Stress and anxiety continue to plague most American adults. It’s an ongoing issue that everyone wants to be free from. There are many ways to incorporate healthy habits to help you de-stress. However, it’s not one-size-fits-all. What works for some people may not work for you. What works for you may not work for everyone else. Explore these different stress management techniques to see what works best for you, and then create healthy self-care habits to keep your stress levels down. You don’t have to live a stress-filled life!
You might think that the best way to manage your stress is to eliminate it. While that would be the ideal scenario, the truth is that stressful events can happen at any moment. It’s not always easy to quit your job because it causes too much stress. You may experience stressful times in your relationships, but you don’t want to cut those relationships out of your life. Running from our problems is not always the answer. It’s best to learn how to manage stress because, unfortunately, stress will always be a part of life. It’s how you choose to respond that matters most. If you can find ways to choose joy in life, you will find that it’s much easier to manage those stress factors as they come. This is why our mind is one of the first places to start when managing stress.
Relax Your Mind
When anxious thoughts arise, the solution is to quiet your mind to bring peace and calmness. While some of these relaxation techniques will also relax your body as well, you will find your worries melt away when you learn to let go and release.
- Prayer – The number one technique to bring calmness and relaxation to your mind is through prayer or meditation, whichever one is best for you. Some people prefer to do a combination of both. If you are a person of faith, release your worries to God and allow His presence to bring you peace. This is why many people from all types of faith develop a habit of praying before falling asleep at night.
- Meditation – If meditation is something you would like to try, there are several apps you can use to guide you in the process. Mindful meditation is a grounding technique where you take your focus off of your anxious thoughts and focus on what is happening to you at the moment. Listen to your body and what it is telling you. Listen to your breathing, the sound of birds chirping, or raindrops falling (this is where meditation apps are helpful). Focus on your breathing and do breathing exercises to lower your racing heart rate and relax tension in your body.
- Breathing Exercises – Focused deep breathing can relax both your mind and your body. You can find breathing exercise videos on YouTube if you need guidance.
- Journaling – You don’t have to be a skilled writer to enjoy the benefits of journaling. Get a pretty journal with lots of space to write and even doodle in. Coloring can also be a relaxation technique. There are adult coloring journals with scriptures or inspirational quotes to help you destress. The point of journaling is to get the thoughts out of your head and onto paper. You can look back on your past journal entries to figure out what triggers those patterns of high stress to learn what you can do to conquer them.
- Use Essential Oils – Aromatherapy with essential oils is a technique that can help relax your mind. You can use them while praying and meditating or diffuse them in your office to help reduce stress. Depending on what brand of oils you choose, you can buy some that are already a blend of oils known to help with anxiety and reduce stress. Or you can buy single oils and use only one of them, or mix your favorites to create your own blend. Some oils help your mind to focus. Keep in mind that it’s important only to use therapeutic grade, pure essential oils. Many oils that you see in department stores are just perfume and will cause you to breathe in toxins. It’s also important to learn how to use essential oils safely. Some oils are not safe to use if you are pregnant or have certain health issues. Also, depending on the age of your children, many oils are not safe to use around your children or pets. Cats especially cannot handle breathing essential oils, which can make them very sick and cause death. Do your research before using oils around them. You can find essential oil safety groups on Facebook or take aromatherapy classes to learn more.
Relax Your Body
Finding ways to relax your body can reduce tension and make you feel so much better. Try some of these ideas to bring relaxation to your body and get those feel-good endorphins flowing!
- Go for a walk outside – Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous. It can also be relaxing. Exercise can improve your mood and increase your energy. If the weather is nice, taking a walk outside will help as there are benefits to being outside in nature. Similar to using meditation apps, when you walk outside, you can hear the sounds of nature to help relax your mind as well.
- Massage – Get a massage for the ultimate mind and body relaxation! Massage can also allow feel-good hormones to be released in your body, and it will loosen up the tension in your body.
- Hugs, Laughing, Socializing – If you are someone who likes hugs, you know how a simple hug from a loved one can help melt your worries and cause your body to relax. Be social and hang out with friends and family. But take the time to laugh and relax. Laughing can also release those feel-good hormones in your body!
- Clean Eating – Changing your diet by cutting out sugar, caffeine, and processed foods may also help your body and mind. Be careful not to stress eat and use food or alcohol in excess as a way of self-comfort. This will only make you feel worse in the long run and can cause health issues.
- Get Sleep – Everyone knows that getting a good night’s sleep will help your mind and body feel their best! It helps keep your stress levels down and even makes you more productive!
What are your favorite ways to reduce stress, relax your mind and relax your body?