10 Stress Relievers

If you’re feeling anxious and over stressed, try any one of these 10 stress relievers. These simple techniques can help you to relax, unwind and get back into balance.

Stress affects us all to varying degrees. It’s a universal human experience that we either acknowledge and learn to manage, or suffer the consequences.

In measured quantities stress can increase our drive, motivation and capacity for future stress. Like when we’re chasing a goal and overcoming obstacles, or when we’re lifting weights and progressively increasing the load.

But when stress is constant and excessive, we can’t cope. We get stuck in activation mode (fight-or-flight) and begin to lose control. We feel anxious, irritable, fearful and tired more of the time. We suffer headaches and indigestion. Our heart rate and blood pressure increase, posing a risk to our long-term health.

Despite advances in technology and greater access to information about stress, for about half of all Americans, stress levels are getting worse instead of better.

According to The American Institute of Stress, about 33 percent of people report feeling extreme stress, 77 percent of people experience stress that affects their physical health, 73 percent of people have stress that impacts their mental health and 48 percent of people have trouble sleeping because of stress.

If you think stress is affecting your health, now’s the time to do something about it. These 10 stress relievers will help you to relax, relieve anxiety and maintain a positive outlook.

1. Identify the primary source of stress

The first and most important step in effectively relieving stress is to identify the main cause of stress in your life. There will be lots of little stressors adding to the load, but what’s the one thing that’s causing the most damage? Tackle that and you will feel much better.

Is it work? A boss, manager or co-worker? Your partner? Financial troubles? Be clear and honest so that you can take the necessary actions to minimise, or eliminate exposure to that stressor.

2. Take control

Loss of control is a leading cause of anxiety and mental health problems. When we feel that we have no control over our problem(s), stress can persist and get worse.

Do one thing today to gain control of the challenge you are facing. That could be something as small as writing a list or sending an email. Breaking the problem down into manageable tasks and taking action will give you a sense of control and make it easier to overcome.

3. Connect with others

Mental health is enhanced by our support network. Colleagues, friends and family can help us to solve problems, feel better about the situation, and forget about our troubles completely.

Align yourself with colleagues who are supportive, friends who will listen and offer advice, family members who make you feel comforted and loved.

Talking things through can relieve a great deal of stress.

4. Help others

Research has shown that people who helps others, through activities such as charitable and community work, often become more resilient.

We forget our own problems when we’re focussed on the needs of others. We put our troubles in perspective when we look at what different people have to suffer. Who could you help today?

5. Stay active

Regular exercise has a number of health benefits. It releases a cascade of feel good chemicals and reduces the intensity of stress that we are experiencing.

When we are stuck in our own heads, worrying, analysing, and overthinking, moving the body is one of the best things we can do. Choose a handful of activities you enjoy and do 30-45 minutes each day.

6. Make time for yourself

We all need space to breath, think, reflect and de-compress. It’s good for the mind and good for the body. When we make time for ourselves, we can relax, unwind and focus on the joy of living.

Start with one night a week, where you have regular ‘me time’. Enjoy doing things you love, that bring you peace and fulfilment. That could be playing football with friends, taking a yoga class, or painting a picture all by yourself.

7. Nourish yourself

Food, water, sunshine, and fresh air give us the nutrients we need to optimise our health. Exercise, meditation and a full nights sleep provide the recovery we need to balance the stresses of work.

Many people turn to alcohol, smoking and caffeine to cope but that just makes matters worse. Instead, focus on nourishment and start treating your body like a temple instead of a dumpster.

Make these stress relievers a daily habit that you thrive on.

8. Work smarter

Have you ever worked a full day and felt like you achieved absolutely nothing? You’re not alone. It’s easy to make ourselves busy, yet still make no progress at all.

Take a step back and think about the outcomes you want to achieve. Is the type of work that you do and the way that you do it moving you closer to, or further away from those outcomes?

Prioritise the tasks that will help reach your goals and make the biggest difference in your life. Leave the less important tasks till later. Procrastinate, delegate and eliminate everything else.

9. Challenge yourself

Setting goals such as learning programming, or running a mile a day, can help build your confidence and maintain an internal locus of control. It provides motivation and forward momentum, which may help to alleviate stress.

10. Focus on the positive

It’s easy to focus on the negatives in life and feed our own anxiety, but those with an optimistic outlook have a habit of looking for something positive (no matter how small) in every situation.

What’s good in your life? What went well today? What are you grateful for? Write down 3 positive things in your journal at the end of each day to build that habit.

While we can’t eliminate stress completely, we can work with it. Use positive stress to energise your life and minimise harmful stress through healthy lifestyle habits.

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