Yet, many people feel as though their lives are too busy for hobbies, games, or extra fun. So it’s important to create a lifestyle that will help you ward off stress and deal with challenges in a healthy way. Aromatherapy has real benefits for stress relief—it can help you to feel energized, more relaxed, or more present in the moment. So it’s important to have a variety of stress relief tools at your disposal. Then, you’ll be able to pick a strategy that works best for your current circumstances.
Sleep Meditation Using Guided Imagery
But if stress is a daily occurrence, isn’t letting up, and is causing symptoms of anxiety or depression, it may be time to consider talking with a mental health professional. Use them to help others cope with stress and create more balance in their lives. Physical exercise and activity have also reduced stress levels and improved mood and overall wellbeing (Craft & Perna, 2004). Physical exercise reduces stress by releasing endorphins, improving mood, combating depression, and improving physical health (Belvederi Murri et al., 2019).
It’s important to manage your stress.
Initially, it was designed as a generic tool to measure perceived stress in a smoking cessation study. The original version contained 14 items and can be found in the original paper. Journaling is a valuable method for reducing stress and identifying patterns of behaviors and thoughts. One of the most significant advantages of journaling is that it is easy to implement and cost effective.
Bonus tips for stress
- Research by Skinner and Zimmer-Gembeck (2007) reviewed 44 studies and identified and structured common adaptive coping strategies.
- You might plan for circumstances that might derail you—like the holiday season or dinner invitations from friends—to help you cope.
- While it may seem like there’s nothing you can do about stress in your life, there are healthy steps you can take to destress and regain control.
- Sometimes, the best way to reduce your stress is to cut something out of your life.
Like emotion-focused coping, this strategy is best used when one cannot control the situation (Leipold, Munz, & Michéle-Malkowsky, 2019). Religion, spiritual beliefs, beliefs about justice, values, and existential goals may influence someone’s tendency to exhibit a meaning-focused coping style. People who use nicotine often refer to it as a stress reliever. However, nicotine actually places more stress on your body by increasing physical arousal and reducing blood flow and breathing. Plus, it can worsen chronic pain, so if you’re experiencing prolonged tension and body aches, smoking won’t help.
Get more physical activity
This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries. If a large project seems overwhelming, make a step-by-step plan. Focus on one manageable step at a time, rather than taking on everything at once. healthy ways of coping with stress Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on. If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list.
- Recognize your anxious feelings, resolve to disengage with political topics and do things that bring you joy.
- Working with a healthcare professional if these strategies don’t work is highly advised.
- If these strategies aren’t giving you tools to cope, try seeking help from a professional.
- But out of sight doesn’t always mean out of mind, and not resolving things as they arise could clutter your mind with stress.
Use our advice to help notice stress and what you can do when it appears. Having a pet may also help relieve stress by giving you purpose, keeping you active, and providing companionship. When you cuddle or touch your pet, your body releases oxytocin — a hormone linked to a positive mood.
Emotional and psychological effects
The way you respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to your overall mental and physical well-being. When you’re stressed and irritable, you may want to isolate yourself. Instead, reach out to family and friends and make social connections. Almost any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. Even if you’re not an athlete or you’re out of shape, exercise can still be a good stress reliever.
- If someone consistently causes stress in your life, limit the amount of time you spend with that person, or end the relationship.
- The way you respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to your overall mental and physical well-being.
- Ask a friend or co-worker to be a sounding board as you talk out your issues.
- “When in a political conversation that is getting too heated you can say, ‘I respect you and love you.