Try to raise your heartbeat to 120-180 beats per minute for about 30 minutes per day. If you don’t have time to do all thirty minutes in one sitting, don’t worry; you can break up the exercise time however you need to fit your schedule. Swimming, hiking, and biking have been shown to reduce stress as well. A benefit of swimming and biking is that, opposed to jogging, they create far less joint strain, which makes them perfect for people with joint problems or those wanting to prevent them. [3] X Research source
Most adults need at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. [4] X Research source Young children and older adults need more, about 9-10 hours of sleep per night. Get into regular sleeping habits. If you can, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each night and morning. Routinizing your sleep cycle will teach your body when it’s supposed to go to be tired, aiding in better sleep and less sleep deprivation. 49% of Americans who don’t get enough sleep blame stress as the culprit. [5] X Research source If you believe that you’re stuck in a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation/stress creation, see your doctor for more targeted advice.
Start decreasing caffeine and alcohol intake. In some cases, alcohol intake increases stress response in humans while being linked to substance dependency, a stressful condition itself. [7] X Research source Caffeine is also responsible for raising stress levels, especially at work[8] X Research source , so try to stick to water as a general rule. Eat a healthy breakfast and healthy snacks during the day. It is better to eat several smaller meals throughout the day than to consume three large meals. [9] X Research source For a healthy stress-free diet, consume more complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads and pasta, foods high in vitamin A such as oranges, foods high in magnesium like spinach, soybeans or salmon, and black and green tea, which contain antioxidants.
Listen to calm and soft music. Music really gets you relaxed and happy. Try listening to music with no vocals and pick music with instruments like the flute, piano, or violin. Classical, jazz, or folk tunes generally work well, but if that’s not your cup of tea, choose music that puts you in a good place. Take a bath. Add Epsom salts or other fragrant bath salts for a luxurious touch. Indulge in your private time and relax the body. Get a massage. Either having a professional massage or con a loved one into giving you a stress-relieving massage. Use lotions or oils and dim ambient light for the most relaxing atmosphere. Start a diary or journal. You don’t have to write in it every day. Writing down what’s bothering you, what you’ve been busy with, and how you feel may help you to expel your negative emotions.
Use guided imagery to imagine a place that makes you feel at peace. Imagine somewhere that you feel happy; focus on the details to fully remove your mind from the present. Do yoga alone or in a group setting to help you learn new poses. As you advance in your yoga, you will be able to form complex stretches that force you to focus and take your mind off your stress. Practice deep relaxation by doing progressive muscle relaxation. This is when you work through your body by tensing your muscles, holding the tension for ten seconds, and then releasing it. This will soften and relieve all the muscles in your body.
If you have a very busy schedule, set aside at least just ten minutes per day to do what you enjoy. Although ideally you should spend thirty minutes to an hour, allowing just a small break from your hectic schedule will be enough to lower your stress levels. [10] X Research source
Stop and count your blessings. Write down even the simplest things that you have and enjoy: a roof over your head, a bed to sleep on, quality food, warmth, security, good health, friends or family. Acknowledge that not everyone has these things. Say something positive to yourself as soon as you wake up every morning. This will keep your energy and mind focused on positive thinking. Be thankful for each day that you have; you never know which one could be your last! Use positive self-talk. Reinforce your resolve through positive statements such as, “I can handle this, one step at a time,” or “Since I’ve been successful with this before, there’s no reason why I can’t do it again. " Visualize positive things; this does not take long but can help you regain focus. Think about success, read about successful people. Don’t admit defeat before you’ve been defeated. You don’t deserve to beat yourself down so that you can punish yourself.
Know your limits. Be realistic about what you can and can’t accomplish in a day. It’s not helpful if you bite off more than you can chew and then castigate yourself for not getting it done. Prioritize your tasks. Work on finishing the highest priority (most urgent/important) items first. Put low priority items on the bottom of your list. Try to avoid multi-tasking, as this can decrease focus. Instead, try to focus on important tasks and eliminate distractions. [11] X Research source Do your most unpleasant or most difficult task at the beginning of the day when you are fresh, thereby avoiding the stress of last minute preparation. Procrastination feeds stress! Emphasize quality in your work, rather than sheer quantity. Take pride in having done something well as opposed to having done a lot of something. Schedule your day, if possible, so that stressful scenarios don’t overlap, reducing the number of stressors you must juggle at any one time. Stagger deadlines for large projects. Review your goals at the end of the day and think about everything you have achieved. This is cathartic and will help you sleep better. Check off the things that you accomplished on the to do list.
If you notice, for example, that you regularly get stressed at a certain time with a certain person, go out of your way to prepare your brain for the upcoming stress. If the person is someone you love and trust, tell them how they make you feel in a non-threatening way. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your misgivings, remind yourself that the occasion is momentary, the feeling will pass, and you’ll be in complete control soon.
Is the problem a real problem you’re currently facing, rather than an imaginary what-if? If the problem is an imaginary what-if, how likely is it to happen? Is your concern realistic? Can you do something about the problem or prepare for it, or is it out of your control[12] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source Admitting to yourself that there’s nothing you can do about a particular issue will go a long way in helping you adjust. Acknowledge that maybe you feed off of stress, like an adrenaline junkie feeds off adrenaline, but that in your case, it’s becoming unmanageable.
Learn to say no on occasion. You cannot do everything you are asked, and even if you could, you probably wouldn’t want to. Resist the urge to be perfect at all times. Perfectionism can cause huge amounts of stress if you hold yourself to unattainable standards. Be realistic about what you can and can’t do. Don’t set yourself up for failure just because you want to stroke your ego. Don’t get down on yourself for failing if you tried your hardest. You gave it your all, and nobody would ask you for more. Hold yourself accountable, but don’t make being accountable impossible. Be one of your own best friends. It may sound cheesy, like something out of a Leave it to Beaver commercial, but it’s true: Love yourself, depend (mostly) on yourself, and celebrate the things you do well. Loving yourself will ease the anxious question “Am I good enough?” and replace it with “I know I’m good enough. "
Learn to laugh at yourself. Don’t put yourself down, or lash your self-esteem, but try to be playfully deprecating about yourself from time to time. How are you expected to laugh at other things if you can’t even laugh at yourself? Help yourself learn to laugh by listening to some stand-up comedy throughout the day. This will help you cultivate humor and keep the tone of your day light.
Ask your friends for help. If you want something done but can’t find the strength or the time to do it, it’s okay to ask your friends or loved ones for help. Express your gratitude and extend the offer of help as a kind of reciprocity. Learn to delegate to help decrease stress. Look for people’s respect, not approval — your friends included. Your friends will respect you because they love you, even if they don’t always agree with you. Your enemies (if you have any) will respect you because your motivations come from a sincere, heartfelt place. Resist the urge to be loved and accepted by everyone; it’s literally a Herculean task. You’ll find yourself a lot less stressed and a lot more satisfied if you do. Seek out positive people rather than negative ones. It sounds like a truism because it is: Surrounding yourself with people who are fun-loving, excited, and kind will help you avoid the stress you’d be feeling with pessimistic, cynical, mean people.
You know yourself better than anyone else, and you are the perfect person to give you the reminder that it will get better. Remind yourself of all of the things you have accomplished in the past. All of those small accomplishments add up to very big ones over time. Change the words you use. Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” say something like, “I’ve been able to get through this before, and I will get through it this time too. "
