58 Simple and Practical Ways to Relieve Stress [Effective]

Take it easy, folks.

Seriously, take it easy. Infuse life into your living. Act smart and build robust mental hygiene.

Prevent/ stop draining the life out of your living. It is not worth our precious life.

As the creation of Gods’ mastermind, you are unique that differentiates you from others. To keep it up at all the time and get the best out of yourself has always been the goal of humans.

Keeping a mental equilibrium never has been easy these days where each moment could bring in stress to your life. While occasional small amounts of stress can help your mind consistent long term stress can be detrimental.

Like any other thing –educate yourself about how to relieve stress- the unwanted major side effect of modern culture and living.

I have outlined various effective, simple and easy ways to help you to shape your mind. They are not in any particular order. Everyone is different and so are our likes and dislikes. So pick and choose the techniques that really work for you for different circumstances. Master them and apply them as necessary. Make them your own so it comes to you naturally.

#1. What have you been eating?

Check your diet. A healthy diet can reduce stress.

Eat Nutrient Dense Food.

Food is the most natural medicine for chronic disorders.

• Eat a balanced diet. Choose nutrient-dense food consisting of whole grain, fiber, healthy fats.
• Choose your dairy to balance your hormone. Prefer almond milk over cow milk.
• Eat 5-6 servings of fruits and veggies

#2. Are You Having 8 Glasses of Water?

During stress, your heart rate is up and breathing is heavy resulting in fluid loss leading to dehydration.

The dehydration leads to higher cortisol (stress hormone) level. Even mild dehydration generates fatigue, anger, and confusion.

Drink ~8 glasses of water a day Indian Ayurveda suggests to sit down and mindfully drink water. Hydration of the body is one of the simplest, inexpensive and effective methods of relieving stress.

#3. Do You Drink Green Tea?

Shipping > 3 cups of Green tea improves the stress levels. Green tea is a known antioxidant and amino acid L-theanine. It has a calming effect that reduces mental stress.

#4. Have You Cut Down on Coffee to 1-2 Cups a Day?

Coffee is a stimulant. If you are a habitual coffee drinker getting stress, reduce the intake to 1-2 cups. Drinking excess coffee can have an impact on sleep time

#5. Are You Breathing Right?

Breath defines life and death. Use the simple technique of breathing fully to de-stress. It is free. Use it anywhere, anytime, in a high-pressure situation or otherwise. It circulates oxygen throughout the body.

Deep breathing is a well-known technique to relieve stress.

• Sit on a chair or floor
• Relax your body as much as you can
• Inhale as much air as possible inside
• Exhale slowly pushing out air from lungs
• Try to do 5 rounds of a deep breath

#6. Touch- Sincere Hugs Go a Long Way

Feeling a deep love is a powerful way of soothing a stressful mind. Love is an intense feeling to delete stress.

• Cuddle your pets.
• Have sex with your partner,
• Have a newborn? Breastfeed
• Squeeze a stuffed animal
• Give a massage in your neck area.

#7. Sniff Away the Stress

Fragrance pacifies emotional stress.

 

Smell

• The roses, lavenders, champak, mango buds
• Your favorite perfume on your fingertip
• Sit near a lavender oil lamp
• Smell the freshness of the air

Linalool is one of the most widely used substances for aromatherapy.

#8. Sink your tongue in something you like

• Sip some red wine
• Munch your favorite snack
• Chew a gum
• Cut down on coffee to 1-2 cups in the morning

#9. Connect Back to Joyful Moments of Life

• A memorable picture
• A snap or two of a happy and proud moment
• Turn on to watch the nature and stunning images of sea, trees, flowers
• Sit near the beach or river or even a pond if it is nearby
• Scroll beautiful imagery

The modern human is naturally inclined to the beauty of nature. Nature automatically attracts us to its lap and deletes our stress without our knowledge.

#10. Listen

Listen to Soothing Music. Listening to a piece of lower tempo music can slowly destress you. Relax with

• Birds singing
• The water waves
• To your favorite song
• Turn on to a tune

#11. Be with Nature.

• Spend time outdoors. Breathe fresh air. Photosynthesis in plants uses carbon dioxide and releases oxygen.  Breathing fresh air with oxygen purifies lungs, supplies more oxygen to the blood, refreshes your mind and soothe away the stress.
• Take a walk on green.
• Camp out with friends in a park.
• Sit and relax near water and trees.
• Enjoy the small pleasure and benefit big.

Research still needs to prove which outdoor environment is optimal for the restoration of mental health.

#12. Laugh Out

“Laugh more and worry less will take away your chronic stress” I am sure how some people make jokes of extremely tense situations and laugh it off. Laughter adds life to living. It is the most natural free medicine for a chronic mental disorder.

#13. Co-Live with House-Plants

Transplanting house plants and interacting with them weeds away psychological and physiological stress, smooth mind and you feel comfortable.

#14. Take an Immersion Bath

Routine warm water bath ~40 oC in a tub (not the shower) with appears to relieve mental stress and anxiety along with fatigue. Warm water induces blood flow in your body, supplying more oxygen and nutrients.

You may spruce up the atmosphere with a lavender oil lamp.

#15. Connect with Earth Surface

Walking barefoot on earth’s surface or sleeping on earth neutralizes the electrical charge of your body. It may be helpful in reducing mental stress.

#16. Shine the Sun on Your Body- Feel the Action of Happy Hormone (Serotonin) and Vitamin-D

I don’t need to tell you how we feel on a sunny day vs. a gloomy day. On a sunny day. Research

Sunlight makes your brain release Serotonin-the happiness hormone boosting your mood.

In today’s insider culture, make an effort to come outside occasionally to get the sunshine.

Are you worried about sun exposure causing you skin burn, cancer want to get the sun?

Get your “SUN WITHOUT THE BURN”.

Vit-D is a vital nutrient of the body for immunity, prevents many life-threatening diseases. Its optimal level confers to the wellness of your body.

#17. Procrastination and Stress

Learn to finish the day by finishing the tasks. Many of us have a habit of postponing important tasks or delaying. These tasks come back time and again to your mind and keep stressing you.

#18. Stay Away from Electro Magnetic Radiation (EMR)

Turn off your cellphone and computer during your sleep and when not in use or keep them far off from you. These are invisible radiations and translate to serious medical effects on life.

• EM Radiation exposure destabilizes all body organs.

EMF alters levels of stress proteins. Repeated exposure increases cell damages (Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields EMF Dr. Ted Litovitz)

• It impacts our sleep. Continuous sleep deprivation generates mental fatigue, irritation, and stress

Turn off all the sources of EMR when not in use.

#19. Try Eliminate Exposure to Polluted Environment

Opt for a smoke-free setting. Air pollution leads to chronic stress.

#20. Train Your Brain to Control Your Emotion

Stress is about how you react to a situation. Learn to think before you act. Not controlling the brain to react to a situation wisely may lead to bad consequences over time. Stress changes the brain structure over time and results in loss of memory.

#21. Avoid Social media burnout

Be proactive in helping employees manage social media stress and burnout before it happens.

#22. Exercise

Move your body, walk, run and banish the sedentary life resulting from stress.

Have a love for swimming? Wear your swimsuit and go to the pool. De-stress your mind by swimming.  A 2007 study found active swimming acts like an antidepressant. Swim to relax.

#23. Journal Why You Are Stressed

• Get a piece of paper,
• Write out your negative thoughts
• Physically trash the paper (in a toilet!)

This process effectively cleans your mind and improves mood

(ref. A study published in a 2011 Psychological Science journal)

#24. Stay Connected with Family and Friends

Sharing is caring. Distribute your pain. People will help, stay by you and help you relieve tension.

#25. Speak to Yourself

• Talk to yourself considering you as a third person
• Chanting reduces stress
• Readout loud powerful mind uplifting quotes.
• Talk to your family and friends about the tensions. Ask and know-how they surpass these kinds of problems.

#26. Sleep Right and Stay Tight

• Clean up your head before you snooze. Writing down ensures you will see them the next day.
• The unfinished chores of the following day come back repeatedly.
• Make your room completely dark.
• Ensure the cellphone, computer and other EMR sources are off.
• Use a comfortable night suit preferably cotton.
• Meditate a few minutes before you sleep.

#27. Love Yourself – Build Rock Solid Self Esteem.

• Love yourself for what you are.
• Believe in your capabilities to repair an impaired situation.
• Utter a few times “I am strong and can do this”. So the unpleasant and stressful situations pass by being defeated.

#28. Stop Self-comparison

• Self-comparison is negative.
• Recognize your strength.
• Consider life as a journey.
• Accept imperfection.
• Love yourself
• Helping others make your heart feel good

#29. Remove Clutter and the Associated Emotional Stress

Disorganized workspace, scattered work papers on your working desk, unwanted emails, looking for what you want from a messy and untidy situation creates anxiety.

The more attached or needed you are with the objects, you stress more.

Organize as you keep finishing your work.

#30. Yoga

Pranayam like Kapalvati helps to improve your mental stability providing robustness. There many tried and proven yogic exercises and pranayamas that can help you to take anything in life easily without stressing you. It needs consistent practice. Allocate enough time for these kinds of activities and do them right. Hire a Guru.

The intensity of problems of life feels smaller with practicing yoga regularly.

#31. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMC)

Relax your muscles. This can be done almost anywhere anytime. It is highly effective when you are in a difficult stressful situation. Add magnesium-rich food to your diet

#32. Cook Your Favorite Dish

Cooking is more than helping your wallet. Engaging your mind to something you really love de-stress your mind focusing on an activity you enjoy. Cooking is considered as a meditation. Mental health experts acknowledge cooking as a stress reliever. Researchers recognize diet and nutrition as central determinants of both physical and mental health.

#33. Read Uplifting Quotes

It is the choice of one thought over another that stresses us. Uplift the stressful and anxious mind by reading powerful quotes.

#34. Establish a Healthy Gut Microbiome Assembly

In an animal study, the healthy gut microbiome has alluded to a decrease in anxiety and depression. Studies involving the ingestion of psychobiotic in male healthy volunteers show a reduced cortisol output. Reduced cortisol is a good sign for staying stress-free.

#35. Anti-oxidants Relieve Oxidative Stress Which is Related to Mental Stress

Eat 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables to have a good anti-oxidant level to combat free radicals. These free radicals which are generated from internal processes and from external sources as well can impact the performance of the body’s cellular processes as well as brain performance. Although there is the built-in mechanism of the body to take care of it but that is not enough.

The leftover free radicals create anxiety which is a close cousin of stress. Make sure of an anti-oxidant rich diet.

#36. Train Mind to Friend with Stress

Stress is intertwined with your life in today’s world of the living. To stay away from it is means to be a good friend with stress to understand it and learn to alleviate the impact as you go.

#37. Prevent Stress by Disaster planning

Relieve your financial stress by having other sources of income. Cyclone, flood and other natural disasters –deal it as it is everyone and not me alone. Things will get back to normal

#38. Spend Quality Hours and Savor the Time

#39. Cut Vegetables

#40. Aromatherapy

Lit a lander lamp inside the room or take a bath with a lavender candle on. Feel the relaxation of the mind.

#41. Do not Put Too High of an Expectation On Yourself.

Do not overcommit. Celebrate small successes. Have a winning attitude no matter what and train your mind to give the best try. High expectation if not met leads to frustration.

#42. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MSBR)

Mindful ness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is moderately effective in reducing stress, depression, anxiety, and distress and in ameliorating the quality of life of healthy individuals; however, more research is warranted to identify the most effective elements of MBSR.

There is a free course on mindfulness available online to take advantage from.

#43. Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

Volunteer, give express gratitude. Be grateful for everything you have and to the people who helped you. It creates opportunities for new relationships, improves self-esteem and refutes self-comparison. It helps weeds out stress.

#44. Breathing Exercise

This is tried and tested by me personally. Deep breathing fresh air in, holding for 30 seconds and breathing out slowly so that you feel your aggravated and angry mind getting calmer as you exhale.

#45. Stress-Reducing Supplements

Consult your physician before starting with any supplements.  Magnesium, Vitamin B complex, Rhodia,  Aswagandha are some of the promising supplements to look for.

For example, Magnesium helps in the relaxation of muscles.

#46. Eat Mindfully

Mealtime is the most enjoyable time of the day. Along with subsiding hunger and providing nourishment, it relaxes the mind. Get the best out of this time by turning off your computer, cellphone, and  TV while eating.

People eat more food under stress without their realization. It makes you fat. Focusing on eating like you are doing a mediation helps you enjoy your food

#47. Be Diligent About Dealing With Social Media.

Set time and boundaries not to stress you. Chatting and interactions on the net may have undesired consequences.

#48. Deep Breathing

It is a well-known technique to relieve stress.

• • Sit on a chair or floor
  • Relax your body as much as you can
  • Inhale as much air as possible inside
  • Exhale slowly pushing out air from lungs
  • Try to do 5 rounds of a deep breath

#49. Occasional Spa Treatment

An occasional spa treatment relieves your stress.

#50. Plan Your Day and Week Over Friday

check often the daily schedule, rearrange if necessary. Try to stay ahead a bit to alleviate stress.

#51. Take Quarterly Vacations

It might be 2-3 days including your weekends. Disconnect your mind from everything. Rejuvenate your mind. Planning the vacations ahead and looking forward to helping to make you happy.

#52. Stay Away from Electromagnetic Radiation

Computer, cell phone, TV, microwave and may other gadgets are helping us. They are the results of the technology boom.

Research has shown stress levels depending on the frequency, energy of the electromagnetic wave and length of the time of exposure.

#53. Avoid Multi-tasking

Performing too many demanding tasks at the same time under the constrained timeframe exceeds the capacity of your brain and increases your stress level. Plan ahead, try to foresee things. Be linear and efficient to deliver tasks one at a time.

#54. Expose to a negative ion environment

Research has linked the presence of negative ion has a positive influence on your stressed mind. Waterfalls are great places to visit to enhance the positivity of your mind.

capacity of your brain and increases your stress level. Plan ahead, try to foresee things. Be linear and efficient to deliver tasks one at a time.

#55. Dress Up as You Like and Enjoy

Dressing up can elevate your mood. Some companies have an informal culture of Friday dress-up to wind the week on a good note.

#56. Blow Cold Water on Your Face Repeatedly

This method works instantly to calm you down quickly.

#57. Love Yourself

Self-love leads way to self-esteem which helps to keep your head up. It makes you assertive. That helps you earn others’ respect. It makes you less vulnerable. It protects you in your life journey.

#58. Chew Gums

Have some pieces of gum around and remember to chew a piece to soothe away stress

Chewing gum has shown to reduce stress under laboratory psychological stress testing. Chewing gum has shown better alertness, calmness, contentment and reduced state of anxiety compared to not chewing gum.

The mechanism may involve an improved blood flow in the brain and/or a secondary performance improvement during gum chewing.

Take Away

• Permeate fresh and clean air in.
• Breath heavy and relax anyplace anywhere.
• Enjoy being by water or swim.
• The intensity of big problems of life becomes smaller with mindful meditation.

Keep some of the outlined techniques or add yours as your personal favorites, practice them when necessary. Introspect yourself before sleep to make sure of your mental well being.

Remember, the brain is your most valuable possession. Take every care to preserve it well.

In the time frame of eternity, even the biggest problem of life is minuscule. So again, take it easy and relax.