It might be very surprising to know that stress is a recent discovery, it wasn’t found till the late 1950s. It is a psychologically uncomfortable truth. But, nowadays more than 70% of the population suffers from stress or anxiety daily. However, taking care of your mental as well as physical health is an important aspect of stress management.
Feeling stressed? Let’s take a few minutes to review 8 ways to relieve your stress and anxiety:
- Meditation – Meditation can bring short-term stress relief. There are various amazing forms of meditation you can try – each one can bring its own appeal. You can follow the breath while doing housework and other activities. Try to simply pay attention to what you see, hear, taste and smell.
- Be active – Only exercise or any other practice cannot make your stress disappear. Being involved in your day-to-day activities and absorbing positive vibes can help you deal with your stress.
- Avoid unhealthy habits – Never rely on smoking or alcohol as your way of coping. It might provide temporary relief to your body but it won’t make your stress disappear. Try having healthy foods.
- Talk yourself through it – Take some “ME” time, if calling a friend is not an option. Talking calmly to yourself alone can be the next best thing. Don’t worry about feeling passive or lazy; just tell yourself and others that you are stressed out.
- Sleep Well – Lack of sleep is a major cause of stress. lt interrupts the sleep cycles, causing the brain and body to get out of whack, so make sure you have seven to eight of sleep in a day, though some people’s systems might require a little less
- Breathe easy –In Ancient times, Buddhist monks have been conscious of deliberate breathing during meditation. It is said that deep breathing oxygenates your blood and helps your clear your mind while shallow breathing can be a key cause of your stress.
- Be mindful – The concept of “mindfulness” is a large part of meditative and somatic causes to mental health and has become popular nowadays. Most of the tips we have mentioned above will give you immediate relief, but Yoga, tai chi, meditation, and Pilates can be more effective in the long run. Join a class – give it a try!
- Biofeedback – Biofeedback gives you information about how your body reacts when you try to calm yourself or relax. Sensors are placed on your body that calls out the changes in everything. You can learn how to manage your heart rate, muscle tension, and blood pressure when stress hits your body. Similarly, EEG Biofeedback – or Neurofeedback feeds back information on your brainwave and nervous system activity, which can enable the relaxation response.
Although stress can be anywhere, it may arise in your personal life or in your office. But there many simple ways to reduce it. These tips can help your mind away from the source of stress, bringing a sense of ease and wellbeing.