7 Ways to Reduce Stress Instantly
Is your stress getting the best of you?
Acute, or short-term, stress is pretty much inevitable (think a traffic jam, an upcoming deadline, or an argument with a family member). Chronic, unrelenting stress, on the other hand, can take a serious toll on your body.
Since avoiding the stressor isn’t always an option, it’s important to have some simple relaxation tricks up your sleeve. Try one of these seven simple, effective stress-lowering tips the next time you’re feeling stressed:
1 | Deep Breathing
There are many different breathing exercises you can do to relax your mind and body almost instantly. Belly breathing and the 4-7-8 method are two of the most common and effective. Here’s a brief description of both methods – for more details and a demo of each, click on the links!
Belly Breathing (or Diaphragmatic Breathing): Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Inhale slowly through your nose as you feel your belly expand (the hand over your belly should rise). Try to keep your chest from rising if possible (the hand over your chest should stay still). Exhale slowly through your mouth. Do this for a few minutes each day or whenever you’re feeling stressed.
4-7-8 Method: For the 4-7-8 method you’ll begin by exhaling all the air out of your lungs through your mouth. Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, right behind your top front teeth. Inhale through your nose for a count of four; hold your breath for a count of seven; then exhale through pursed lips (around your tongue) for a count of eight. Repeat three times.
2 | Aromatherapy
Essential oils can have a powerful calming effect on the body and mind. You can add a few drops to a diffuser, inhale directly from the bottle, or rub some on your wrists or behind your ears with a carrier oil (like coconut or jojoba) for instant relaxation. Here are the best essential oils to help lower stress:
Lavender
Ylang ylang
Chamomile
Bergamot
Vetiver
Frankincense
Rose
3 | Meditation
If you’re new to meditation, downloading a free app with guided meditations is a great place to start. I personally like the Calm app and Headspace. If apps aren’t your thing, here’s one way you can begin meditating today:
Find a comfortable seated position and close your eyes. Begin to focus on your breath. Just breathe naturally, bringing your attention to how the air feels as it passes through your nose and noticing the rise and fall of your chest. When you get distracted, gently bring the focus back to your breath. Don’t get discouraged if you’re frequently distracted – it takes practice!
4 | Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
It’s best to practice PMR lying down. Once you’re comfortable, take a few deep breaths and focus your attention on the muscles in your forehead. Tense and scrunch the muscles in your forehead and hold for 10 seconds. Then slowly release the tension for a count of 30 until your forehead is completely relaxed. Repeat this process for the muscles in your jaw, neck and shoulders, stomach, buttocks, thighs, calves, and toes until your whole body is renewed and relaxed from head to toe.
5 | Take a Walk
There’s nothing like a short walk to clear your mind, increase your focus, and de-stress. Movement and sunshine do wonders for a stressed mind! Ideally, you’d make walking part of your daily routine but taking a short walk in response to a stressful situation is also effective. Bonus points – take your shoes off and walk barefoot, listen to calming music, or make your walk a moving meditation for added calming effects!
6 | Laugh
Sometimes laughter is the best medicine for stress! It’s really hard to focus on a stressful event when you’re laughing. Call up a funny friend, watch a funny movie or clip on YouTube, or hit up a local comedy show for a healthy dose of fun and relaxation.
7 | Listen to Music
Music has a way of instantly lifting my mood. For a while, I was listening to a lot of podcasts in the car but I noticed when I listened to music my mood was so much lighter and happier. Tune into your favorite radio station or download a nostalgic playlist for an instant mood boost. Personally, I turn to my boys JC and Justin to help me say “Bye, Bye, Bye” to stress ;)