9 Easy Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety
Stress is your body’s way of reacting to perceived dangers. These threats can come in various shapes and sizes from an overloaded email inbox to losing your car keys. Even the smallest stressors may be enough to push some people over the edge.
Luckily, there are simple ways to relieve stress and anxiety.
Practice Mindfulness
When you practice mindfulness, you pay attention to what you experience while you are experiencing it. As one of the healthy ways to relieve stress, it helps to relax your body.
You can try using simple daily activities at home to redirect your focus. For instance, when you wash the dishes, you should only “be washing the dishes”. Try to concentrate on things like the warm water touching your hands or the smell of the soap.
Take up Yoga
Yoga is a popular method for easing stress these days.
Yoga ranks high on the list of effective stress management techniques. This brilliant form of exercise that combines stretching and meditation is famous for creating a sense of calmness and modifying stress responses.
Exercise your stress away
It turns out that putting on those running shoes and enjoying a brisk run is one of the best ways to relieve stress. People who enjoy regular exercise have a lower risk of experiencing anxiety than those who ditch exercise altogether.
Take a little time to find an exercise activity that you can enjoy like dancing, walking or rock climbing.
Laugh out loud
Did you know that having a sense of humour can be healthy for you? It is interesting to know that humour can reduce stress levels. Laughing at funny or amusing things to relieve stress can have benefits for psychological as well as physiologic stress.
Read a Book
Studies have shown that reading is one of the top stress management techniques. When you have had a particularly stressful day, grab a good book and allow yourself to get lost in the pages.
Spend More Time with Friends and Family
Nothing gets you through stressful times quite like spending time with your friends and family. It is comforting to know that someone cares.
Having social support can boost your sense of self-worth and it is important to feel like you belong.
Ditch your caffeine fix
Although coffee is known to be healthy in moderation, it is not ideal for everyone. Seeing as caffeine is a stimulant, high doses can cause anxiety.
Consider limiting your caffeine intake if you start noticing that it makes you feel more anxious or jittery than normal.
Aromatherapy stress relief
According to the experts, essential oils are some of the best ways to relieve stress that nature has to offer. The scents of certain aromatherapy essential oils like that of Lavender, Bergamot, Ylang Ylang and Frankincense may have amazing stress-reducing benefits.
Eat healthy
Various foods can help you deal with stress, as they could possibly reduce inflammation and enhance brain health. These foods and beverages have wonderful benefits for stress relief:
- Salmon
- Chamomile
- Green tea
- Turmeric
- Yogurt
- Dark chocolate
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have thoughts that provoke our stress response. But it is human nature to worry about things. Now that you know these 9 ways to relieve stress and anxiety, you can look stress right in the eye.
References:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1555415516001732
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229431397_Stress_Management_Strategies_For_Students_The_Immediate_Effects_Of_Yoga_Humor_And_Reading_On_Stress
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743505002331
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19331256
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20164571
- https://www.verywellmind.com/essential-oils-to-help-ease-stress-89636
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-foods-that-reduce-anxiety
