great source of motivation, as long as you are reading the right books. “There are a lot of very inspirational books available, so I would suggest you keep an eye on the best seller list and pick up the books of highly successful business owners and figures,” offers April Gillmore of ClickFirst Marketing.

Their stories are often great sources of motivation. If their story was made into a book there is a good chance they defied some amazing odds and there is a lot of motivation to be found reading their book.

Have a materialistic goal set for reaching a specific milestone.

Is there something that you have your eye on? A new TV for the game room? A new car? If so, use that as motivation, and don’t think it’s wrong to use materialistic items and goals as motivation.

“A lot of people seem to ‘shame’ material goals, but there is nothing wrong with them,” says Tad Thomas of Thomas Law Offices. “If you happen to like cars and there is one that you have your eye on, then use it as motivation.” Print a picture of it and place it above your desk where you will always see it.

You can set a series of smaller goals or milestones and use a reward to help push yourself to reach each. There is nothing wrong with this approach. You need to do what works best for you.

Family and friends.

Nobody knows you better than your family and close friends. Never be afraid to turn to them when you are stressed. You will often find that they will be very understanding and have unique ways to help get your mind off whatever it is that’s troubling you.

“You can use your inner circle as a source of motivation, says the founder of P101, a pest control company with summer specials. Sometimes just thinking about your spouse or children will help you power through any obstacle. When you think of the big picture and why you work so hard, it can make any issue that is stressing you out seem so small, and easily conquered.