7 Ways To De-Stress

Photo by Matteo Di Iorio on Unsplash

Stress and anxiety are common factors in peoples day to day life. We all get stressed at some point in our life. It could be from work, school, family, relationships, or too many responsibilities. Very often, people tend to be stressed rather than at ease. When stress comes, try one of these techniques for a quick cool-down.

1. Breathing

Stress activates your body by sending it into fight-or-flight mode. Stress makes the body react; it can increase your heartbeat, quicken breathing, and constrict blood vessels.

The goal of deep breathing is to slow down your breathing to help slow down your heart rate. Deep breathing induces your body's relation response.

Try the square breathing or power of ten technique:

Square Breathing- Inhale your breath as you count to 4. Hold your breath for four counts. Exhale your breath slowly as you count to 4. Hold your breath for four counts. Repeat for a few minutes until you feel calm.

Power 10 - Take ten breaths. Focus on feelings of anxiety and stress while inhaling and releasing and letting go while exhaling for 6 seconds.

2. Meditation

Meditation does not require much work or time. It can be a minute or less and guided or not. Meditation is a helpful tool to quiet the mind and notice what you are thinking but not reacting.

Just get comfortable in a seated or laying down position. When you are ready, close your eyes, taking a few deep breaths. After a few breaths, go back to your regular breathing pattern focusing on that. You can do it on your own or find videos online or on apps.

3. Gratitude

Gratitude can make an impact on how your brain thinks. It can rewire your brain to start thinking positively; when practiced daily. Doing a gratitude journal can lead to better sleep, a greater sense of well-being, and a better ability to handle change.

Start by writing down three things you are grateful for in the morning and three things that would make the day great. At night write down three amazing things that happened that day. If it is too much, try writing three things you are grateful for throughout the day.

4. Journaling

Sometimes your mind is overwhelmed, unsure of your stressors. An easy way to make sense of your thoughts is by journaling.

Go with your thoughts and write them all down. Even if what you are writing does not make sense. After a while of journaling, it can help identify the cause of the stress. Once identified, it can help work on resolving the problem. Photo by Marcos Paulo on Unsplash

5. Get Creative

Being creative can give you a break in a stressful situation. It helps you go back to focus and let your creativity flow. There are many beneficial factors to getting creative.

Being creative comes in many different ways and forms. Creativity comes in many forms such as cooking, painting, taking pictures, doodling, and dancing. Pick the one that you enjoy the most and try it out.

6. Go Outside

Spending as little as 10 minutes a day outside may help reduce stress.

It may be hard to go hiking or spend a long time outside. Instead, go outside to drink your coffee or read.

Whether at a local park, mountain, or even in your backyard. Being outside can reduce levels of stress and boost your mood.

7. Be Active

Being active is a great stress reliever not only does it release endorphins, but it also helps blow off pent-up steam. Exercising can give you a perspective that allows you to look at things from a new frame of mind.

Exercising often has shown many beneficial factors. It can help protect against heart disease and improve mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Next time you are feeling stressed, start moving your body to help. Even if you currently aren't active, start by walking or jogging. Choose something you enjoy and make it into a daily habit.

This post is inspired by Virtua Behavioral Health. You can find their article and read it here.