Live a stress-free life with these relaxation techniques

How to reduce stress

It is known that prolonged stress is not good at many levels. Subjecting yourself to stress or being unable to manage it can cause a lot of damage to your physical, mental and social well-being.

Extrinsic factors like life events, sudden changes and intrinsic aspects such as temperament and stress thresholds can cause stress. Many of you may realise that you are stressed and openly acknowledge it, but what matters is what you do about it.

Simple Ways to Relieve Stress

How to reduce stress? There are a few stress relief activities you can do daily. These include:

Get more physical activity

Stress may make you feel overwhelmed or physically tired. You may also feel that you do not have the time in your schedule for any other activity. However, research shows that exercise and any form of physical activity can help relieve stress. Physical activity releases chemicals in the brain called endorphins that act as natural painkillers. Neurotransmitters like dopamine (aka happy hormone) and serotonin (the good-mood hormone) are also released that regulate various bodily processes.

These chemicals in the body help reduce stress, stabilise mood, and improve sleep. Physical activities can range from walking to high-intensity exercises. Some activities include:

• Brisk walking (especially in nature and in the sun)
• High-intensity workouts like sprints, squats, etc.
• Low-intensity exercises like yoga and Pilates
• Aerobics
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Gardening

Even cleaning and reorganising your home can be a very fruitful activity. You could choose any activity that makes you move but be mindful that your body also needs balance and rest.

Eat a healthy diet

Stress is well-known for making a person lazy and just sitting in front of the TV and eating comfort food. You may be drawn to eating high-sugar, processed food which, in turn, causes you to become more lethargic. You could also tend to overeat while you experience stress.

Eating unhealthy food in an unregulated way may cause a severe deficiency in basic nutrients that your body needs.

You can satiate your cravings through natural and healthier food with all the options available today. Replacing refined sugar with stevia and zero-calorie sweetener or trying interesting recipes with vegetables, fruit, pulses, and nuts can help nourish your body.

Minimize phone use and screen time

There are many advantages of minimising phone use and screen time:

• Studies show that mobile phone radiation may cause an increase in restlessness and fatigue. Many people who overuse their phones also find it difficult to fall asleep and wake up feeling fresh.
• Addiction to mobile phones is quite common today, not only in youngsters but also in adults. Although many adults use their phones to access work, they use them during their break to access social media to “de-stress”. Some studies show that checking your phone frequently can trigger a stress response, releasing cortisol (stress hormone) into the body.
• Social media has been beneficial in a lot of ways. However, so much content has caused a new stressor called ‘FOMO’ (Fear Of Missing Out). This is especially seen in young adults and possibly in overworked adults. You may also compare your life with others, creating additional stress for yourself.
• Overuse of your phone may cause a strain on your relationships. It is seen that family members have fewer conversations due to overindulgence with their phones.

Eating while talking on the phone or watching TV may also reduce your mindfulness and cause you to overeat.

Connect with others

It is natural of you to want to isolate yourself when you feel stressed. This may aggravate sadness and loneliness. If you are thinking about how to relieve stress, you can talk to someone. Talking and interacting with others can offer distraction and respite from your stressful situation. It may also help you build more confidence in facing life’s challenges.

A listening ear and a shoulder to lean on may help you overcome stressful times. Reaching out to family or friends and sharing your experiences may release pent-up emotions and give you a different perspective to cope with stress.

Many people reach out to support groups to connect with others who may have gone through similar experiences. This gives a feeling of not being the only one going through stressful times and helps build resilience.

Some also join community activities and sports clubs or volunteer for a cause to build connections with others with similar interests and mindsets. If you are wondering how to improve your mental health, you can talk to a counsellor or a therapist who can help you deal with stress and anxiety-related issues.

Try yoga

For those who need to know how to relieve stress and anxiety, yoga can help. Yoga – the traditional Indian discipline not only helps you be physically fit but also relaxes your mind and increases your awareness.

The stretching of the body in yoga poses positively impacts blood circulation, digestion, and hormone secretions that help you manage symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Practicing yoga under the guidance of a teacher or in a group has a dual advantage in relieving stress.

Get enough sleep

How do you reduce tension? You can sleep it off.

The body and the mind are closely connected. A negative impact on one aspect will cause an adverse effect on the other. When you are stressed, you may feel restless or anxious and often find it difficult to fall asleep or feel rested.

However, sleep is the only time when your brain activity slows down greatly and gets time to rest and recharge. The same happens to the rest of your body. Sleep deprivation has been known to cause other physical complications, such as high blood pressure and heart conditions. The amount and quality of sleep can directly impact your energy levels, mood, focus, and overall functioning. The biggest advantage is that you can trick your mind into sleeping by building good sleep habits.

Train your body and mind to go to bed (not necessarily sleep) regularly every day. Create a soothing bedtime routine through lights and music or a good book. Keep electronic gadgets away and practice mindfulness or deep breathing to calm your mind.

Create boundaries and Spend time for yourself

Some stressors are external and not quite within your control. But you always have a choice of how to respond to a stressful situation. Heavy workloads and pressurising deadlines cause stress. But being organised, managing time as well as yourself, and saying ‘no’ to extra work can help you remain sane.

Creating healthy boundaries for yourself so that you get some downtime is necessary to be stress-free. Realigning your perspective to maintain a healthy balance between others’ needs and yours.

Cuddle

Touch is a natural way of expressing and feeling comfort, affection, and concern. Hugs and cuddles may be soothing and help you cope better with stress. Physical comfort is known to release oxytocin and lower cortisol. This also helps manage other physical parameters like lowering blood pressure and heart rate.

If you are not around people who like physical contact, you could also use cosy pillows and soft toys to cuddle with. Pets, especially dogs, are natural cuddlers.

Spend time in nature

Nature is one of the best healers. Spending time in natural spaces around greenery is known to reduce stress. Strolling in parks or walking on grass may help improve physical and mental well-being. This, combined with interacting with others, can offer an opportunity to build social support and feel belonging to a community.

Activities such as hiking, trekking, or camping are also recommended to break from the fast-paced life and reduce stress.

Practice deep breathing

Although breathing is a natural process, not many people know about deep breathing techniques.. Deep breathing involves breathing from your abdomen, i.e., your abdomen expands while inhaling and deflates while exhaling. If you find it difficult initially, you could try inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Breathing is an underrated activity that has many benefits. Deep breathing engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for reducing stress symptoms like elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Deep breathing also helps you be more mindful since focusing on your breath slows your mind, relaxes it, and improves concentration. This is an activity that can be practised at any time almost effortlessly.

Spend time with your pet

Pets tend to be very compassionate. Most domesticated animals have the instinct to adapt and respond to humans.

While playing or cuddling with pets, our body releases oxytocin that reduces stress and improves mood. Dogs make the best pets that show a lot of affection and boost self-esteem.

Studies show that pet owners have better life quality and reduced levels of loneliness and anxiety. Some pets keep you physically active, while others give you a sense of purpose, belonging, and companionship.