7 Surprising Ways to Relieve Stress and Reduce Its Effect

My mission from today’s article is to show you not one but 7 ways to relieve stress and reduce its effect in your life.

If you’ve been around for more than a day, I am sure you have experienced stress at one point in time or another.

First, What Is Stress, Anyway?

It’s a state of mental pressure or emotional tension due to demanding circumstances.

Stress happens whenever you experience an event that presses you mentally and emotionally. Things like:

• Work-related concerns
• Family issues
• Money problems
• Relationship issues
• Life’s uncertainties

We are not talking about good -stress in today’s article. This is the type of stress that usually keeps us awake at night and keep our minds churning.

And speaking of minds… our mind is like a never-stop-working machine that’s always assessing and when we ponder upon the unknown we are always at the risk of causing unnecessary stress.

That’s why I am dedicating this article to explore not one but seven ways that you can use and implement today in order to get a better handle on your stress and reduce its effect on you and those around you 🙂

7 Surprising Ways to Relieve Stress

1. Take 3 Consecutive Deep and Slow Breaths

Ask yourself this question:

What is the most basic element you need to ensure that you stay alive?

Before water and food, the # 1 thing you absolutely need is oxygen.

The good ole O2. So, whenever you feel stressed, flood your system with FRESH O2.

Start by concentrating on your breath first. Then start breathing slowly and try to let the thoughts of anything that comes to your mind, flow. Don’t limit your mind, just focus on the breath.

According to Harvard Medical School, breathing helps our ‘fight or flight’ response, AKA stress.

There are various techniques for slow breathing, my favorite one is the 4-7-8 breathing technique.

Not only the breathing exercise relieves stress but it also brings greater contentment and joy to the divine present moment.

Give it a try below:

2. Give Yourself A Reason To Smile

A study from the University of Kansas indicated that by simply smiling, we can actually reduce stress when under a stressful situation.

See when you smile, your body immediately releases endorphins that lift your spirit and relief tour stress.

So the next time you find yourself stresses, stop and…

• Think of a memory of a good holiday spent with family
• Reminisce about a nice trip or vacation you took in the past,

Simply, engage your mind with positive thoughts that bring a smile to your face. Try to remember all the small details. Visualize the smiles on your loved ones and remember all the memories that you have stored in your long-term memory.

A good time does not always have to be a holiday. A game you played or a time spent on a hobby which you are passionate about also relieves stress.

 This is a good time to actually write down all the hobbies that you enjoy and use them whenever feeling stressed for an immediate relief.

If you’re REALLY in a mood, then simply, put your favorite comedy movie or funny show and laugh, laugh your stress away!

Whenever I get in a mood, Friends and the Office are my go-to shows that’ll never fail to put a smile on my face.

3. Bite Stress Away with a Tasty Chocolate

Ahhhh Chocolate!

My favorite and sinfully delicious guilty pleasure.  Having a small portion of chocolate will help calm your nerves and relieve stress to a great level.

Researchers have found that by eating chocolate, we can reduce our cortisol level which aids in reducing stress.

Try to stick with Dark Chocolate because dark chocolate contains serotonin and precursors to serotonin. And that may increase your serotonin levels, which can be beneficial in improving your mood.

Remember, Moderation is key!

4. Kick Stress’s Butt With Vitamin C

Vitamin C is used to repair tissues in the human body.

And a new study confirmed that this vitamin is not only linked to helping the immune system when having a cold. But, vitamin C also aids in reducing both physical and psychological affect caused by stress.

Who knew?

So feeling stressed?

• Drink some lemon water
• Treat yourself to an orange
• Have to a grapefruit

Ensure that you have a healthy dose of vitamin C. daily to reduce the effect of stress on you and your body.

5. Talk to Friends

Di you know that having friends helps both enrich your life and also reduces stress?

Intuitively, I always knew that having GREAT friends is key for optimal life and our overall welling.

But, to read about how having friends can help reduce stress scientifically, just makes it even more rewarding.

See, many people, when going through tough times, they become more secluded. Feelings of shame about the situation push people to prefer being alone over being with people.

But now science emphasizes the importance of connecting with people that we trust when we are going through a rough patch.

Seek friends who are calm and confident that can help you face whatever is stressing you or, at least, provide you with some advice and guidance.

Don’t be afraid to ask a friend and talk it through with him or her.

If you are not able to meet a friend face to face, then a simple conversation on the phone will also suffice.

6. Spend Time In Nature

This is my go-to method to relieve stress!

Going out and spending time with mother nature.

There is no wrong time to go on a quick walk just to step away from whatever is stressing you. You see, nature has the needed positive energy that can heal the mind and soothes the soul. I love this post from Dr. Joe about the power of nature on our bodies.

Tip: when out on your walk, indulge your senses with the smells, sounds, colors and the variety of what Mother Nature has to offer from trees to flowers, to rivers and more.

If you don’t have instant access to nature or a close-by park, then simply do a quick YouTube search for nature sounds – I guarantee you will come across hundreds if not thousands of videos with sounds of nature that can be just what you need to help you relax and unwind.

Here’s a nature sound for ya from one of my walks in the woods, quite magical:

7. Go to Bed Early

The majority of stressed people spend much of their valuable night time awake and overthinking.

For a change go to bed early and put your mind to rest.

Maintaining a regular sleeping schedule, not only will relieve stress but also will help you stay sharp and clear when you are actually awake and working.

Avoid caffeine from tea or coffee or other drinks such as Coke or other soda pops before bedtime. Ideally, caffeine should be taken at least 5 hours before going to sleep.

I hope you enjoyed these 7 ways to reduce stress.

Please let me know which one of these 7 ways resonated the most with you and what other ways do you use to relieve stress?

Also, sharing is caring, please make sure to pass this article along to a friend or family member <3

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Much Luv,
Zane