When it comes to dealing with stress, it can be hard to find ways to alleviate it. Especially when it comes to mental illness, life can throw us unexpected curveballs that may crank up our stress and anxiety. When COVID-19 crashed into our lives in 2019, it came as no surprise that almost everyone we knew was struggling to cope with the stress of living in a pandemic stricken world.
The best stress-reducing activities can be done anywhere and can be effective right away for you. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to successfully balance out your stress levels with a small but effective list of relaxing activities. Let’s dive into a few methods that can bring you instant relief.
Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) involves relaxing all the muscles in your body, group by group. Long-term research has found that PMR helps reduce anxiety while bolstering calm breathing. It can be more relaxing when you listen to music as you do it, but simple physical exercise alone can help lessen your stress.
To practice, do the following:
- You can lie down somewhere relaxing and then take a few deep breaths.
- Hold and then release each muscle in your body, one at a time. Start with your toes and move up to the crown of your head.
- Do this slowly and methodically. Don’t forget the muscles of your face.
You can also try to have someone walk you through the exercise. With practice, you’ll learn to utilize tension in your muscles. Also, you’ll be able to relax more with practice and effort.
Note that each time you practice, you should experience a relaxing feeling that calmly sweeps through your body.
Breathing Control
It may seem like a small and dismissive technique, but simply changing the way you breathe can make a huge difference in your life. Most of all, it can change how you react to and can control your stress. Breathing techniques can calm your body in a few minutes once you actively take control of it.
The better part of this technique is that no one will be able to tell that you’re doing them. This means that you can practice this method in public, on the bus, in a business meeting, or if you’re in a crowded area and feel a panic attack coming on.
There are many different breathing exercises that you can choose from. So you must explore and find a breathing exercise that works best for you.
However, to get you started, a few simple exercises you can try out include:
- Breathe in through your nose and watch your belly fill with air. Count slowly to three as you inhale. Hold for one second and then slowly breathe out through your nose as you count to three again.
- Breathe in through your nose and imagine that you’re inhaling peaceful, calm air. Imagine that air spreading throughout your body. As you exhale, imagine that you’re breathing out stress and tension.
Take a Walk (Indoors or Outdoors)
Doing something as simple as taking a walk can be a world’s worth of difference in your life. If you’re especially cooped up inside the house or apartment all day long or most of your week, going outside can let you refresh your body and mind. Even just feeling the sunlight can reduce your anxiety and make you calm again.
Taking a walk allows you to enjoy a change of scenery and fresh air. This can quickly result in you gaining a different set of mind and lets you brag about getting some small exercise in as well! Even if you’re inside a building, just walking around and stretching your legs can make you feel active and feel more at ease from the body movement.
Regardless of if you just take a 10-minute walk around the office or decide to go for a 30-minute stroll around the local town, simply walking is a small yet effective way for your mind and body to take a deep yet calming sigh of relief.
Essential Oils
Aromatherapy and essential oils have genuine benefits for stress relief. These oils can help you feel more lively and soothe you from any stress you may be dealing with at the moment.
As you breathe in the oil’s aroma, it stimulates your central nervous system, triggering an emotional response and helping reduce whatever stress you’re feeling.
Studies have shown that essential oils may help you by:
- Boosting your mood and reducing anxiety
- Improve the quality of sleep
- Reduce nausea and stomach pain
- Relieve headaches
Essential oils can be enjoyed by diffusers, single bottles, and body products. However you experience the maximum benefit, aromatherapy and essential oils are something you should consider and try out.
Take On a Creative Outlet
If dealing with daily stress, getting in touch with your inner creative artist can help as a creative outlet. By channeling your negative emotions through a hobby, not only can you release that pent-up emotion, you can create something that lets you feel good about yourself and your hidden talents.
The first hobby you can consider is drawing or painting. Coloring books for adults is a popular product, so you can consider starting here before using an artist pad if you wish. None of your drawings or paintings have to be a professional level of any sort; strictly draw or paint what makes you feel good or less stressed.
This is all about allowing yourself to feel better and releasing the pent-up stress you’re feeling.
You can also consider creative writing, which can be fiction or poetry. If you can’t release your stress or anxiety through pictures or images, words can be just as good as your stress reliever and have been for many people. Go to your local dollar store, purchase a $1.00 journal, and begin writing whatever comes to your mind.
Other hobbies to consider being an excellent stress reliever for you can also be:
- Knitting or crocheting
- Music
- Cleaning and organizing
- Photography
- Sports
- Gardening
- Reading
Even if these aren’t right for you, there are always more activities to try out. Everyone has a hobby that works nicely for them. It’s just a matter of trying things out.
Start Routinely Exercising
Physical activity is a critical key to utilize when managing stress and anxiety.
There are a few reasons for this:
- Exercise lowers stress hormones and releases endorphins. These are body chemicals that improve your mood.
- Exercise can also improve sleep quality negatively affected by stress.
- When you routinely exercise, you can begin to feel more confident in your body and who you are as a person. As a result, this can improve your mental health and self-image.
One of the best things about modern-day exercise is that there are many different ways to exercise to fit your schedule and mood! You don’t have to join a gym membership or official class to exercise to become more active. If you have a stable internet connection, you can use YouTube to find an online channel you enjoy and find effective for you.
This is a popular exercise method and has had great results for those struggling with stress!
A few forms of exercise you can try out (even at home for free) can include:
- Walking (or power walking)
- Strength training
- Kickboxing
- Hiking
- Spin classes
- Dancing
- Cardio
Exercise is one of the most important activities to combat stress. By utilizing quality exercise, you can relieve yourself of mental stress. By exercising regularly, you experience both mental and physical benefits. Furthermore, people who exercise regularly are less likely to experience anxiety than those who don’t.
Dance Like Nobody’s Watching
Putting on your favorite music while dancing without a care in the world is an effective stress-reliever. You don’t have to be a professional or a kid to enjoy the fun of dancing!
It’s been found that dance engages both the mind and body. Also, as you dance, it brings on feelings of inspiration and happiness. Dancing to happy music can trigger positive memories while taking your mind off your stress.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a dancer, that’s okay. Even just having a burst of energy and “letting loose” in random movements can take off stress and make you relax. Always find what works best for you and your mind and body.
Find Your Stress-Reducing Trick
The trick to an effective stress-reducing method is finding what works for you and you alone. Some people use creativity, such as painting or writing, to release their stress. Other people use exercise, like boxing or running, and find physical activity works better for them.
The point is, your stress-reducing activity is all about what works best for you. You may have to try a variety of different hobbies or activities to find what makes both your mind and your body tick. Once you explore all your options, you can begin to find ways to let yourself feel more relaxed and break free from the chains of unwanted stress.
