Relax! You deserve it and it’s good for you. Moreover, it takes less time than you think. No, I am not talking about taking a spa or giving you a fancy treat this weekend. Instead, I will discuss a few ways to relieve stress here that can get you to OM from OMG in less than 10 minutes. But before you think about how to get relief from stress you should remember that stress is a part of life and it may arise from minor challenges to a major crisis. And we can’t always control circumstances, but, yes, if we give a little try, we can control the ways to the response.
Relieving stress is an important part of our well-being. If the stress becomes overwhelming or chronic it starts to take a toll on our body and mind, and unknowingly puts our well-being in jeopardize. So, we must know how to calm our minds and body. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all option for all and that is not possible though. Because every one of us has a different lifestyle and surroundings. So, what works for me might not work for you. Furthermore, what works for us at home may not be an option when we are at the workplace or in some community (you may find dancing as a stress reliever but of course, you can’t dance in a packed bus!)
So, why not have a variety of ways to stress relief at your disposal? And then, you choose a strategy that works best for your present circumstances.
Related post – What is your motivation to be healthy?
Ways to relieve stress
1.Meditate – one of the best ways to relieve stress
Meditation has a proven record to relieve stress biologically. Research suggests daily mediation has a direct like to alter our brain’s neural pathways. This makes us more resilient to stress. So, a few minutes of practice per day can help to ease anxiety. Meditation is not only a short-term way to relieve stress but also has long-term stress management benefits. Well, there are many forms of mediation that each one has a unique style and bring their own appeal.
The easiest way is to first develop a mantra. It could be anything from simple “OM” to “I love myself” but must be something positive. Now, sit up straight with both feet on the floor closing your eyes. Take a deep breath and sync the mantra with your breaths. Focus your mind and loudly or silently recite the mantra you decided already. Be in the moment and practice mindfulness for a few minutes. Don’t allow any distracting thoughts and simply float them like clouds.
2. Practice Muscle Relaxation
I will talk about a mind-body technique which is popularly known as progressive muscle relaxation or PMR. In this technique, you need to rhythmically tense and then relax muscles and group by group in your body. It is also a body awareness technique in which you learn to recognize the feeling of “tension” in a better manner– and how to “release” it. Do you know it has multiple benefits like –
- It decreases blood pressure
- Boost the immune system
- Control heart rate
- Reduce stress-related neck and back pain
- Reduce stress-related overeating
- Decrease soreness in muscles
- Decrease muscle tension
- Control body aches and pains
- Cures insomnia
To practice, you can start with a few deep breaths. In the simplest form, this breathing exercise can help you to reduce stress levels anywhere from a stressful meeting room to a crowded theatre. Now how do you breathe? There are different breathing exercises. Here are the steps to do it progressively.
- Decide the first muscle group, it could be your hands or forehead. Start by breathing in and tensing this first muscle group for about 5-10 seconds.
- Now exhale and relieve the tension on the muscle group. Don’t relax gradually.
- Then relax for 10-20 seconds before moving on to the next muscle group.
- The most important part of this exercise is while you perform this, notice the changes in your muscle. Try to understand the feeling of getting them tensed and relaxed.
- Once done with all your muscle groups, then start backward counting from 5 to 1. This way you can bring your focus back to the starting point.
- You not necessarily practice all the muscle groups in a single day and if you have any muscle group with extreme tension, practice on that only. However, it is a good practice that you will work on all the major muscle groups in your body
Interestingly, each time you practice, it will give you a feeling of relaxation through your body and a great way to relieve stress from your body and mind.
3. Walk regularly – another few ways to relieve stress
Do you know what is the easiest form of exercise? Walking! It works as a wonderful stress reliever and works in minutes. Can you guess why walking is a good solution to relieve stress? Walking gives us to enjoy a change of views while giving us a scope to get into different frames of mind. So, utilize walking by a simple stroll around while you are in the office, or walk for 5 -10 minutes as a break from the frustrating task. Not to mention, you can make it a part of your morning or evening walk in the park to rejuvenate your body and mind. Or even walk on your terrace.
4.Talk it out with a friend
Sometimes expressing ourselves through conversation is a soothing way to relieve stress. So, if you feel so, take a break and call your family or friends. Discuss your problems with them. A healthy relationship with friends and loved ones are a part of a healthy lifestyle. This works instrumental when you are under extreme stress. A warm, reassuring voice even for a minute can put everything in perspective.
5.Talk yourself through it
But there are circumstances when calling a friend is not an option. If this is the case, practice talking calmly to yourself. Sounds crazy? Believe me, it works as the next best thing! So, if you are stressed out for some reason, ask yourself what is the core reason behind it? And introspect what you have to do to come out of this situation.
6. Eat right
Is food your ultimate solution to relieve stress? Well, stress levels have a close relationship with a proper diet. Unfortunately, we often forget to eat balanced food when we are overwhelmed and treat us with sugary, fatty snack foods as an easy pick-me-up. Though such emotional eating provides a temporary sense of stress relief it adds long-term stress. Refined carbohydrate foods like potato chips or cookies cause a surge in your blood sugar but when it crashes you may experience more anxiety and stress.
So, plan ahead! Avoid the junks and plan something with fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Additionally, it reduces the symptoms of stress. Make some sandwiches with it or even with chicken or eggs. Such a healthy diet combats stress in the long run. This helps in energy balance and mood regulation in a healthy way.
7. Drink tea
Are you a tea lover and take it whenever you feel heavy? No doubt, a dose of caffeine gives you an energetic sensation but gives you a short-term spike in blood pressure. Besides, it overdrives your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Also, encourage sleep disorders. Instead of energy drinks or excessive coffee intake, give a try with some healthy antioxidants like green tea and find an amazing way to relieve stress. It’s theanine a type of amino acid that gives a calming effect on our nervous system. Besides, it helps to reduce weight.
8. Sleep well
It is a known fact that when we sleep it releases the toxin from our brain. However, stress is one of the reasons for insomnia which ultimately increases the stress level. This vicious cycle causes the body and brain to only get worse with time. So, make sure to get seven to eight hours of sleep as per the doctor’s recommendation. Do something relaxing before going to bed. Don’t scroll through mobile or watch TV till late at night. Instead, read some books or dim the lights of your room and simply relax. It will help you to relieve stress effectively.
9. Enjoy Aromatherapy
Aroma has a sound effect on our body and mind. So, with aromatherapy, you can get real benefits for stress relief. A nice aroma can help us to feel energized, relaxed, and more present at the moment. As per the researches, a certain aroma has the ability to alter our brain wave activity and they significantly decrease stress hormones in the body. Hence, you can enjoy scented candles, body products, or diffusers to incorporate some aromatherapy into your day.
10.Be creative in your hobbies
Every one of us has a creative side. Be it as a painter, writer, reader, or anything. Our hobbies offer us a change in a monotonous life. And when our mind gets tired with stressful activities we need to refresh it in a timely manner to rejuvenate ourselves. So, get in touch with your creative side which you often liked to do in your childhood. You can do some artwork or even simple coloring to give a splash of relaxation to your mind. Or, enjoy gardening. Sometimes trying a new menu also works wonders.
Interestingly, research shows that stress levels decline in people who are used to coloring complex geometric patterns!
11.Practice Yoga
Ancient India always showed how effective is Yoga for our overall well-being. When you are sound from the inside, it automatically helps you to relieve stress. Yoga is a combination of physical movement, light exercise, meditation, and controlled breathing. Not to mention, all of these are excellent ways to relieve stress.
Yoga gives you long-term benefits if you incorporate it into your life in a consistent way. Not only physical and psychological but also it has spiritual benefits. Join in a yoga class or take online training to practice and discover a new you.
12.Exercise regularly
Physical activity is a great way to relieve stress and manage stress levels by improving mental health.
There are various ways to do physical activities for reducing stress levels. You can join a gym, do some freehand exercises, walk, take strength training, and do many things to regulate good blood circulation which has a direct impact on your mind too.
13.Obtain Social Support
To relieve stress and manage stress, each one of us needs some supportive people in our life. If you lack friendship and emotional support, it’s important to get it. Increase your network and reach out to your existing network. Achieve it from your family or even from a distant friend who can give you the social support you need. And if you really feel it unmanageable take some professional help.
14.Eliminate the Things that create Your Stress
Sometimes, the best way to relieve your stress is to cut things out of your life that causes stress. And you can experience inner peace. News that creates stress, is constantly connected to digital mediums, consuming excessive caffeine, or alcohol is just a few ways that will add more stress to your life. Changing your lifestyle may help you to relieve stress levels.
Final words:
You may need to do some experiments to find the best strategies for stress relief and some of them may take practice too. But at the same time, we should nurture ourselves in a way so that we can manage life’s ups and downs which are inevitable in a healthy way. As we cannot exclude stress completely from our life, so it is important to learn how to keep it at a manageable level for our overall well-being.