Contents:
You can, of course, relax for as much time as you have, but there are ways to relax that you can squeeze into your day, even if you only have a few minutes to spare! If you have that much time, try relaxing with a deep muscle relaxation, but you can relax even if you don't have 20 minutes to spare, too! You can relax for as much time as you have to spare per day, but you don't need to have more than an hour to spare in your daily life in order to practice relaxation techniques.
Some, like deep breathing, take as little as three minutes! To feel less stressed in your life, pause for a moment and take a few deep breaths, inhaling for 5 seconds and exhaling for 5 seconds.
If you have a little more time to spare, sit down somewhere quiet and try meditating for a few minutes, which can help you calm down and focus on the present. For a longer-term strategy, try to set aside an hour every day to do relaxing things, like reading a good book, playing with your pets, or doing some yoga. When you see the green expert checkmark on a wikiHow article, you can trust that the article was co-authored by a qualified expert.
The authors of this article cited 26 references, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
Monitor your stress level. You need to take stock of your stress in order to make changes in your life that lower it and can help you to handle it more effectively. Spend some time monitoring your stress levels and note down how often you feel yourself becoming stressed over a week.
Of course the amount of stress you experience will fluctuate depending on what is happening in your life, but monitoring your stress over an initial set period is a good way to get you started thinking about it. Signs of stress include raised heart rate and sweating, as well as tightness in muscles, headaches, fatigue and shortness of breath.
Once you have begun to monitor and pay attention to your stress levels you need to try to identify specific stress triggers.
Stress can come from many places. What triggers your stress? Pinpointing where your stress is coming from is the first step toward dealing with it. You might like to separate them out into short-term and long-term factors. Work on strategies to tackle stress triggers. Begin by identifying what aspect of the event or trigger you can control and focus in on what you can affect.
A common cause of stress is simply piling up obligations and tasks that leave you with little time to relax or get some relief. You can rank them according to importance. Develop good time management. Here you will get a clearer picture of what exactly you want to spend your time doing, which will be beneficial to you more broadly.
Having a time plan that is too rigid can heighten your stress. Leaving empty spaces in your schedule will give an opportunity to relax. Even half an hour or your own in the evening can help. Try talking to a trusted friend or family member about how you are feeling. Communication is very important and it can help you release tension.
If you think it could be helpful to talk to a professional, consider contacting a qualified counsellor or therapist. Understand that there is no silver bullet. Monitoring your stress levels, finding your stress triggers and beginning to take action tackle them can all help you to lower your stress over time. There are, however, no immediate perfect remedies to a stressful lifestyle. Try to incorporate these practices while keeping a sense of humour about the trials and tribulations of modern life.
Seeing the funny side can be a big help that makes you more resilient to the inevitable setbacks. Method 1 Quiz True or False: Positive changes in your life can also be stressful. Scientists argue that physical activity helps people to cope with stress, mild depression and anxiety by causing chemical changes in the brain which can help to positively alter mood. Taking regular exercise can also improve wellbeing by raising self-esteem and self-control. Be creative about the activity you do. Often getting involved in team sports can be a more fun way to exercise. Make time to do the things you like.
As well as getting regular exercise you should also make sure you give yourself the chance to do other things you enjoy. For example, this could be going to the movies, going for a coffee with a friend, or playing with your dog. Doing fun activities will take you away from stressful environments and allow you to let your hair down for a while. If you can achieve a good balance in your lifestyle you could find your stress levels dropping. Having a good work-life balance is very important for lowering your stress and achieving your best. Neglecting friendships will only make you more stressed in the long-term.
As well as doing the activities that you enjoy, be on the look-out for new potential hobbies and activities. It has been shown to work well in the reduction of stress and anxiety in scientific experiments. Method 2 Quiz What activity can you include in your daily routine to reduce stress? Playing with your dog. Hanging out with your friends. All of the above Correct! As well as regular exercise, eating a healthy balanced diet can make a significant contribution to a less stressful lifestyle.
By making healthy positive choices with your diet you can make yourself both physically and emotionally stronger. Taking active care of yourself will boost your self-esteem as well as giving you more energy and more control over your body. Having a good diet will help your body function more efficiently. The average adult requires between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Doing something relaxing before bed, such as reading or breathing exercises. Turning off your electronic devices. Sleeping in a comfortable environment. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine, which can disrupt sleep.
Besides this, it also helps to reduce your anxiety, tension and stress. Avoid distractions. To fully relax your lifestyle and live stress-free life. Here are 14 ways to become stress-free in 5 minutes without going out of your way. I have become a much happier person by living a stress-free life. gum helped relieve anxiety, improve alertness, and reduce stress by
Limit your alcohol intake. Avoiding drinking above the recommended amounts of alcohol can help you to be more emotionally healthy.
Avoiding drinking above the recommended amounts of alcohol can help you to be more emotionally healthy. Don't talk rudely about someone behind their back, and don't engage in disrespectful behavior. Breathe without pausing or holding your breathe, and keep doing this until you feel calm and relaxed. Here you will get a clearer picture of what exactly you want to spend your time doing, which will be beneficial to you more broadly. I like to play with my kids — they take my mind off everything and are really hilarious. For your chest, breathe slowly and deeply into your diaphragm then breathe out slowly.
Men are recommended not to regularly drink more than three or four units a day. For a woman the equivalent is two or three units a day. Drinking can be attractive when you are particularly stressed, but it can exaggerate those feelings, making you angry and aggressive. One unit of alcohol equals approximately a 25 milliliters 0.
You can download digital tools to help you keep track of how many units you consume. If you feel like alcohol is becoming a problem you should speak to your doctor. If you are a smoker, cutting down or quitting helps to relieve your stress and anxiety, as well as giving you a more positive outlook on life.
Together with the well-known benefits to your physical health being smoke free brings, there are proven benefits for your mental health too. Despite the myth that smoking relaxes you, in fact it increases anxiety and tension. Smokers are more likely to develop depression or anxiety disorder over time. Cutting down will improve your mood in the long-term. Method 3 Quiz How can you make sure you're eating healthily? By ordering takeout when you're too tired to cook. By eating a little bit from every food group. By having one "cheat day" per week.
Try out some meditation. As well as making improvements to your general lifestyle and cutting back on your commitments to secure some time for yourself, you can try some specific relaxation techniques to help you unwind. Meditation is an ancient practice that is aimed at calming your mind and helping you become at peace with yourself.
Try just sitting quietly while being aware of your breathing. Alternatively, focus on an object you have placed in front of you, or you could try to visualise something calming, like a gentle sea. Do some relaxed deep breathing.
If you find it hard to stick with the meditation you could practice some relaxed deep breathing. Sit in a comfortable chair which supports your head, or lie down flat with your palms up and your legs a little apart. Fill up your lungs without forcing them, breathing in through your nose.
Count to five as you breathe in. Breathe out through your mouth, slowly counting to five again. Repeat this with a regular and controlled rhythm. Breathe without pausing or holding your breathe, and keep doing this until you feel calm and relaxed. Try to do this for three to five minutes, two or three times daily. Attempt deep muscle relaxation. If you have some more time then you can try practicing a deep muscle relaxation session. This will take around twenty minutes and it stretches and relaxes different muscles which releases tension from your body and mind.
Once you have a warm and quiet place, sit or lie down and concentrate on steady breathing. Going through each in turn you will release the tension from your face, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, legs, wrists and hands. Repeat each exercise a couple of times before moving on. Begin by pushing together your eyebrows, as if you were frowning, hold for a few seconds and then release. I was losing hair … OK, actually that was because of genetics, but still. I was pretty stressed. So I made some drastic changes. I quit my job. I simplified my life. I quit smoking and started exercising and eating healthier.
I began to eliminate my debt. And I learned some habits that, when applied on a daily basis, can really transform the way you live, in a positive way. How did I do all of this? One thing at a time. I changed one habit a month, and gradually over the course of a year or two changed a lot of things in my life.
They worked for me, but each person is different. Pick and choose the ones that will work best for you, and give them a try. One at a time. This is the simplest and best way to start reducing your stress, and you can start today. Focus as much as possible on doing one thing at a time. Clear your desk of distractions. Pick something to work on. Need to write a report? A hectic schedule is a major cause of high stress.
Simplify by reducing the number of commitments in your life to just the essential ones. Schedule only a few important things each day, and put space between them. Leave room for down time and fun. Do something each day to be active — walk, hike, play a sport, go for a run, do yoga. Have fun doing it. Develop one healthy habit this month. Other than getting active, improving your health overall will help with the stress. But do it one habit at a time. Eat fruits and veggies for snacks.