Everyone gets stressed every once and awhile, it’s almost impossible not to. However, it’s best to diffuse stress as soon as possible before it gets worse. While at the moment it might seem impossible to ease your stress however, luckily there are so many things you can do to decrease the feeling of stress. Below are some of my personal favorite things to do when I’m feeling stressed and anxious.
- Exercise
Exercise and just moving your body in general is great to just reset your focus on something else. Exercising also releases endorphins that reduce your perception of pain, these endorphins also trigger a positive feeling. Exercising can also be super easy, even a ten minute workout video can help!
- Meditate
Meditation has been known to diffuse stress and clear the mind. Meditation is another thing that can be super simple and easy. There are tons of apps and videos for guided meditation which are super great for beginners, meditation can also be super quick but the more time you meditate the better!
- Journal
Journaling can reduce stress by getting rid of negative thoughts. Writing your thoughts down on paper is a great way to clear your mind. When using journaling to reduce stress there are many different methods you can use, personally my favorite is to just start writing what I feel on a page. Although you can also do things such using prompts or state things you’re grateful for.
- Deep breathing
While doing breathwork a message is sent to your brain to relax, this happens because you are doing what your body does when it is already in a relaxed state. There are tons of different types of breathwork but you can do something as simply as a few long breaths in and out.
- Get a full night of sleep
Sleep is super important for almost every bodily function. When you’re feeling stressed it’s best to make time to get as much rest as possible. When you’re asleep your brain regulates and lowers negative emotions such as stress and anxiety.
- Read
Reading is another great way to distract your mind from whatever is causing you stress. Reading is also a very calming and stress free activity. My blog about my favorite books will be linked here.
- Take a bath
Taking a warm bath doesn’t just feel great but it also relieves stress in the brain. Being in a bath can reduce levels of pain and inflammation as well as calming your nervous system. Bonus points if you put essential oils in your bath, essential oils also have different stress relieving properties. My blog on my favorite stress relieving oils will be linked here, just be sure to dilute them with a carrier oil.
- Practice some self care
Self care can be something such as taking a bath or doing a face mask but it can also go so much further than that. There are tons of ways to do self care you can practice meditation, read or talk to a friend.
- Do a creative activity
Being creative is another one of those things that is great for just taking your mind away from whatever is worrying you. There are so many ways to be creative such as painting, dancing, writing and so much more which means everyone can find something creative they like to do.
- Yoga
Yoga can reduce anxiety immediately as it combines exercise and breathwork, as well as this the poses and stances involved in yoga can stimulate power in the brain. If you don’t want to go to a studio to do yoga there are tons of yoga videos on youtube that you can do from home!
- Listen to music
Music is so effective to our minds, especially soothing slower music. There are lots of music playlists made specifically for stress reduction and some even include songs that are scientifically proven to have an effect of relaxation on the mind which is super cool!
- Laughter
Laughter has been scientifically proven to reduce the feeling of stress. Laughter can relax your muscles, improve your mood, soothe tension and so much more. So when you’re not feeling your best it may be a good idea to throw on a funny video or TV show.
- Eat healthy
Eating foods such as vegetables, fruits and grains increase the release of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a chemical that regulates your mood, happiness and anxiety. So eating healthy foods can basically make you happier.
- Go outside
Personally, whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed going outside for even just a few minutes completely clears my mind and makes me feel so much better almost instantly. Going outside reduces levels of cortisol in one’s brain (cortisol is the chemical that produces stress). I would recommend going on a walk or simply sitting outside if you are feeling stressed.
- Talk to friends or a loved one
Talking through why you feel stress with someone you trust is a great way to relieve feelings of anxiety. Talking to friends boosts your executive function which is what makes us better problem solvers.