How to deal with stress

How to Deal with Stress: 33 Tips That Work

“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”
Sydney J. Harris

“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.”
Bertrand Russell

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
John Lubbock

Feeling stressed in today’s society is pretty much inevitable.

But how stressed you get or how often this happens are two things that you can have a great influence over.

Without smart habits for dealing with situations that could be stressful life can be a whole lot more burdensome that it needs to be. You may feel tired before the week has barely begun. Be overwhelmed on a daily basis. Get an upset stomach, headaches or migraines too often and even start to feel burned out.

So what can you do about it?

In this article I’d like to share 33 tips and habits that have helped me to live a less stressful life.

The main focus will be on how to prevent getting stressed in the first place. But the article also contains a whole bunch of effective habits for dealing with a stressful situation when you are right in the middle of it.

I hope you will find a few favorites among these tips and habits that you can start using in your own life this week to reduce the stress and live a much lighter and more relaxing life.

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1. One thing at a time.

You’ll feel better and less stressed if you just do one thing at a time. No matter if it is at work, in school or in your private life. This will make it easier to focus and to do a job of higher quality right away. Instead of having to go back several times and polish and rearrange to get the result you want.

If you have to multi-task a few things during your day then set off some time for that. Single-task during most of your day but set off an hour in the afternoon for instance to do all of that multi-tasking stuff in one big swoop.

2. Write everything down.

If your memory is anything like mine then it might be a bit like a leaky bucket too often. So write everything down. Your ideas, tasks and stuff you just have to remember.

Then you don’t have to worry about forgetting. And you will free up your mind for focusing on other things than remembering.

3. Keep your daily to-do list very short.

10 years ago I never used a to-do list. I got very little done. Then I started using a too overloaded to-do list. I got more done but I was stressed and felt overwhelmed a lot of the time. Today I use a very short daily list of just the 1-3 most important tasks. It works really well.

4. Don’t make mountains out of molehills.

One of the best ways to make your day and life easier, lighter and less stressful is to not build mountains out of molehills. To not create extra drama, overthink or create a problem out of something that doesn’t matter much. Or just out of air.

So how can you handle this bad habit?

Well, when a big problem is starting to build in my mind I first say something like: Hold on now…

This helps me to pause and become more receptive to change my line of thinking. Then I ask myself:

Will this matter 5 years from now? Or even 5 weeks from now?

Those two steps have helped me to build a lot less mountains in my life.

5. Spend 80% of your time focusing on a solution.

And only 20% of your time on dwelling on your non-molehill issue or problem. Instead of taking a common path and doing it the other way around. You’ll live a much more action-filled life and feel less pessimistic, doubtful and powerless if you do.

6. Ask instead of guessing.

Reading minds is very hard. Misunderstandings will be plentiful if you try to do it. So communicate instead. You’ll have a lot less unnecessary conflicts, negativity and waste less of your and other people’s time.

7. Pack your bag before you go to sleep.

A simple one but one that can save you a lot of stress in the morning. Take 5 minutes before you go to bed to do this and you’ll also be less likely to forget something important like your schoolbook, wallet or phone.

8. Balance fully focused work with complete rest.

I usually work for 45 minutes. Then I take a 15 minute break away from the computer. I eat a snack, take a short walk or maybe watch half an episode of one of my favorite TV-series. This helps me to relax and to avoid stress building up during the day.

9. Set clear boundaries for your day.

This is very important, at least for me.

I need to have a good balance between work and rest. So I don’t work before 8 in the morning or after 7 in the evening.

10. Disconnect over the weekend.

It is also really helpful to find a good balance between work and rest from a weekly perspective. I do that by staying away from work and staying offline – except for one email check – during the weekend. I highly recommend trying it out.

If you have a cellphone for work leave it at your job. Or at least put it in silent mode, check it once every 24 hours and only call back if it is something important. Otherwise, let it wait until Monday.

These strict limits between hourly, daily and weekly work is a huge help for me to avoid the grey zone.

When you are in the grey zone then you are basically thinking and worrying about work when you are at home or you having a day off. Or you think about your private life and challenges there while you are at work.

Avoid the grey zone. It sucks the life out of you and can leave you so stressed that it becomes hard to focus or even to get a good night’s sleep.

11. Make sure you take time to do what you love to do.

Learn to get the necessary done quicker and don’t get lost in “have-tos”. Prioritize what really matters to you and carve out time during your weekend or evenings to do what you love doing.

Maybe it is playing soccer with your kids, painting, writing, taking photos or reading. Whatever you love to do, make sure you set off some time for it regularly in your schedule. Because few things will relieve stress and energize you like an activity you love doing.

12. Delegate.

You don’t have to do everything yourself. You don’t have to control or micromanage. If possible delegate and let someone else get that task or project to done.

13. Eliminate.

Do you even have to do everything that is on your schedule? What things could you stop doing altogether with no or very small consequences?

What things are your heart maybe not in like it used to be?

Could you say no to one or a few of those things to have more time and energy for what matters in both your professional and private life?

Reevaluate what you usually do in a day or week and see if there is something you would like to stop doing.

14. Be 10 minutes early.

This one has transformed my traveling from stressful situations to relaxing pieces of time in my day.

15. Stay on track by asking yourself questions every day.

One good way to find clarity, to stop being lazy and to actually do what matters each day is to ask yourself questions regularly.

Questions like: What is the most important thing I can do right now?

And: Is doing this bringing me closer to my goal?

If you like, write one of the questions down on a post-it note and put it where you will see it every day. It is very easy to forget to ask yourself the question otherwise.

16. Let your lunch be a slow time of relaxing.

Don’t wolf down your lunch in 7 minutes flat. That will only ramp up the stress that you bring with you from the first few hours of work.

Instead, let your lunch be a time of relaxation. Eat slowly and focus on the smell, texture and taste of the food. Put down the fork and knife down between bites to make that easier.

I have found this to be a wonderful way to relax midday. And to get the best experience out ofwhat you are eating.

17. Keep a very simple workspace.

Mine is for example a simple and small black desk with my laptop on it. A few flowers. And a glass of water. This simplicity makes it easier for me to focus on what truly matters as I work on my website and small business in a relaxed and undistracted way.

18. Build a zone of few distractions for your work hours.

A simple workspace makes it easier to focus. I also find it helpful to keep instant messaging programs offline and to keep my smart phone in another room and in silent mode. And to use my browser only when I need to.

By doing so I am less distracted, it is easier to think clearly and I feel less stressed.

19. Get to done with something that stressed or bothers you.

An unfinished task that is tumbling around in the back of your mind can cause quite a bit of stress and negativity within. So if you know you have one of those then ask yourself:

What is one small thing I can do today to start getting this task to done?

Then take that first step and put yourself in motion towards finishing.

20. If it does not get done then there is a day tomorrow too.

Sometimes life interferes or you have a bad day. And you don’t get done what you had planned or hoped for.

The best way – in my experience – to handle this is to simply and kindly tell yourself that there will be a day tomorrow too and you can do it then.

Beating yourself up or getting angry will only add stress that will suck the energy, self-confidence and motivation out of you. And life is too short for that.

21. Everything in its place.

When things have their own home where you always put them back then they will be a lot easier to find and your workspace and home will be in better order. This will greatly reduce the number of stressful times when you can’t find an important report or your car keys as you are heading out the door.

22. Check your email etc. just once and as late in the workday as possible.

I usually check and process my email, social media accounts and various statistics for my website during the last hour of my workday.

By doing so I save the stress that it can cause me and the new tasks it can produce until I have already put in several of my most energetic hours on doing my most important tasks.

23. Limit your daily information intake.

Take a few minutes each month to unsubscribe to newsletters, blogs, podcasts etc. that you don’t get much out of anymore or you rarely even listen to or read.

This makes it easier to focus on what truly matters for you, to spend more of your time on taking action and to not get stuck in information overload and analysis paralysis.

24. Listen to yourself.

When you are starting to feel drained, more irritable and creativity plummets then don’t just keep on going right into the brick wall. Listen to yourself and your body. Schedule more time to take care of yourself.

Just spend the evening in bed watching your favorite movies. Or go out for a walk or run in the woods. No one will reward you for running into that wall or even becoming burned out. Be kind to yourself and prioritize your health.

25. Be here.

When you spend too much time in your head reliving the past or imagining the future then it is easy to become worried. Fearful. Stressed out. Choose to spend more of your day and time in the present moment.

One simple way to reconnect with the now if you get lost in the past or future is to just focus fully outward for a minute or two. Sit or stand still and take in everything that is happening around you at this moment. See it. Hear it. Smell it. Feel the sun, the rain or your soft sweater on your skin.

26. Stop trying to do things perfectly.

Go for good enough instead and when you are there then you are done. And can move on to the next task or project. Set this more human bar to measure success by not only to finish things but also raise and then keep your self-esteem at a healthy level.

Because when you measure yourself to a perfect standard then it will pretty much impossible to keep your self-esteem up and feel good about yourself more than once in a while.

27. Ask for help.

You don’t always have to go it alone. You can ask your friend, parents or partner or even someone you do not know that well for a helping hand. You might not always get it but you may be surprised at how helpful and kind people can be if you just ask.

And then later on when they ask then you can return the kindness.

28. Talk it out with someone.

This can be a great relief and vent to have when you are in a stressed situation. Let your stress and the issue that it comes from out into the light and let someone close to you see it too.

Just letting it out can often help you to decrease the stress quite a bit and when you say it out loud then it also becomes easier to see if you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

The other person can also help you to ground yourself when needed and together the two of you may be able to figure out what to do about the situation. Or at least how to get started with improving it.

29. Zoom out.

One thing that helps me as I sometimes fall into victim thinking when I am stressed is to zoom out on my narrow perspective by asking myself this question:

Is there anyone on the planet having it worse than me right now?

30. Slow down.

If you slow down your body then in my experience your thoughts will once again become clearer and slower too. So sometimes when I am stressed and am trying to do everything quickly then I force myself to slow down. I move slower. I eat slower. I talk and walk slower.

It may be uncomfortable for the first minute or so but after a very short while my mind stops racing and the stress starts to melt away and is replaced with a bit more inner calmness.

31. Tell yourself: Just take care of today.

Focus only on that. Forget about all those tomorrows. And about all your yesterdays. Go small, narrow your focus greatly and just take care of today. Then you can take care of tomorrow when it comes.

This one is very helpful when you feel overwhelmed.

32. Just breathe.

Release the stress, calm your mind and body down and reconnect with the present moment again by fully focusing on your breathing. Breathe with your belly for just 1-2 minutes and focus only on the air you are breathing in and out.

33. Be smart about the three fundamentals of energy.

What are these three fundamentals? Getting enough sleep, eating healthy and exercising a couple of times a week.

I know, these things are very obvious. But when you manage these three areas in a good way in practice then that makes a huge difference for your mood, energy, outlook of life and how well you can handle stress.

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About the Author

Henrik Edberg is the creator of the Positivity Blog and has written weekly articles here since 2006. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Gothenburg and has been featured on Lifehack, The Huffington Post and Paulo Coelho’s blog. Click here to learn more…

Comments on this entry are closed.

Hi, the tips you gave were all amazing, it can relieve stress and can give a relaxing life. Nowadays, with our modern technology, somethings makes life more complicated than it was before. It is a matter of managing and balancing the 3 fundamentals that you mentioned. I believe that if we really focus on trying to have a balance life, we will end up in a much relaxed and stress free life. Thanks for sharing a great article.

thank you…it helps me esp I’ve been through with breakup recently..

These are all great tips, and what I particularly like about the advice you give is that it’s not just giving straightforward solutions to problems (I don’t even believe in those), but simply pointing out logical ways to work on the problems and gradually improve.
Thank you for writing this, I really enjoy your blog. Hope you’re having a great day!

How to manage and reduce stress

This guide provides you with tips on how to manage and reduce stress.

Stress is a feeling of being under abnormal pressure, from an increased workload, an argument with a family member, or financial worries.

Stress affects us in many ways, both physically and emotionally, and in varying intensities. Research has shown that stress can sometimes be positive. It makes us more alert and helps us perform better in certain situations. However, stress has only been found to be beneficial if it is short-lived. This guide aims to give tips on managing and reducing stress.

Stress affects us in many ways, both physically and emotionally, and in varying intensities.

Research has shown that stress can sometimes be positive. It makes us more alert and helps us perform better in certain situations. However, stress has only been found to be beneficial if it is short-lived. Excessive or prolonged stress can lead to illnesses such as heart disease and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

During situations that make you feel threatened or upset, your body creates a stress response. This can cause various physical symptoms, change how you behave, and lead you to experience more intense emotions.

People react differently to stress. Some common symptoms of stress include sleeping problems, sweating, or a change in appetite.

Symptoms like these are triggered by a rush of stress hormones in your body, which allow you to deal with pressures or threats when released. This is known as the “fight or flight” response. Hormones called adrenaline and noradrenaline raises your blood pressure and increase your heart rate and the rate at which you perspire. This prepares your body for an emergency response. These hormones can also reduce blood flow to your skin and reduce your stomach activity. Cortisol, another stress hormone, releases fat and sugar into your system to boost your energy.

As a result, you may experience headaches, muscle tension, pain, nausea, indigestion and dizziness. You may also breathe more quickly, have palpitations or suffer from various aches and pains. In the long-term, you may be putting yourself at risk from heart attacks and strokes.

All these changes are your body’s way of making it easier for you to fight or run away. Once the pressure or threat has passed, your stress hormone levels usually return to normal. However, if you’re constantly under stress, these hormones remain in your body, leading to the symptoms of stress. If you’re stuck in a busy office or on an overcrowded train, you can’t fight or run away, so you can’t use the chemicals your body makes to protect you. Over time, the build-up of these chemicals and the changes they produce can be damaging for your health.

When stressed, you may experience many different feelings, including anxiety, irritability or low self-esteem, which can make you withdrawn, indecisive or tearful.

You may experience periods of constant worry, racing thoughts, or repeatedly going over the same things in your head. Some people experience changes in their behaviour. They may lose their temper more easily, act irrationally, or become verbally or physically aggressive. These feelings can feed on each other and produce physical symptoms, making you feel worse. For example, extreme anxiety can make you feel so unwell that you then worry you have a serious physical condition.

Everyone experiences stress. However, tackling your life, health and well-being are important to tackle it as soon as possible when it affects your life. While stress affects everyone differently, there are common signs and symptoms you can look out for:

If you experience these symptoms for a prolonged period of time and feel they are affecting your everyday life or making you feel unwell, you should speak to your GP. You should ask for information about your support services and treatments.

All sorts of situations can cause stress. The most common involve work, money matters and relationships with partners, children or other family members.

Stress may be caused either by major upheavals and life events such as divorce, unemployment, moving house and bereavement, or by a series of minor irritations such as feeling undervalued at work or arguing with a family member. Sometimes, there are no apparent causes.

Relationships are a great support in times when we feel stressed. However, from time to time, the people close to you, be it a partner, parent, child, friend or colleague, can increase your stress levels.

Events such as ongoing minor arguments and disagreements to larger family crises, such as an affair, illness or bereavement, are likely to affect how you think, feel and behave. This may consequently have an impact on your stress levels.

You can find out more about investing in healthy relationships at: mentalhealth.org.uk/relationships

The pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is one of the biggest contributors to stress among the general population.

While traditional working hours are 37 hours a week, the recent and dramatic rise in Britain’s working hours suggests this is likely to increase. 20.1% of the UK working population work 45 hours or more per week.

The human costs of unmanaged work-related stress are extensive. Feeling unhappy about the amount of time you spend at work and neglecting other aspects of life because of work may increase your vulnerability to stress. Increased stress levels can lead to burn-out or more severe mental health problems if not addressed early enough.

Mental health problems such as anxiety and depression are considered the leading cause of work absences, accounting for up to 40% of sickness leave. In 2008, mental health accounted for 442,000 cases of work-related illnesses and had an estimated cost of £13.5 million. As a result, mental ill health now accounts for a significant proportion of long-term sickness and early retirement, cited as the leading cause of illness for 20% of NHS employees.

Money and debt concerns place huge pressure on us, so it is no surprise that they have a marked effect on our stress levels.

The effects of the economic crisis have affected everyone in some capacity. Recent statistics from StepChange Debt Charity found an increased demand of 56% for debt advice and support from 2012-2014. Citizens Advice have seen a similar increase in the number of people experiencing stress about finances, dealing with 6,407 debt problems every working day.

A survey conducted in 2013 found that 42% of those seeking debt help had been prescribed medication by their GP to help them cope, while 76% of those in a couple said debt had affected their relationship.

The combination of chronic stress and debt can result in depression and anxiety and has been highlighted as a factor linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts. If you are worried about your finances and debts, it is important that you do not try to deal with them alone. There is a lot of help and support available to you through organisations such as www.StepChange.org and www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

You should also talk to your GP or a trusted health professional if you are worried about how debt affects your mental and physical health.

Some people smoke, drink alcohol and use recreational drugs to reduce stress. However, this often makes problems worse.

Research shows that smoking may increase feelings of anxiety. Nicotine creates an immediate, temporary sense of relaxation, leading to withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Similarly, people may use alcohol to manage and cope with difficult feelings and temporarily reduce feelings of anxiety. However, alcohol may make existing mental health problems worse. It can make you feel more anxious and depressed in the long run. It is important to know the recommended limits and drink responsibly.

Prescription drugs, such as tranquillisers and sleeping tablets, which may have been prescribed for good reasons, can also cause mental and physical health problems if used for long periods. Street drugs, such as cannabis or ecstasy, are usually taken for recreational purposes. For some people, problems start as their bodies get used to repeated use of the drug. This leads to the need for increased doses to maintain the same effect.

Stress is a natural reaction to difficult situations in life, such as work, family, relationships and money problems.

We mentioned earlier that moderate stress could help us perform better in challenging situations, but too much or prolonged stress can lead to physical problems. This can include lower immunity levels, digestive and intestinal difficulties such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or mental health problems such as depression. Therefore, we must manage our stress and keep it healthy to prevent long-term damage to our bodies and minds.

When you are feeling stressed, try to take these steps:

• Realise when it is causing you a problem. You need to make the connection between feeling tired or ill and the pressures you face. Do not ignore physical warnings such as tense muscles, over-tiredness, headaches or migraines.

• Identify the causes. Try to identify the underlying causes. Sort the possible reasons for your stress into those with a practical solution, those that will get better anyway given time, and those you can’t do anything about. Try to let go of those in the second and third groups – there is no point in worrying about things you can’t change or things that will sort themselves out.

• Review your lifestyle. Are you taking on too much? Are there things you are doing which could be handed over to someone else? Can you do things in a more leisurely way? You may need to prioritise things you are trying to achieve and reorganise your life so that you are not trying to do everything at once.

You can also help protect yourself from stress in several ways:

• Eat healthily. A healthy diet will reduce the risks of diet-related diseases. Also, there is growing evidence showing how food affects our mood. Feelings of wellbeing can be protected by ensuring that our diet provides adequate amounts of brain nutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals and water.

• Be aware of your smoking and drinking. Even though they may seem to reduce tension, this is misleading as they often make problems worse.

• Exercise. Physical exercise can be very effective in relieving stress. Even going out to get some fresh air and doing some light physical exercise, like walking to the shops, can help.

• Take time out. Take time to relax. Saying ‘I just can’t take the time off’ is no use if you are forced to take time off later through ill health. Striking a balance between responsibility to others and responsibility to yourself is vital in reducing stress levels.

• Be mindful. Mindfulness meditation can be practised anywhere at any time. Research has suggested that it can reduce the effects of stress, anxiety and other related problems such as insomnia, poor concentration and low moods in some people. Our ‘Be Mindful’ website features a specially-developed online course in mindfulness, as well as details of local courses in your area: bemindful.co.uk

• Get some restful sleep. Sleeping problems are common when you’re suffering from stress. Try to ensure you get enough rest. For more tips on getting a good night’s sleep to read our guide ‘How to. sleep better’ at: mentalhealth.org.uk/howto

• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Try to keep things in perspective. After all, we all have bad days

How to Deal With Stress the Healthy Way

A passionate health blogger and founder of Healthifying World Read full profile

In the modern world, emotional stress has risen. Many people are either affected or infected with stress. It can be a sense of physical or emotional tension caused by certain internal and external factors, and many people simply don’t know how to deal with stress.

Stress is often produced by an event or thought that makes you feel angry, frustrated, or nervous. Whether you blame it on the psychological or social environment you’re exposing yourself to or the illness or medical problems you’re going through, us humans are always prone to stress.

Consequently, stress demands that the body reacts to demand or change. Thus, it is just a normal feeling for humans. In some instances, it can be good as it will help someone in a time of danger or calamity, causing flight. However, if it lasts longer, it may be detrimental to your health.

Table of Contents

2 Types of Stress

Acute Stress

This is a short term type of stress that goes away quickly. This type of stress can happen when you fight with a person, slam on the brakes, or go skiing. It helps you manage a certain situation that may endanger your life. It may also be experienced when one is too excited. It is normal to have such stress once in a while.

Short-term stress fades away quickly. It helps you deal with treacherous situations and may arise whenever you get excited or do something that involves adrenaline, so go easy on the sky diving.

Chronic Stress

Whenever the body system experiences prolonged stress levels, it may cause chronic stress. This type of stress can lead to severe health problems such as depression, schizophrenia, and destructive thoughts.

Chronic stress causes a rush in hormones; thus, there is lots of wear and tear on the body. It may cause more rapid aging, decreased immunity, and a higher likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Chronic stress can be caused by a financial problem, toxic relationships, failures, failed marriage, or work. Unfortunately, all of us will likely experience one of these at some point, so it’s important to learn how to tackle this kind of stress before it does irreversible damage.

Can Stress Kill You?

Stress itself has no power over you. No matter if you are a small or severe stressor, your body will respond equally to the stress. This response doesn’t cause direct death, but it sure leads to certain health consequences over a period of time.

If you’re constantly experiencing stress, it may deteriorate your health and result in premature death. This could be because of a weakened cardiovascular system or unhealthy habits you adopt when in stress, such as smoking, alcohol abuse, overeating, etc. Therefore, it becomes paramount to manage the stress before it starts taking a toll on your health.

How to Know If Stress Is Affecting Your Health

Stress doesn’t become fatal all of a sudden. It will give you many alarms to remind you to act before it’s too late. When you start experiencing the signs mentioned below, take a hint that stress has started taking over your wellbeing and that you need to start focusing on how to deal with stress in a healthy way.

Physical Signs of Stress

This may lead to physical signs and symptoms, such as:

More complicated stress levels may cause panic attacks, depression, as well as other types of anxiety. Studies have shown that stress can worsen certain types of diseases. Stress is also linked to suicide, cancers, accidents, heart disease, lung ailments cancer, and liver cirrhosis..

Emotional Signs of Stress

Depression

Depression is one of the major signs of stress. It is defined as a feeling that one experiences due to chronic stress or persistent low mood. It’s a feeling of hopelessness. Studies have shown that chronic stress can be linked to depression.

It is also suggested that both acute and chronic stress predominantly affect women more than men. Depression affects mainly the working-age group due to the pressure caused by work and family life.

Anxiety

Research has found that stress can be related to anxiety and its disorders. It is mainly characterized by the fear of the unknown. When you’re dealing with chronic stress, even the smallest things tend to make you anxious. It can be a wedding, divorce, job loss or promotion, setback, and basic unpleasant situations you face in your day-to-day life.

Irritability

Anger and irritability are key signs of stress. Anger is linked to mental stress, anxiety, and heart attacks. Studies have shown that people, especially those with chronic stress levels, tend to get irritated very easily. Relaxation techniques, exercise, problem solving, and effective communication can help people manage anger under stress.

Memory and Concentration

Compulsive Behavior

Mood Swings

Stress levels can cause mood swings. Each and every person has his or her own attitude towards things and their own perception levels. Stress can stop people from thinking clearly and get irritated at the smallest inconveniences. People can go from very happy to very sad in seconds if they are experiencing constant stress.

How to Deal With Stress in a Healthy Way

Managing stress is not something we should practice when our limit of toleration is exhausted. Instead, stress management should be incorporated in our day-to-day activities so that we can overcome it before it becomes harmful to our health.

To start, let’s incorporate these healthy practices in our routine to deal with emotional and physical stress we go through.

1. Laugh

Whenever one is feeling anxious or stressed, it is very hard to laugh. Along with many other health benefits of laughing, it is a good remedy to relieve stress, as well. No matter how hard it may seem, try to get a good laugh in whenever you’re feeling stressed. Call a friend, watch a funny show, pull out an old photo-album, but don’t sit idle and overthink. Laughing relieves stress and tension by relaxing muscles as it boosts the immune system.

2. Meditation

Whenever you’re feeling stressed, don’t hesitate taking a break for a small meditation session. It can wipe away your stress and help you restore your inner peace and calmness. Even a 5-minute meditation break helps. It can eliminate the destructive thoughts and attain a positive attitude even in the worst situations.

A small meditation session can fill you with positive energy to carry out your day more calmly. It helps you gain new perspective about stressful situations and deal better with your problems.

3. Eat the Right Food

The food you eat has a huge impact on your mental health and stress levels. They can boost serotonin levels, which are responsible for calming the brain. Some foods may also reduce the adrenaline and cortisol levels, also known as stress hormones, in the body. Eating a healthy diet can effectively lower stress levels by boosting the immune system and reducing blood pressure.

Some good stress-busting foods include:

4. Spend Time With People Who Care

Getting social support from friends and relatives helps in getting over stressful times. Talk to them. Help them understand what you’re going through. They may or may not be able to solve your problems, but they won’t let you go through it alone. Having someone gives you a sense of belonging and self-worth, especially during these hard times.

5. Write It Down

The other way to manage stress is penning down your feelings in a journal or a diary. In that case, you can also write down the things you are grateful for. Gratitude may help you cope with stress and anxiety by filling you with positive energy and things to count on.

6. Drink Milk

7. Use Herbal Supplements

Several herbal supplements can be used to manage stress. They can help you improve your mental health, especially in those who have mild to moderate depression. These herbal supplements tend to reduce the anxiety produced by stress. Valerian root [5] is commonly used to manage stress as it has a calming effect. It is recommended that you consult with your doctor and ask them about stress-relieving supplements to help you find what will work for you.

8. Get Exercise

Doing exercises is one of the vital things you can do to manage stress levels. Getting regular physical exercise relieves physical as well as mental stress. You can work out by going to the gym, jogging, or doing yoga in your garden. Aerobics or random dancing are also great ways to incorporate physical exercises in your routine.

9. Aromatherapy

Lighting a scented candle and using essential oils can also help reduce stress and anxiety levels. This process is called aromatherapy. It involves inhaling certain herbs and fragrances to calm your mind and put your body at ease. You can find a number of soothing fragrances to relax your mind, body, and soul. Below are some of the most common calming fragrances:

10. Take a Walk

A simple walk can fix a lot of things and open your mind to a new perspective about the same situation. It helps you slow down, unraveling thoughts that destroy your peace of mind. Also, getting fresh air and vitamin D can help boost serotonin (the feel-good hormone) and improve your mood.

Indulging in different sights and sounds may also shift your focus from your problems to real life. If you can’t go outside, invite the outside in. Get more plants and flowers in your house. Studies show that staying close to nature and greenery helps in reducing stress levels.

Final Thoughts

No matter how hard a situation seems right now, everything is temporary. Every situation is going to change at some point, so do your best not to fall into the trap of chronic stress. Focus on the present moment and improving it in whatever way works for you. Once you learn how to deal with stress, you will find life naturally gets easier.

10 Tips to Manage Stress

In this Article

These days it’s hard not to get overwhelmed once in a while. Between juggling work, family, and other commitments, you can become too stressed out and busy. But you need to set time aside to unwind or your mental and physical health can suffer.

1.Exercise

Working out regularly is one of the best ways to relax your body and mind. Plus, exercise will improve your mood. But you have to do it often for it to pay off.

So how much should you exercise every week?

Work up to 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise like brisk walks or 75 minutes of a more vigorous exercise like swimming laps, jogging or other sports.

Focus on setting fitness goals you can meet so you don’t give up. Most of all remember that doing any exercise is better than none at all.

2.Relax Your Muscles

When you’re stressed, your muscles get tense. You can help loosen them up on your own and refresh your body by:

3.Deep Breathing

Stopping and taking a few deep breaths can take the pressure off you right away. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel once you get good at it. Just follow these 5 steps:

4.Eat Well

Eating a regular, well-balanced diet will help you feel better in general. It may also help control your moods. Your meals should be full of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein for energy. And don’t skip any. It’s not good for you and can put you in a bad mood, which can actually increase your stress.

5.Slow Down

Modern life is so busy, and sometimes we just need to slow down and chill out. Look at your life and find small ways you can do that. For example:

6.Take a Break

You need to plan on some real downtime to give your mind time off from stress. If you’re a person who likes to set goals, this may be hard for you at first. But stick with it and you’ll look forward to these moments. Restful things you can do include:

7.Make Time for Hobbies

8.Talk About Your Problems

If things are bothering you, talking about them can help lower your stress. You can talk to family members, friends, a trusted clergyman, your doctor, or a therapist.

And you can also talk to yourself. It’s called self-talk and we all do it. But in order for self-talk to help reduce stress you need to make sure it’s positive and not negative.

So listen closely to what you’re thinking or saying when you’re stressed out. If you’re giving yourself a negative message, change it to a positive one. For example, don’t tell yourself “I can’t do this.” Tell yourself instead: “I can do this,” or “I’m doing the best I can.”

9.Go Easy On Yourself

Accept that you can’t do things perfectly no matter how hard you try. You also can’t control everything in your life. So do yourself a favor and stop thinking you can do so much. And don’t forget to keep up your sense of humor. Laughter goes a long way towards making you feel relaxed.

10.Eliminate Your Triggers

Figure out what are the biggest causes of stress in your life. Is it your job, your commute, your schoolwork? If you’re able to identify what they are, see if you’re able to eliminate them from your life, or at least reduce them.

If you can’t identify the main causes of your stress, try keeping a stress journal. Make note of when you become most anxious and see if you can determine a pattern, then find ways to remove or lessen those triggers.

Show Sources

Anxiety and Depression Association of America: “Tips to Manage Anxiety and Stress.”

American Heart Association: “Four Ways to Deal With Stress.”

Dealing with Stress: 19 PROVEN Ways to Relieve Your Stress

Home » Healthy Habits » Dealing with Stress: 19 PROVEN Ways to Relieve Your Stress

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Dealing with stress is part of our modern, hectic, fast-paced lifestyle.

Stress then leads directly to low self-esteem, headaches, irritability, fatigue and even a huge assortment of potential health issues.

Rather than helping us conquer our problems, severe stress can reduce our competence and make us less able to cope with the problems we need to face.

People will often say, “Don’t stress” or “You need to reduce your stress”. But that can be easier said than done.

However, if you are dedicated to building a stress-reducing habit, it can be done.

Stress is, after all, a state of the mind that is caused by outside influences. You can’t change the external pressures, but you can work on the way you react to these pressures.

This article details 19 proven strategies for managing stress. Each of these tips is backed by links to medical journals or reputable news organizations.

What You Will Learn

19 Strategies for Dealing with Stress

Making a habit change to reduce stress can be tricky. It may be impossible to get rid of the sources of your stress. What you can do is implement these 19 strategies to alleviate some of the problems.

1. Drink Tea.

Chamomile tea has been noted to be a sleep aid. It helps to calm the nerves and relax. Taking a moment out of your hectic day to just stop and have a nice cup of chamomile tea gives you a moment of worry-free peace. It also helps you consume herbs that have been known for their relaxation and calming effect for hundreds of years.

[See what the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) says about chamomile tea.]

2. Go for a walk (or get more exercise).

When you are stressed it is easy to assume that you have “too much to do” and simply don’t have the time to take a walk. It might seem counter-intuitive, but taking the time for a walk actually decreases stress, which makes you ready to handle stressful situations.

According to this Mayo Clinic report, walking (or any regular exercise) works can reduce your stress in a number of ways:

I find walking or running for stress relief to be particularly fruitful. I have often come up with “out of the box” solutions to work-related problems while exercising.

So if stress has you down and you haven’t been active in a while, make a commitment to walk 10,000 steps a day.

3. Reduce/Eliminate Coffee and/or Caffeine.

This is one I certainly need to work on myself. Sometimes it’s hard to get through a day without a caffeine “pick me up.”

According to a study led by Dr. James D. Lane, coffee has effects that are, “long-lasting and exaggerate the stress response both in terms of the body’s physiological response in blood pressure elevations and stress hormone levels, but it also magnifies a person’s perception of stress.”

It may be rough at first to scale back or eliminate that daily caffeine intake, but in the long run, it will do wonders for your stress reduction.

4. Eat more ginger.

This is a nice and simple way to help combat stress. Ginger has long been deemed as a homeopathic stress reliever and recent studies published by the NCBI back up those claims.

5. Disconnect from technology.

Technology itself has caused some of our modern issues with stress, as Dr. David Volpi illustrates in this Huffington Post article.

In our modern age, “permanent” disconnection from technology simply is not feasible. However, there are still two steps you can take to disconnect from technology to reduce stress.

I: If you are feeling overwhelmed, simply get away from technology. A quick walk around the building would be a perfect de-stressor in this case. (Plus it helps you get more steps for 10,000 steps daily goal.)

II: Disconnect from technology an hour before you go to sleep. One of Dr. Volpi’s major points is that the screens of our technology can throw off circadian rhythm and make a good night’s sleep nearly an impossibility.

6. Get a good night’s sleep.

It is no secret that stress and a good night’s sleep are symbiotic. It is hard to get a good night’s sleep if you are stressed and it is hard not to be stressed if you do not get a good night’s sleep.

All you can do is remove impediments. In this article I talk about some of the tips for getting to sleep at a decent hour.

7. Avoid processed foods.

Foods that are rich in refined sugars and white flour are known to skyrocket insulin levels and release the stress hormone. Junk food, fried foods, artificial sweeteners and foods with lots of preservatives are also on this stress, “no-no” list.

8. Take flax-seed oil.

Flaxseed oil is a supplement with quite a few positive effects. It helps reduce blood pressure, constipation, inflammatory diseases, and cholesterol. In this Livestrong article, they talk about the positive benefit of combating stress and anxiety with flaxseed oil.

9. Breathing techniques.

One of the single most stressful events around is childbirth. One way to deal with the stress and pain of natural childbirth is to use deep breathing. This is an old and time tested way to beat feelings of anxiety and stress. Web MD says it is specifically one of the best ways to beat stress.

There are a few different techniques for deep breathing, but they all have the same effect; getting larger than normal volume of air into the lungs and holding it there for a short time.

If you are feeling stressed, try this breathing technique:

10. Listen to soothing music.

Music can calm, it can make us happy and it can make us want to get up and dance. Music can make you think more clearly. Of course, all of this leads to a reduction of stress and anxiety. [To learn more, read this article on the power of music to improve mood and relieve stress.]

11. Take a break to do something you enjoy.

Read for a bit. Watch a TV show. Go chat with friends. Check out an online humor site.

Your problems will not go away with escapism, but we all need to take a break now and then. Finer Minds reports that reading fiction is specifically one of the best ways to beat stress. Cutting stress levels by 68%: more than walking, listening to music or drinking tea.

12. Learn your own stress signs.

What do you do when you begin to stress too much. Some people bite their nails, some people sweat, some people tap their feet. (I grind my teeth.)

If you identify your indications of stress, you can know when to take that break, do that exercise, take that walk or do those deep breaths.

​​​​13. Meet up with friends.

Sometimes a little bit of time with friends and family can be, “just what the doctor ordered” when it comes to stress. A little relaxation, laughter, and fun can do wonders to relieve your tension and stress. (To learn more check out this Readers Digest article that discusses all the ways friends can help you beat stress.)

14. Write it all down

Journaling is considered to be an effective stress management technique for many.

One of the most popular methods of this stress management techniques is to write a daily journal where you explore the feelings and thoughts of your everyday life.

This form of self-exploration works best when done consistently, so you need to make this daily journaling a habit. However, even sporadic journaling helps you to process emotions and can have a cathartic effect.

15. Take a day off.

We all need an occasional day with zero stress. Take a day and just get away.

Go on a hike in the mountains. Sunbathe at the beach. Go on a long bike ride. Go to the movies.

Occasionally it is important to disconnect from your normal routine and just get away. (ABC News discusses how time off can reduce stress and increase productivity.)

16. Try Mindful Mediation.

I have never been a huge fan of meditation. It seems a little, “new age” to me. But Mindful Mediation has been proven in some fairly serious studies to have a positive effect on stress and anxiety.

17. Roll your way to health.

Back and body alignment specialists claim that there are many foam roller benefits that have a seriously positive effect on stress.

It works not only by relaxing the muscles and the body but also by working pressure points that affect the nervous system.

Additionally using a foam roller regularly will increase the elasticity in the muscles and fascia. This will help to deepen breathing capacity, which in turn brings your body to a more calm state of being.

18. Cater to your sense of smell.

All of our senses are hardwired into your brain. Many of them interact in ways that you might not think they would. Experiments (according to NCBI) have proven that aromatherapy using essential oils, specifically lavender scents, have a positive effect on stress reduction.

19. Learn more about reducing your stress

Read more about relieving stress and anxiety. There are lots of good books that will go far deeper than the previous synopsis mentions of anxiety and stress relieving techniques here.

With these 19 ways to deal with stress, you are now armed with strategies to live a calmer, more fulfilled life. You can’t control many of the things that cause stress. What you can do is take a proactive approach, accept and control what you can control, and change the way you handle this problem.

Finally, remember that not all stress is bad. If you want to learn more, read this post that explores the different examples of eustress or good stress.

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