Welcome to 101 Ways to Reduce Stress in Your Life. May you find something new to try as none of us needs to be living in a perpetual state of stress.
Ever feel like your life is spiraling out of control?
Have the sensation of always being on edge?
If so, you may have chronic stress.
Keep reading to learn more about it and find 101 ways to reduce stress in your life.
Oh…and grab a favorite beverage as this is a LONG one.
Disclaimer: This publication is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Medical advice should always be obtained from a qualified medical professional for any health conditions or symptoms associated with them. Every possible effort has been made in preparing and researching this material. We make no warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability of its contents or any omissions.
What is Stress?
Stress is the body's response to a perceive threat or danger. When you encounter a stressor, the response is to go into fear, flight, fight mode.
At this point, your adrenal glands start pumping out cortisol and adrenaline. This puts your body into high alert mode. Pupils dilate to allow more light in, your heart rate increase, breathing becomes shallow, blood is diverted to your extremities for movement and your digestive system shuts down.
For a short term need, this stress response is needed. If you have an immediate threat, you need to be able to flee or flight.
However, it isn't too often in our modern world that we need to flee an animal like a bear.
What is Chronic Stress?
Life has a way of throwing us curveballs. But, when you stack them up in a world that expects people to be going 24/7, it becomes a chronic issue.
Chronic stress is what happens when your body does not shut down and recover.
Many of our modern stressors keep our adrenal glands working overtime.
Excessive worry can do this whether it is fretting over work deadlines, finances, or even what others think about us.
Anger is another huge stressor in people's lives. This emotional stressor can trigger heart attacks, arrhythmia, and even death!
Some Effects of Chronic Stress
By now you may be starting to think stress is truly public enemy #1.
More than you may realize, stress is the biggest factor in your life causing all manner of ailments and diseases. Chronic stress has been shown in studies to account for up to 90% of all health problems!
Studies have found that stress even affects our genes, turning on or off genetic factors in our DNA that affect how much fat our bodies store, how fast you age, to whether or not you will develop cancer.
There are numerous studies done on the affect chronic stress has on the human body.
Just a few of the ways it affects us include:
decrease your immunity
negatively affect your memory and your emotions
lower bone density
increase pain levels
muscular tension
skin problems such as rashes, eczema, or psoriasis
digestive and gut related issues
and breathing problems such as asthmas or panic attacks.
Knowing that stress has such a major impact on our health, it makes sense to know how to handle it well!
101 Ways to Reduce Stress and Its Effects in Your Life
Here are some tried and tested methods to help you triumph over the stress monster!
Breathe
Take a moment.
Focus on the tip of your nose and the cool air coming in, warm air coming out.
Repeat several times.
Not only will this help you calm down, it can help increase your intake of oxygen.
Take Time For You
We all seem to live busy lives. Between work, family and other ommitments, it can be a challenge to find time for you.
You need downtime.
Time to recharge your batteries, refresh yourself, and rejuvenate.
You need time for you to destress so that you can continue giving to others.
Think of it like the oxygen masks on the airplane. If you don't have a supply of oxygen coming from your mask, how can you help the person next to you.
Eat Well
An increase in green leafy and other vegetables will automatically increase your health, your resilience and decrease your stress.
Eat lean white meat, oily fish, and healthy fats such as avocado, sesame oil, and coconut oil.
Enjoy nuts, seeds, and berries.
What you do not want to do is indulge in all the comfort foods. Many of those are what some are calling “beige foods” and lead to more problems than solutions.
So, eat the rainbow. Consume those whole foods.
Exercise
Moderate aerobic exercise such as brisk walking for 30-40 minutes, 4- 5 times per week will help you destress.
Your cardiovascular and circulatory health will improve, muscles will strengthen, bone density will increase, and you will release “happiness” endorphins.
A walk outside does wonders for my mental and physical health.
Meditate
Taking time out to meditate every day, even if just for a few minutes, has been shown in studies to decrease stress and increase happiness.
Daily practice is the best way to reap results.
Be Mindful
Mindfulness is a form of meditation that can be done anytime, anywhere.
It involves being present to what is happening now, rather than reminiscing about the past or worrying about the future.
Notice your different senses (colors, sounds, textures, tastes, scents) as a way to keep you connected to the present moment.
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is like magic!
The more you practice it, the happier and more relaxed you feel.
Try being thankful for one hundred things every day!
Really experience the feeling of being grateful and you will become more contented.
One of my favorite ways to do this is with a gratitude journal. Then on a day when I truly struggle to find things that make me thankful, I can read through past days.
Think Positive
It’s not so much what happens to you in life as how you respond to what is happening.
You can choose to see the glass as half empty or half full.
What will you choose?
Change Limiting Beliefs
Certain beliefs you hold may be holding you back in life.
The good news is, once you identify them, you can change them for more helpful beliefs.
Next time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, just say, “I am no longer subject to that belief. I choose ….” Then insert your new, more empowering belief.
Let Go
Instead of trying to control everything, once you realize that ultimately, nothing is under your control, then you can let go and relax.
You may find that when you do let go, things miraculously resolve themselves, all by themselves!
Many people like the slogan “Let Go and Let God” to remind them that not everything is in our control.
Try Yoga
Yoga is a practice with many benefits.
It tones the muscles, increases strength, and flexibility and prepares the mind for meditation, causing both body and mind to relax.
Try Laughter Yoga
Laughter yoga makes you feel more relaxed and happier.
Even when you fake laughing, your brain thinks the laughter is real and understands it must create happiness chemicals because you are acting happy.
Therefore, you become happier.
Laughter yoga causes tensions to be released, mood to be elevated and stress to dissipate.
Take Nature Walks
Nature walks have been shown to help relax both body and mind, causing a greater sense of peace and tranquility to pervade the body.
Being in the fresh air with natural beauty is a balm for the soul.
Stay Connected With Friends
Human beings are social animals.
Humans need to feel a sense of belonging.
Reaching out, calling a friend, or making a “friends,” date is a wonderful way to help ease the burdens of your stressful day.
You will share problems, support one another, and laugh together.
When you can't meet in person, using Facetime or Skype can help you visually connect with others. Or have a virtual girls night using Zoom or Google Hangouts.
Do Something Meaningful
If you have a sense of purpose in life, and are able to make a productive or meaningful contribution to society, your sense of self-worth will increase.
You will feel valued and competent and your resiliency will improve, as you feel more positive about yourself and your role in society.
Put Yourself First
Putting yourself higher up in the pecking order is one of the healthiest things you can do.
“NO!” it’s not always a selfish thing!
It’s better for you, and others too!
As a woman, I find it is expected that we will make sacrifices. And sacrifice can be a beautiful thing.
It is when we turn into doormats that the problems emerge.
So instead of constantly giving up your needs and wants to fulfil others, make yourself more of a priority.
Relax
There are so many ways you can learn to relax.
A hot bath with Epsom salts
Relaxing your muscles one by one
Lying down with your feet up against the wall.
When the body is relaxed, stress and tension melt away, the parasympathetic nervous system takes over, and the body can heal.
Learn Visualization
Visualization can help you increase productivity or effectiveness and help you reach your goals.
Imagine a goal: Picture yourself as having reached the goal already.
Imagine in as much detail as you can the positive outcome you desire.
Science shows that visualization causes you to act in ways that increases your chances of achieving your anticipated outcome.
Nada Yoga
Nada yoga is a particular form of yoga that incorporates deep relaxation with visualization and positive self-talk.
It is very beneficial in releasing stress, changing self-defeating beliefs and attaining desired outcomes.
Get A Massage
Massage relaxes the muscles and the mind and induces a deep state of relaxing.
Different kinds of massage include, Swedish, aromatherapy, and shiatsu.
If you are unable to schedule an appointment with a professional, enlist the help of a family member. Or, try your hand a self-massage.
Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture works by balancing the body’s energy system.
Imbalance in the energy system is believed to bring about a state of “dis-ease.”
It causes the recipient to feel deeply relaxed and is an excellent way to release stress.
Reflexology
According to the ancient art of reflexology, or therapeutic foot massage, the soles of the feet contain a map of the body.
By pressing different points on the feet, the body’s energy system can be brought into balance.
While I have not tried it, I hear it is very relaxing and refreshing.
Counselling
Sometimes it is good to talk to a professional.
There will be times in your life when talking to friends just isn’t working for you.
Talking to an impartial professional can give you perspective, an unbiased point of view and a reflection of your own thoughts and feelings to help you gain clarity and insight.
With video conference technology, you can even find practicioners who allow you to stay in the comfort of your home for the sessions.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy can help you dig deep to heal traumas from childhood, change limiting beliefs and heal the body mind.
It can help you change your responses to stress for the better, by healing often unconscious wounds.
Learn Good Sleep Tips
A good night’s sleep leaves you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Turn off technology an hour before you put the lights out. If you really need to use a screen, wear a pair of glasses to block the blue light.
Read a book to help you fall asleep. I often do this on my Kindle. A Kindle Paperwhite has backlighting that you can adjust. Kindle Fires have a setting to block the blue light.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. Your body will appreciate the regular rhythm and will sleep better for it.
I notice that leaving space for natural light to come into the room helps me set my internal clock.
Go On Vacation
Everybody deserves a vacation, and in fact, everybody needs a vacation.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” is true for us all.
Think of a holiday as an essential part of your health regime, rather than as a luxury.
Plan one into your schedule each and every year.
Keep in mind that a vacation doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars or take you far from home. Going to a far away place like Alaska or Hawaii is often a once in a lifetime trip for people.
But, heading a few hours from home to explore a new to you area can provide the same benefits. Plus, who needs to create stress when considering how to pay for a trip?
Spa Day
Try a mini-getaway to break up the routine, give your body a chance to rest, and recuperate.
A little pampering works wonders for the soul and boosts your self-esteem, allowing the buildup of stress to dissipate.
A spa day is quite achievable, although a whole weekend would be amazing.
Can't go to a spa? Make it a spa day at home!
Try Something New
Doing something completely new shakes you out of your boring old routine and stimulates the brain.
Doing something different will take you out of yourself, help you gain new perspective, challenge you in a positive way and meet your need for variety.
Change Your Routine
A change is as good as a rest, says the old adage.
Being stuck in a rut only helps cement the stress in!
Doing something out of the ordinary can refresh you and help recharge your batteries.
Do What You Love
Expert Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talks about the “psychology of optimal experience.”
It is that place where time ceases to exist.
When you are so utterly engaged with what you are doing that each moment seems effortless and you feel energized, focused and filled with the enjoyment of the process of the activity.
When you are doing what you love, you can experience this sense of flow.
Do More Of What Works
When you find that place of flow, the trick is to find ways to feel it more often.
Figure out what brings you joy, and then go get more of it!
Have Fun
Life without fun is no life at all.
If you are working all the time, chances are you are not having enough fun.
And if you are not having enough fun, you will feel unhappy, stressed out, maybe even aggressive, according to research.
Having fun is a serious business!
Take Up A Hobby
Want to have fun, engage the brain, experience flow, stay present, find possible purpose and fulfilment, and enjoy yourself?
Take up a hobby!
The list of hobbies is endless.
What appeals to you?
Maybe it’s gardening, journal writing, knitting, or crochet, singing in a choir, building treehouses or computers. Try different things and find an activity that sticks.
Then, stick with it.
Get A Pet
Studies have found that owning a pet can calm you down, and help you relax, feel less alone and more connected.
Having a pet can bring you a sense of purpose.
Stroking cats and dogs brings about a feeling of calm, as does watching a tank of fish.
If you can not have a pet in your home, consider seeing if you can visit a friend's pet for a bit.
Walk Away
When you have an escalating situation, walking away may be the best approach.
Refust to engage with someone who is volatile or hostile.
You can explain that you will connect with them when they can feel calmer.
Learning to discern when something is not serving you is an art.
Discovering that it is OK to set healthy limits for yourself can work wonders for your stress levels.
Non-Violent Communication
This is a four-step process of communication created by Marshall Rosenberg as a way of increasing the positive connections between people.
Focusing on feelings and needs, it uses empathy to engage with another, to acknowledge and validate the other person’s feelings and in so doing bring about solutions for greater peace and ease.
You can read more about non-violent communication at cnvc.org.
Surround Yourself With Positive People
Do you feel drained by certain friends?
It is time to ditch them.
It sounds cruel but you are doing yourself a kindness by surrounding yourself with positive, supportive, and encouraging friends.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Lie down in a quiet place.
Breathe.
Clench your toes and feet as you breathe in.
On the out breath, let everything go.
Work through all the muscle groups in your body in this way, from toes to head.
Shiatsu
Japanese finger pressure is a relaxing and healing kind of massage, which utilizes the 12 energy meridian lines in the body.
It is well known to be relaxing and great for getting rid of tension.
Naturopathy
A naturopath will look at the whole person to determine advice, which can include diet, supplements, vitamins, massage, or homeopathy.
This can help with stress symptoms.
Affirmations
Affirmations are present tense statements in the first person (“I”), which help you change negative thinking to positive.
Louise Hay and Shakti Gawain are the ”grandmothers” of affirmations.
Positive Self-Talk
“I think I can, I think I can, I know I can”.
Just like the “Little Train Who Could,” when we talk positively to ourselves we can accomplish much more than we thought we could.
Smile
When you raise the corners of your lips to a smile, your brain is tricked into believing you must be happy, and starts making “happiness hormones” for you.
So smile, even if you don’t feel like it.
It will make you happy!
Smiling also relaxes the muscles in your face and helps you release tension that way.
Inner Smile Meditation
In this meditation, you imagine a benevolent being smiling down on you.
You send this positive, loving, smiling energy, all around your body.
It helps you relax and feel a warm glow of happiness on the inside of you.
Have Sex
Having sex is a great way to bust some of that stress.
Studies show that it helps you release tension and relax deeply.
It aids deeper sleep.
It helps boost your immunity and can be good cardio too!
Tantric Sex
Tantric sex multiplies the above benefits by allowing you to prolong the pleasurable period before orgasm.
It trains you to slow down, relax, and enjoy the ride!
The buildup of sexual energy can be sent to areas of the body for healing purposes.
Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol dehydrates you, corrodes your liver, and can create dependency, not to mention make you act in terrible ways at times!
If you want a less stressful life, a sure-fire way is to get rid of alcohol.
Avoid Stimulants
Stimulants such as sugar, coffee, and amphetamines have been shown to keep your adrenals overactive and your stress levels high.
Your sleep will suffer and you will experience fatigue, so you then take more stimulants to stay alert and the cycle continues.
Give Up Coffee
The experts tell us that coffee taxes the adrenals, and robs the body of vitamin C, as well as dehydrating us.
It can make you anxious and jittery, and does nothing to alleviate stress.
Cut it out gradually to avoid the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
Drink Some Chamomile Tea
By contrast chamomile teas helps you sleep by inducing a drowsy state of well-being and relaxation.
Sip a cup in the early evening to help you get to sleep.
Add Green Tea to Your Day
Scientists have found that green tea is loaded with antioxidants and lots of nutrients.
Even though green tea contains some caffeine, it will not give you the jitters, and it has a compound in it, which reduces anxiety levels.
Some studies have found if you drink up to five cups of green tea per day, you may reduce your stress levels, significantly, although studies that are more conclusive are needed.
Supplements
Many supplements claim to reduce stress.
These include magnesium, a muscle relaxant, melatonin, to help you with sleep cycles, valerian for anxiety and B-complex for improving mood.
Rather than just randomly select a bunch to try, speak with a natropath or someone in functional medicine to see what your body truly needs.
Homeopathy
Homeopathic medicine uses very minute traces of a medicine found in nature, to treat “like with like.”
It is recommended to seek a qualified and experienced practitioner because it can be very difficult to find the right remedy if you are trying to treat yourself.
For acute and mild symptoms, this is okay. Companies like Boiron offer charts to help you find which product(s) may help the most.
Avoid Fried Foods
Fried foods are high in fat, calories, and salt and have been shown to contribute to serious problems like heart disease and obesity.
If you have stress in your life, it is a good idea to avoid this type of greasy food.
Adjust Your Expectations
Does everything have to be perfect, and have to be done “Now”?
Perhaps you are setting impossibly high standards for yourself and others around you. Life is messy and impossible to control.
As soon as you learn to let go, you will feel so much better.
Lower your expectations and you will feel less stressed.
Say “No”
Once you learn the art of saying, “NO,” you will be able to set much healthier boundaries for yourself.
You will be less likely to overload yourself and you will feel empowered and capable.
Perhaps surprisingly, most people are able to receive a “No” with understanding and respect.
Try it and see!
Express Your Feelings
Find a way to safely express yourself.
Bottling up your feelings only increases your stress and can lead to health problems.
It is far better to find a way to release your emotions.
Express Your Creativity
Whether it’s painting, dancing, writing, singing acting, poetry or a combination of any of the above, being creative can leave you feeling satisfied, accomplished, and complete.
Even coloring can allow for creativity to flow and take stress with it.
Avoid Stressful People And Situations
Surrounding yourself with people of like-mind can be a great way to avoid generating stress.
If someone is aggravated, loud, or vexatious, it is a good idea to avoid them if possible!
Be Flexible
Often we have a plan in our heads about the way things should go.
Often, life has a different idea. Things don’t always go according to plan.
Being able to bend like a willow tree, or go with the flow, is a skill worth cultivating.
Embrace unexpected change graciously.
Compromise
If you can’t win, compromise.
It saves a lot of heartbreak.
Just think to yourself “How important is this issue? Do I want to be right, or kind?”
Not all battles need to happen for you to win.
Manage Your Time
Print off a weekly schedule and organize each day.
Leave ten minutes earlier.
Prioritize.
Make lists. Cross off each item when completed.
Delegate.
Know your limits and learn to say, No!
Get Organized
Being disorganized can exacerbate your stress levels beyond measure.
It may feel counter-intuitive, but taking an extra five minutes to organize your desk can save you headaches and sleepless nights of anxiety in the long run.
Instead of procrastinating, take a few minutes getting organized. You will thank yourself.
Anticipate Don’t Procrastinate
Rather than say, “I need to” or “I have to,” tell yourself, “I choose to.”
This helps empower you.
Give yourself rewards for tasks accomplished.
Tackle each task as it arises so things don’t build up. Look forward to the outcome.
Do the most unpleasant tasks first.
Emotional Freedom Technique
EFT is a technique that stimulates various energy meridian points in the body by using gentle finger tapping, while simultaneously saying custom-made verbal affirmations.
This technique helps you eliminate emotional “scarring” and reprogram how your body responds to emotional stress.
Find What Works For You
Just because you read it in a self-help article (such as this) does NOT mean it’s going to be useful to you!
Simply take what you like, and leave the rest.
Do More Of What Works
When you discover what works for you, do more of it.
If getting a massage, for example, helps, then regularly invest in it as a vital part of your stress-busting regime.
Remember that you only get one life, so make it the best one you can.
Flow
Flow happens when you are doing what you love.
You lose all sense of time and become completely absorbed in what you are doing.
All your stressful thoughts, sensations, and emotions will melt away and you will feel a sense of spaciousness and presence.
Get into the flow as often as you can.
Whether it is your family or friends, spending time together can help mitigate stress.
Inviting friends over might seem like a lot of effort, but it will pay off.
Connecting with friends over food can bring a sense of warmth and togetherness that helps the stress dissolve.
Laughter and social engagement gives you a healthy break from stress.
If a dinner party is too much, organize a potluck. Everyone brings a dish and it’s so easy!
Find Community
Joining a group of like-minded individuals can help overcome any sense of isolation and bring a healthy sense of belonging into your life.
Community is vital to our well-being as we are social animals.
Reach out and connect.
While in person groups are wonderful, virtual groups can provide simliar benefits.
Love
Love doesn’t have to be in an intimate relationship.
Love can come in many forms.
The old myth that we need a partner to sustain us can give way to the idea that we can find Love in many ways.
Count the number of ways love comes to you in your life, a friendly smile, a sunny day, the laughter of children, a puppy wagging its tail to greet you.
And if you want Love, give Love…
Turn Towards One Another
If you are in an intimate relationship, one of the ways to help each other maintain equilibrium and dissipate the stress of an argument is to “turn towards one another.”
Embrace, forgive and look towards each other (rather than turn your back, or give the cold shoulder).
Find A Life Partner
Studies show that people in long-term intimate relationships are happier and live longer than people who live alone.
Be specific about what you are looking for: Write it down in detail. Then, go out and date.
The key is, don’t stop until you find who you are looking for!
Dating is a numbers game; it is a bit like getting a job. If you persist, eventually you will succeed.
Be OK Being Alone
Learn one of life’s ultimate lessons, the art of loving yourself.
This is a skill you can cultivate over time.
Be gentle and kind with yourself at all times.
Practice sending loving-kindness to yourself.
Find things you can do solo which bring you joy.
Trust
Learning to trust in the ultimate goodness of life can be hard, but a very worthwhile lesson to learn.
Part of our stress is a worry and anxiety about the future.
But how often has life proved to you that things eventually turn out okay?
Life is either for you, or for your growth.
Even when the going gets tough, there are usually vital growth lessons to be learned, and special gifts to be garnered from the challenges that life presents us with.
Trust life, and you can feel at peace, no matter what your circumstances.
Believe
Whether you believe in the ultimate goodness of life, or in a higher power, or a divine being, having a spiritual belief system can help you offload some of your stress.
It can be such a relief to hand all your troubles over.
Surround Yourself In Love And Light
Healers will say that surrounding yourself in “white light” is a good way to protect yourself from life’s impacts and from any negativity that may be directed towards you.
Try it next time you visit the mall, and see if it makes a difference in how stressed you feel.
See The Best In Others
Studies show that when you think a thought about someone else, your body registers it as being about you.
In other words, what you give out comes back to you.
Therefore, when you send loving kindness out to others, your body believes it is being sent to you.
This is one reason why being kind towards others helps you feel better too.
Forgive Yourself
You can relieve your stress in a big way by learning how to forgive yourself.
Often, we are our own worst critics.
Forgiving yourself unconditionally can unburden you of a heavy load.
You will feel lighter and more energized when you truly forgive yourself.
Forgive Others
Of course, forgiving others is a wonderful way to release yourself from internal angry and resentful chatter about other people, for perceived wrongs against you or perhaps those other people just weren’t behaving in the way that you wanted them to.
Forgiving others frees up more energy for you to focus better on the task at hand.
You will be more efficient and more productive when your energy is not being sapped by negative thoughts about others.
Accept What Is
Another energy sucker is railing against the way things are.
Perhaps you are going through some stressful circumstances right now.
You believe that “This wasn’t part of the plan!”
As long as you resist the facts and the events of the moment, you will experience a tension in your body and an increase in stress.
Believing that the “universe” either supports you, or supports your growth, is a good way to “reframe” events to have an ultimately positive outcome for you.
Practice Loving Kindness
Loving kindness is a form of meditation known as “metta” meditation, originating in Buddhist philosophy.
In a nutshell, you first picture yourself sending loving, kind, energy, or intention towards yourself.
Then, send it to someone towards whom you feel neutral.
Next, send it to someone whom you love.
Then send it to someone for whom you feel antipathy.
Finally send it out to the whole world and the whole universe.
Do this daily, if only for a few minutes and you will definitely experience more peace and inner tranquility.
Perform Random Acts Of Kindness
Science shows that being kind to others produces oxytocin, the “love hormone” which makes you feel happier.
Kindness reduces blood pressure, stress levels, depression and anxiety.
It even gives you more energy.
Perform a random act of kindness today!
Give
Just as being kind increases your feelings of self-worth and self-esteem, so does the act of giving.
When you give, you feel better, happier, more fulfilled and calmer, and more at peace.
Practice the art of generosity.
It is like exercising a muscle: It gets stronger with use.
Studies have shown that when we give to others, we feel better about ourselves, our self-esteem improves, and we increase our sense of connectedness and belonging.
Receive
Receiving is much harder for some people than giving.
Yet, when you open to receive, you are also helping the other person by allowing them the privilege of contributing.
When you open to receive, you experience more joy, more happiness, and less stress.
Allow your “receiving muscles” to get some exercise too.
It is important to keep a healthy balance!
Die Before You Die
The Sufis talk about the “little deaths” our egos must undergo as life shapes us into wiser and better people.
By relaxing our egoic grip on life and surrendering to its Mystery, and to being in service to that Mystery, we can lead a life more fulfilling and more purposeful and peaceful.
As a Christian, I also embrace the idea of dying to self.
Face Your Own Mortality
They say the only thing you are guaranteed in life is death and taxes.
Even though modern advancements in medicine can help to extend our lives, we all are going to die.
Author Stephen Jenkinds called this the “crucible of death.”
Once you become aware of your mortality, you can live with more aliveness and vitality.
Process
Whether through journaling, talking to a friend, or a counsellor, or thinking things through as you walk your dog or do your daily jog, processing your stress can be a good way to off-load the burdens of the day.
Offer Blessings
To bless means to offer good words about someone or something.
When you bless things, the blessing simultaneously comes back to you.
Science has shown: The brain cannot distinguish between self and other!
So, think kind thoughts, and give blessings, and you too will be blessed.
Sit In Silence
Do you constantly have auditory inputs around you?
My dad tends to leave a news channel running all day long.
Noise, noise, noise.
Instead, turn things off and sit in the quiet for a period of time.
This will help to elicit the relaxation response in the body and calm your mind.
Change The Routine
It is said that, “A change is as good as a rest,” and how true that is.
A vacation, holiday, or a weekend away from the mundane routine of daily life can help you recharge your energy levels, give you a fresh perspective, and leave you feeling relaxed and renewed.
Of course, there are studies to back this up, so, get planning that vacation!
Reintroduce The Romance Into Your Relationship
Is your relationship feeling overly familiar, boring, and routine?
Have you fallen into patterns of falling into bed each evening to watch a movie or read a book?
Plan a special date night, an intimate candlelit dinner, or a romantic walk along the beach.
Quality time together with your sweetie will bring you both into a more positive and relaxed, uplifted state of mind.
Learn to Love Yourself
Learning to truly love yourself is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
When you love yourself, you will have greater self-esteem; setting healthy boundaries for yourself becomes easier; saying “No,” is easier.
You will be able to discern what is healthy and good for you and what is not.
Take Up A New Hobby
Hobbies can help you get into the place of “flow” where time seems to stand still and you become completely absorbed in what you are doing.
Hobbies can give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, as well as causing your mind and body to unwind.
Maybe you already enjoy playing an instrument or cooking in the kitchen.
Take a look at what else you can learn that will bring you joy.
Focus On What Is Going Right
When you take your focus off the negative and give attention to the positive stuff in your life, you start to spiral up towards more and more positive emotions, as psychologist Barbara Fredrickson has theorized.
When you take your attention off the negative, it becomes less of an issue. “Energy flows where attention goes,” actually has scientific merit to it.
“What we repeatedly think about and where we focus our attention is what we neurologically become. Neuroscience finally understands that we can mold and shape the neurological framework of the self by the repeated attention we give to any one thing.” — Joe Dispenza from Evolve Your Brain – The Science of Changing Your Mind.
Keep Things In Perspective
It is easy to let our mental thoughts get out of hand, blow things out of all proportion and have us panicking unnecessarily.
This is called “catastrophizing” and is an example of limited beliefs.
We can change all that.
Next time you have a negative thought about something, ask yourself, “How will I feel about this in five years’ time?”
Take A Hot Bath
Even better, add magnesium salts to your bath. And maybe a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
Magnesium salts can draw toxins out of your body.
They help relax your muscles and can make you feel very sleepy.
A good idea before bed!
Lie With Your Feet Up
If you can, lie on your back, scoot your butt in to the wall, and rest your legs up against the wall for just five minutes or so.
Your legs will get rested and the blood will go to your head, leaving you refreshed, relaxed and alert.
I learned this pose as “Legs Up the Wall” and find it so helpful.
Learn Hand Stands
You can do handstands against the wall too, to start with.
Build up from just a few seconds to a minute or more.
You will strengthen your arm muscles, bring fresh blood to your brain, and de-stress.
Handstands bring fresh blood to the adrenal glands, allowing the stress response to turn off.
Live In Harmony With The Natural Cycles Of Nature
Before the advent of electricity, humans lived in a closer relationship with the natural cycles of the earth.
Consciously tune into these by observing the changing seasons, the shortening or lengthening days and nights, and the cycles of the moon.
You will feel more in tune with the natural rhythms of the earth and the cosmos.
This will help you feel connected to something much larger than yourself and can bring you inner peace, knowing that you are part of a larger order.
Final Thoughts on Reducing the Effects of Stress
Chronic stress is definitely a concern for most of us.
Once you know how destructive it can be, especially to your health, then it becomes obvious that stress management needs to be a top priority in your life.
We can minimize suffering and pain, and maximize our overall well-being.
Be proactive when vanquishing stress.
Try out different techniques to find those that works best for you.
Then, do more of what works.
Bust that stress to have better quality of life.
Become that person with energy and greater peace of mind.
Stress busting is key to a satisfying life.
Take care of your stress, before it takes care of you!
What are some of your favorite ways to reduce stress in your life?
Which of these ideas are you most excited to try?
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