All of us wish that we could live stress free lives, but with everything that is happening today – even simply sitting at home can be stressful. From traffic jams, family drama, financial issues, chaotic work, issues facing the world and so on. There really is no way to just stop all the stress from seeping into our lives. However, we do need to learn to control stress. If we don’t, we will surely acquire some form of physical or mental problems. We can learn to stay in control by learning how to relieve stress. Each person has different ways of dealing with them. To help you out we’ve compiled some of the quickest way to relieve stress. So, sit back and relax as you read on. You deserve a bit of peace and quiet. Relieving stress isn’t as hard as you think.
Stress Response
We all have different stress responses. This is how our body reacts to stress, the same way we do to our fight or flight response. When we are stressed we will experience faster heart rate, muscle constriction, blood pressure rising. However, we do not express it physically the same way. Some people may have sudden outburst when they are stressed or breakdowns. The best way for you to relieve your stress instantly is to identify how your stress response. Some people experience the frozen stress response. This is when the body becomes stuck or be in a dysfunctional state. This is often experienced by people that have gone through some trauma. You can stop this by unfreezing yourself with movements that will engage your body, such as swimming or tennis. This will help reboot your body and mind. Some people will experience under excited stress response, this is when you tend to become more spaced out, depressed and aloof when stressed. You can help reduce this by finding an activity that stimulates your nervous system. Some may experience an overexcite stress response, this is when you are more easily irritated, angry or annoyed when under stress. You will require calming activities to reduce stress. Identifying what type of stress response you get, will help you find which activity will reduce your stress.
Meditate
One of the biggest cliché when it comes to reducing stress, but it is one of the most effective. A few minutes of meditation can help ease stress, anxiety and depression. Taking a few minutes of your day to meditate can immediately reduce stress and in the long run makes you more resilient to it. There are different ways for you to meditate, but the simplest way is to sit on the floor, close your eye, and focus. You can sit in silence or repeat a positive mantra. Perform breathing exercises too. Deep breathing can help counter the effect of stress by lowering blood pressure and slowing the heart rate.
Engaging the Senses
The fastest way for you to relieve stress is to find an activity that will engage your senses. Anything that can make you focus on one or more senses (sight, smell, movement, touch, taste and sound). Since there are different stress responses, you will be inclined to some senses more than others. Some people that have under excited stress response prefer engaging senses, such as movements and touch. Playing with clay can have a stress leaving effect, working out at the gym, listening to music, smelling a certain scent and so on. This will all depend on what sense helps you instantly relieve stress. Try different ones and find one that really works for you.
Face to Face
One of the best things that you can do to instantly reduce stress is to talk to someone face to face. There is such a stress relieving feeling you get after you’ve ranted your heart out to someone you care about and care about you. Social engagement can help improve the nervous system. Talking with a good listener can help reduce stress and improve mental health. Just make sure that the person you talk to is someone that will not stress you out more.
Comfort
You can instantly reduce stress if you are in a surrounding that makes you completely comfortable. People that are usually stressed at home and at work/school will struggle with this. So, finding a place that makes you completely comfortable is important. This sudden change in environment can create a sense of release that can overcome stress. This place can be your bathroom, your bedroom or even in your living room with a blanket and your dog in your lap.
Before you can relieve stress, you need to recognize it first. Many of us are in a constant state of stress, that meaningful when to relax is difficult. We need a calm state to function fully. This will help with our energy levels, productivity, focus and alertness. You can identify stress overload from its simple symptoms such as lethargy, unusual eating habits, stomach pains, muscle aches, tired eyes, headaches and forgetfulness. Learn to get in sync with your body and understand when it is not functioning the way it normally does. Remind yourself that you do need time to relax and allow your body to cope with stress. Do breathing exercises every day. Not only will it help reduce stress levels, it also helps improve overall health.
