According to a survey published on Statista, 31% of adults worldwide believe stress is the top health concern in their country.
It’s not only a mental problem. It’s also a major contributor to other causes of death, such as heart disease.
Read on to learn the best stress management techniques to escape the vortex of stress and create a more fulfilled life.
Breathing Exercises
Deep breathing can reduce stress naturally. It gives your body’s parasympathetic nervous system time to calm down. This reduces physical symptoms of stress and improves sleep.
There are several types of breathing exercises to try. Find the right one for you and choose a time to work it into your daily routine so you can perform it regularly.
Belly Breathing
Belly breathing is the process of breathing deeply and slowly.
Close your eyes. Listen to the sound as your stomach fills with air and empties.
As you continue, lengthen the time of each breath. Perform a belly breathing session for at least five minutes, then ask yourself how you feel.
Breathing Colors
Visualizing an image while performing a breathing exercise makes it more effective. That’s the idea behind breathing colors.
Close your eyes and take three deep breaths through your diaphragm. Imagine you’re inhaling and exhaling your favorite color.
The Big, Red Hot Air Balloon
This is another way of visualizing your breath to allow your stress to float away.
Imagine a beautiful grassy field. Think about everything all of your five senses would experience there.
There’s a large red balloon in the distance. Fill it with all your worries and anxieties, and picture it floating away as you breathe in and out.
Body Scanning
Doing a body scan helps you notice built-up tension in your body and release it before it overflows and causes severe damage.
Start from your toes and work up to your face. Tense each muscle group, then relax them.
It releases any built-up tension from chronic stress and shifts your focus. This will enable you to prevent stressful thoughts or painful sensations from taking over your mind.
Meditation and Mindfulness for Stress Relief
Mindfulness for stress relief involves focusing on the present moment and letting everything else float by. It can help release negative thoughts and improve emotional regulation.
One of the best ways to start practicing mindfulness is through meditation. Focus only on the present moment and your breathing, but be gentle with yourself if your mind wanders.
Start with short sessions and then gradually increase the length. Guided meditation sessions can help you through the process.
You can also incorporate mindfulness into your everyday life. Try naming everything you can see or hear while on a walk.
Focus on what’s around you, wherever you may be. Let any other thoughts pass by without judgment.
Fostering Self-Love
A lack of self-esteem is a common cause of stress. Cultivating self-love is an essential part of stress management.
Breathe in and think about what’s right in your life. Exhale and say your name.
Inhale and say “self-love.” Exhale your name. Repeat the process until you feel confident.
It’s also important to start practicing positive self-talk. It’s one of the most useful cognitive-behavioral techniques for dealing with stressful thoughts.
Think of what you would say to a friend who was struggling. Start training your brain to speak to you the same way.
Like all stress relief strategies, the key is to make it a habit. Turning one negative thought into a positive one isn’t enough. You need to practice it daily until it becomes natural.
Exercise
Exercise may be one of the oldest stress management techniques, but it’s also one of the most effective. It lowers stress hormones such as cortisol and releases mood-boosting endorphins. It can also help with the physical effects of stress by:
- Reducing muscle tension
- Strengthening muscles
- Improving heart health
- Improving sleep
Choose a combination of physical activities you enjoy. This will make you excited to exercise instead of seeing it as a chore.
Find a friend to hold you accountable if you struggle to remain consistent. Setting a fitness goal can also give you more motivation to stay consistent.
Eating a Healthy Diet
Stress can make reaching for unhealthy or processed foods tempting, but this only exacerbates the problem. These foods have a high glycemic index, leading to spikes in mood and energy.
There are ways to manage stress effectively and fight against these urges. If you eat out of boredom or as a way to reduce stress, try to replace it with other healthy activities. Engage in a midnight mindfulness routine instead of a midnight snack.
You can also have friends or family help keep you accountable for your diet.
Improved Sleep Hygiene
Lack of sleep can cause hormone dysregulation and cause the mind to wander. Sleep is one of the best places to start on your stress reduction journey.
Sleep hygiene refers to your sleep routine. You should plan out what you do before, during, and after sleep.
Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. You’ll get the best results if you can do this without an alarm clock. Aim for at least five to seven hours of consistent rest.
Enjoyable Activities and Socialization
Your favorite activities can also become your best stress relief strategies. Read a book. Go out and enjoy the mood-boosting, stress-fighting benefits of nature.
Get enough socialization because loneliness and stress tend to feed off each other. Go out with your friends or play with a pet. They can be your support system and allow you to discuss any worries you may have.
Find More Professional Stress Management Techniques Today
The best stress management techniques shift your focus. Mindfulness, muscle relaxation, and deep breathing return your focus to your body.
Positive self-talk fights negative thoughts. Exercise, dieting, and sleep give you the energy to live a stress-free, fulfilled life.
Dr. Brian Alman, P.H.D., has over 30 years of experience. He offers several online stress reduction courses, including guided meditation sessions and audio companions.
Dr. Alman pioneered the discovery of ACEs (Adverse childhood experiences). He’s also developed a variety of resources for self-help for trauma recovery.
Reach out to find the right stress-reducing solution for you today.
