Engaging in activities that support self-care can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. These activities include exercise and mindfulness practices, which can provide substantial benefits to mental health.
Many people face stress daily. Factors like work, family issues, health concerns, and financial obligations are common stressors in everyday life. Addressing these stressors is crucial for maintaining mental and physical well-being.
Certain elements can influence your susceptibility to stress, such as:
- Genetics
- Level of social support
- Coping style
- Personality type
- Discrimination due to race, gender, perceived gender, LGBTQIA+ status, socioeconomic status, or other factors
- Childhood trauma
- Your profession
Reducing chronic stress as much as possible is vital for your overall health. Persistent stress can increase your risk of health issues, including heart disease, anxiety disorders, and depression.
Here are 16 evidence-based methods to relieve stress:
1. Get More Physical Activity
Regular exercise can help reduce stress levels and improve mood. A 6-week study of 185 university students found that aerobic exercise twice a week significantly reduced perceived stress and improved self-reported depression. Regular physical activity can also alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. If you’re currently inactive, start with gentle activities such as walking or biking. Selecting an activity that you find enjoyable can improve your likelihood of maintaining it over the long term.
2. Eat a Balanced Diet
Your diet significantly impacts your mental health. Research suggests that diets high in ultra-processed foods and added sugars are linked to higher stress levels. Chronic stress may lead to unhealthy eating habits, further affecting your mood and overall health. Consuming nutrient-dense whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, fish, nuts, and seeds, can improve your resilience to stress by ensuring your body is well-nourished.
3. Minimize Phone Use and Screen Time
Excessive use of smartphones and other digital devices can increase stress levels. Studies have linked high screen time with lower psychological well-being and increased stress. Reducing screen time can also improve sleep, thereby reducing stress.
4. Practice Self-Care
Allocating time for self-care can significantly reduce stress. Examples include walking outside, taking a bath, lighting candles, reading, exercising, preparing a healthy meal, stretching, getting a massage, engaging in hobbies, using calming scents, and practicing yoga. Self-care is crucial for maintaining lower stress levels and a higher quality of life, especially for those in high-stress professions. Self-care doesn't need to be elaborate or complex. It simply means tending to your well-being and happiness.
Certain scents from candles or essential oils can be particularly calming. Here are a few relaxing scents:
- Lavender
- Rose
- Vetiver
- Bergamot
- Roman chamomile
- Neroli
- Frankincense
- Sandalwood
- Ylang-ylang
- Orange or orange blossom
- Geranium
Aromatherapy involves using scents to enhance your mood. Aromatherapy can decrease anxiety and improve sleep.
5. Try Journaling
Journaling can help manage stress and anxiety by providing a healthy outlet for thoughts and emotions. Regular journaling has been associated with higher quality of life and more proactive self-care behaviors. If you prefer structured writing, try a guided journal. A 2018 study noted that expressive writing or therapeutic writing can benefit people managing chronic health conditions, including mental health conditions like depression. Consistent journaling may be associated with better quality of life, more proactive self-care, and other healthy behaviors like taking prescribed medications.
6. Reduce Your Caffeine Intake
Caffeine can increase anxiety and disrupt sleep, worsening stress. People have different caffeine tolerances, but reducing intake can help if you find caffeine makes you jittery or anxious. Think about substituting coffee or energy drinks with decaffeinated coffee, herbal tea, or water. Although coffee has health benefits in moderation, it’s recommended to keep caffeine intake under 400 mg daily, which equals 4–5 cups of coffee. Even so, individuals sensitive to caffeine might undergo heightened anxiety and stress from ingesting smaller amounts, underscoring the significance of understanding your tolerance.
7. Spend Time with Friends and Family
Social support from loved ones can help you cope with stress. Studies have shown that lower levels of support are associated with higher stress and depressive symptoms. Maintaining a social support network is crucial for your overall mental well-being.. If you feel isolated, consider joining social groups or volunteering to build a support network. A 2019 study in 163 Latinx college-age young adults linked reduced support from friends, family, and romantic partners with feelings of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress.
8. Create Boundaries and Learn to Say No
Managing your responsibilities by saying “no” to additional tasks can reduce stress. Setting boundaries, especially with people who increase your stress, can protect your mental health. This might involve asking friends or family not to visit unannounced or canceling plans if you need space. While not all stressors are controllable, some are. Overloading yourself can heighten stress and restrict self-care time. Being discerning about what you accept, and declining unnecessary burdens, can lower stress levels.
9. Avoid Procrastination
Staying on top of your priorities and avoiding procrastination can prevent stress. Procrastination can lead to increased stress and negatively impact productivity and sleep. To manage this, create a to-do list with realistic deadlines and focus on one task at a time. Procrastination can hinder productivity, leading to last-minute rushes and stress. This stress can impact health and sleep quality. Moreover, stress may exacerbate procrastination as a coping strategy. A study in 140 medical students in China linked procrastination to increased stress levels. The study also linked procrastination and delayed stress responses to negative parenting styles such as punishment and rejection.
Regular procrastination may benefit from creating a priority-based to-do list with achievable deadlines, helping you systematically work through tasks. Sometimes, adding an item to the list may help you feel better about it, even if it doesn’t get done immediately. Focus on completing today's tasks and allocate uninterrupted time segments for yourself. Switching between tasks or multitasking can be stressful in itself.
10. Take a Yoga Class
Yoga is a popular method for reducing stress and enhancing exercise. It combines physical and mental practices that increase body and breath awareness. Research indicates that yoga can lower cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate, promoting psychological well-being. These advantages appear connected to yoga's impact on the nervous system and stress response. Yoga might reduce cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate, while boosting gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter typically low in individuals with mood disorders.
11. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), can anchor you in the present moment and reduce stress. Consistent meditation, even for short periods, can improve mood and decrease stress and anxiety symptoms. Mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques encompass meditation and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy. Regular meditation, even brief sessions, can enhance mood and alleviate stress and anxiety symptoms. Numerous resources, including books, apps, and websites, offer guidance for meditation practice. Additionally, therapists specializing in MBCT may be available in your area.
12. Cuddle
Physical touch can be calming and help manage stress. Studies show that positive physical contact can reduce stress and loneliness by releasing oxytocin and lowering cortisol levels. This physical connection can also decrease blood pressure and heart rate. Human touch can offer a calming influence and aid in stress management. Research suggests that positive physical contact can alleviate stress and feelings of loneliness by triggering the release of oxytocin and reducing cortisol levels. Consequently, these effects contribute to decreased blood pressure and heart rate, both of which are physical manifestations of stress.
13. Spend Time in Nature
Being outdoors can reduce stress. Research indicates that spending time in green spaces like parks and forests can improve mental well-being. Even in urban areas, local parks or botanical gardens can provide stress relief. Spending more time outside may help reduce stress. Research indicates that spending time in green spaces like parks and forests and connecting with nature are effective stress management strategies. A review of 14 studies revealed that just 10 minutes in a natural environment can enhance mental well-being markers, including perceived stress and happiness, among college-aged individuals. While hiking and camping are ideal, not everyone enjoys or has access to these activities. Even in urban areas, seeking out green spaces like local parks, arboretums, and botanical gardens can be beneficial.
14. Practice Deep Breathing
Deep breathing exercises can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation. Techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, alternate nostril breathing, and box breathing focus on slow, deep breaths, reducing stress symptoms. Deep breathing exercises can stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the relaxation response. Mental stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, inducing the fight-or-flight response. This reaction releases stress hormones, causing physical symptoms like increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and constricted blood vessels. Deep breathing aims to slow and deepen your breath, directing your focus to your breath awareness. When you breathe in deeply through your nose, your lungs fully expand, and your belly rises. This helps slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel at peace.
Deep breathing exercises include:
- Diaphragmatic breathing: Focus on breathing deeply into the diaphragm rather than shallowly into the chest.
- Alternate nostril breathing: Breathe through one nostril at a time while holding the other nostril closed, alternating between them.
- Box breathing: Inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold for four again, repeating this cycle.
- Paced respiration: Breathe in and out at a set pace, often using a specific count for each inhalation and exhalation.
15. Spend Time with a Pet
Pets can significantly reduce stress and improve mood. Cuddling or interacting with a pet releases oxytocin, a hormone that enhances mood. Research shows that pet owners, especially dog owners, experience greater life satisfaction, better self-esteem, and reduced levels of loneliness and anxiety. Pets also provide companionship, a sense of purpose, and opportunities for physical activity, all of which can help manage stress.
16. Consider Supplements
Certain vitamins and minerals are crucial for stress response and mood regulation. Deficiencies in nutrients like magnesium and B vitamins can impact mental health and stress levels. For example, chronic stress can deplete magnesium levels, so ensuring adequate intake is important. Supplements like Rhodiola, ashwagandha, B vitamins, and L-theanine have shown potential in reducing stress, though more research is needed. Always seek advice from a healthcare professional before initiating any new supplement regimen.
The Bottom Line
Although stress is an unavoidable part of life, chronic stress can severely impact your physical and mental health. Thankfully, several evidence-based strategies can help reduce stress and enhance your overall well-being.
Incorporating regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, reducing screen time, practicing self-care, and spending time with loved ones are all effective ways to manage stress. Additionally, mindfulness practices, journaling, deep breathing exercises, and spending time in nature can further help alleviate stress. Remember, it's important to find the strategies that work best for you and to seek professional help if stress becomes overwhelming.
By implementing these 16 simple yet powerful techniques, you can take significant steps toward managing stress and improving your overall quality of life.
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