Stress is an unfortunate part of life. You can’t control your circumstances, but you can take charge of how you respond to them. When stress becomes too much, it can impact your well-being and this is why it is essential that you have various stress techniques that you can adopt if you find that things are a little overwhelming.
Guided Imagery
Guided imagery is essentially a vacation for your mind. It involves you going to your happy place and just shutting out the world. It may be that you picture yourself sitting on a beach listening to the waves, or that you smell the ocean and feel the warm sand between your toes. The great thing about guided imagery is that you can do it with a recording. You can get apps that involve someone walking you through peaceful scenes and this is ideal if you find it hard to shut off yourself. When you get used to this, you can then practice guided imagery all by yourself. Simply shut your eyes for a second and walk yourself through a nice peaceful scene. Think about experiences on a sensory level and imagine that you are really there. After a few minutes, you can then bring yourself back to the present moment.
Meditate
Meditation can offer you short-term stress relief and it can also offer you lasting benefits. There are a lot of different forms of meditation out there and each one is unique. You may have developed a mantra that you repeat to yourself, or you may take slow and deep breaths. Either way, you have to pay attention to the moment, and what you see, smell, touch and taste. When you are able to bring yourself back to the current moment, you won’t worry about the future or the past. Mindfulness and meditation can take a bit of practice, but it can make a huge difference to your stress levels.
Muscle Relaxation
Progressive relaxation involves you taking the time to slowly relax all of the muscles in your body. You need to do this group by group. If you want to practice this, then make sure that you take a couple of deep breaths. Practice tightening and then relaxing your muscles. You need to start with your forehead and then move down to your toes. The great thing about this is that with a bit of practice, you can then begin to recognize the tightness and tension within your body. This will help you to be more self-aware and it will also help to stop you from getting as overwhelmed in the future.
Focus on Breathing
Another thing you can do is focus on your breath. By changing the way that you breathe, you can then make a big difference to your stress levels. Breathing techniques are great as they calm your body and your brain in just a few minutes. The great thing about breathing exercises is that nobody around you knows that you are doing them. If you are in a stressful meeting or if you are in a busy crowd of people, then this could be the key to reducing your stress in the moment. Remember that there are various types of breathing exercises that you can adopt to help yourself, from karate breathing to meditative breathing and more.
Take a Walk
Exercise is a fantastic way for you to relieve stress. It can also work in a matter of minutes. Taking a walk gives you the chance to have a change of scenery and this can get you into a different frame of mind. It doesn’t matter if you take a stroll around the office so you can have a break from a frustrating task, or whether you take a trip to the park because walking is a fantastic way to help your mind and your body.
Give Someone a Hug
Physical touch can work wonders if you want to relieve stress. When you hug a loved one, this can be very beneficial. Hugging releases oxytocin, or the cuddle hormone. This is associated with higher levels of happiness, as well as lower levels of stress. This also causes a reduction in your blood pressure, while releasing norepinephrine. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed, then don’t be afraid to give someone a hug or ask a loved one for an embrace. If you do this, then you may find that the stress melts away. It also helps to talk it out with someone. If you are stressed because you have a crying baby, then ask a friend to come over for a hot beverage and a chat. It also helps to look up the reasons why babies cry, so you can understand what they are trying to tell you. Either way, you have to remember that help is always out there if you need it.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy can offer you outstanding benefits, especially when it comes to stress relief. Aromatherapy can help you to feel energized, more relaxed and ultimately more in the present moment. Research has shown time and time again that certain scents can change your brainwave activity and they can also decrease the stress hormones in your body. It doesn’t matter whether you love candles, diffusers or even body products, because you should always try and incorporate this into your day.
Create some Art
If you are feeling a little overwhelmed, then why not get in touch with your creative side? This may have been easy to do as a child but as you age, you may find that you just don’t have time to get crafty. One way for you to change this would be for you to invest in an adult coloring book. Adult coloring books have risen drastically in popularity over the years and there is a very good reason for this. Coloring is a fantastic stress reliever, with research showing that it can have strong, meditative effects. You may find that your anxiety levels drop drastically and that you are able to concentrate on something else, rather than the source of stress you are currently dealing with. You can pick up coloring books online, or you can even download a coloring app on your phone if you want.
Eat a Good Diet
If you have a poor diet, then this can make you much more reactive toward stress. You may find that you end up reaching for foods that are high in fat, or high in sugar. The main downside to this is that it can offer temporary relief, but it will ultimately add to your stress in the long run. Refined carbs, such as crisps or cookies can spike your blood sugar too. When this happens, you may find that you end up experiencing way more stress and anxiety. Consuming a good diet will help you to combat stress and it will also help you to support your own mood regulation and energy. If you don’t know how to help your diet then reach for food such as avocado, walnuts or eggs.
Try Supplements
Some vitamins offer benefits, especially for stress relief. If you take a multivitamin every day then this can help you to benefit your overall diet and it’s great for helping you to manage your body’s own circadian rhythm. If you just have no idea where to start when it comes to taking a multivitamin then it is wise for you to start by taking a general one and then build up from there with what you think you need. If you are still tired, it may be that you need to take an additional iron supplement, as an example.
Make Time for Activities
Leisure activities are one of the best ways for you to relieve stress. That being said, a lot of people think that they are too busy for hobbies, fun or games. You have to build time like this into your schedule because if you don’t then you may never be able to feel your best. If you can make yourself feel better then you may find that your work performance improves and this can make you much more efficient during the day.
Be Positive
Another thing you can do is develop positive habits when it comes to self-talk. If you continually criticize yourself then this will drag you down over time. Learn how to talk to yourself in a way that is both compassionate and realistic. Positive self-talk can help you to develop a much healthier outlook and it can also help you to be much more compassionate. You will be able to manage your emotions better and this can work in your favor.
So as you can see, managing your stress during the day doesn’t need to be difficult and if you follow this guide from our contributor, you should find that it is easier than ever for you to benefit yourself while also paving the way for a healthier future. If you need more help managing stress, then seeking professional help could be the way to go.