If you feel yourself getting stressed, or it’s just constantly there, take a look at our methods to reduce stress and get through it.
1. Breathing techniques
There are several techniques you can use if to control your stress. If you’re feeling a sudden spike or it’s an ongoing weight on your mind, things like meditation or progressive muscle relaxation will help you feel calm.
Meditation is not entirely about breathing. The point of it is to be aware of your feelings rather than trying to suppress them. You’re learning to observe them without judgement. It can take a matter of minutes and plenty of apps and websites can offer you guided meditation if you’re not sure what you’re doing.
Deep breathing exercises may cause some to scoff, but there is a lot of medical back-up to it. When you’re feeling anxious, you take rapid shallow breaths from the chest that increase the heart rate, cause dizziness and muscle tension. Deep breathing exercises are designed to have you breathing from the diaphragm, making you inhale more oxygen. Read Full Article which explains about how their company’s oxygen machine is beneficial to many patients suffering from breathing problems. And if you need a portable oxygen concentrator, I highly recommend Main Clinic Supply to choose the right machine package best suited for you!
Therapists may also recommend biofeedback, which helps you gain control over certain bodily functions that cause tension and physical pain by learning information on muscle tension, heart rate and other vital signs.
2. Do or find something you love
What are you good at? Drawing? Knitting? Running? If you haven’t indulged in it in a while, give it a go. This will help gain confidence and distract you from what is stressing you. Similarly, but perhaps not in the same category: do something you love. If you like drawing but you’re rubbish at it, stick on a YouTube lesson, and get going. Learning something new will give you sense of self-improvement.
Why not take up writing? Writing your feelings, whether that’s what has got you stressed or what you’re grateful for, will help you clarify and identify your feelings, and can lead you to a solution by hashing out the problem.
There are activities proven to aid stress levels as well, so consider taking up one of them. Exercise in general is known to release endorphins that reduce stress, and you can think about taking a class in something you’ve never tried before. Think about taking a yoga class particularly, since yoga also has an element of joining body and mind with breathing exercises. Yoga has been found to enhance mood and might even be as effective as an anti-depressant.
3. Is your environment in order
As the old saying goes “Tidy house, tidy mind”. The saying is misrepresented as the idea that your house needs to be spotless or you’re mentally unhealthy, where the point really is that tidying and organizing can help calm your mind.
Look around your home. Is there washing that needs done? Dishes? Hoovering? Does that book collection really need alphabetized? All of these are tasks that will keep your mind and hands busy for a while, hopefully taking your mind off whatever is stressing you, and they will give you a boost of serotonin and a sense of productivity when you’re done. Note them down and be proud of what you can get done.
If your house is spotless, consider looking at your finances. What can you cut back on? Compare your insurers. Is there anything you can get a better deal on? Take a look at Myhealthpal to rethink your health insurance options.
4. Little things
There are a million tips and tricks on the internet for reducing stress. Some of them make more sense than others.
Chew gum. Seriously. Chewing gum causes brain waves similar to relaxed people and promotes blood flow to the brain.
There are supplements available. Take a look at lemon balm, omega 3, ashwagandha, green tea, which increases serotonin, valerian root, which will also aid sleep, and along with kava shot will be able to reduce mild stress and anxiety.
Light a candle or use essential oils as a form of aromatherapy. Lavendar, rose, chamomile, sandalwood and ylang ylang all help ease that stressful feeling.
5. Find someone to talk to
It’s obvious but it often needs repeated. You will not bother anyone; you will not burden anyone. Your friends and family love you and therefore will be happy to spend some time with you if you need it.
It can be a distraction or a relief, to spend time with loved ones. And if they’re good, they might well cause you to laugh, which will relieve your stress response, improve your immune system and mood, and relax your muscles, relieving tension. Definitely stop by if they have a pet, since playing with a pet releases oxytocin which promotes your mood.
If you’ve been struggling lately but to feel calm and collected in your life, there are ways to deal with it, but if nothing on this list seems to be working, consider a counselor. Some problems are just too big for chewing gum to fix.
