9 Ways to Relax to Reduce Stress

Taking a Break

By removing yourself from the stressful situation, you are actually giving yourself a break from it, taking a break, even just for 10 minutes can help to reduce your stress levels. Taking a longer break will have greater benefits, however in life this is not always possible. You could also have a fresh look at the situation and see if you could make changes to it so that it has a less stressful impact on you.

Breathing Techniques

Learning breathing techniques can be greatly beneficial, breathing more deeply on a regular basis can to help you to naturally relax and feel calmer. Breathing deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth can help you breathe more effectively. Breathing in to a count of 4, holding it for a bit then breathing out to a count of 3 can help you to breath more deeply. Practised on a regular basis can help you to do it automatically without consciously thinking about it.

Have some ‘Me Time’

Having some me time, is taking time out to relax by yourself for yourself and not doing things for others. You may not think you have time for some me time or think you deserve it. Though you can make time for you and you do deserve it. This time will help you to focus on yourself for a bit, and recharge your batteries. For example, you could spend 20 minutes alone having a warm soak in the bath using some aromatherapy to help you unwind, you could have some quiet reflection time to appreciate all that you’ve accomplished, you could meditate to help you relax, you could listen to some of your favourite music or you could read a book. Whatever you choose to do ensure you are alone while doing it and enjoy the time spent alone.

Listen to music or watch a movie

Listening to uplifting music or watching a feel good movie can help reduce your stress levels, improve your mood and give you something positive to focus on. It can stop negative thoughts and remove worry from your mind helping you to relax and unwind, and give you the motivation to be able to cope with stress.

Read a Book

It may come as a surprise for you though reading has been proven via a Mindlab International study in 2009, to reduce stress by about 68 percent, making it more beneficial at reducing stress than going for a walk, drinking a cup of tea or playing video games. So you could try reading a book to help you to relax and reduce your stress levels.

Exercise

Regular exercise has been proven to help reduce stress and release feel good hormones. A healthy brain requires a healthy body in order to function at an optimum level. Exercise helps to keep the body healthy and drains the body of toxins. Regular exercise can help develop a healthy body and mind, improving overall wellbeing and vitality. The UK’s chief medical officer stated that adults should be active daily and aim for 150 minutes of physical activities per week, through various activities.

If you haven’t exercised for a long time, then taking it slowly at first, and over time, building up intensity and duration can help prevent injuries and burnout. Walking, cycling, running, yoga or palates are some good examples of exercise that you could do on a regular basis. Exercise increases endorphin production in your brain, which is your brains ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters. Getting outdoors and breathing fresh air can help to alleviate stress. If you feel that you are unable to do it alone then reach out for help from a friend or family member. There are also various organisations that can help and support you to get more active.

Spend Time in Nature

Taking time out to experience and enjoy nature can not only benefit your physical health, it can also benefit your mental health and reduce stress levels. Whether it be going for a walk in the park, doing some gardening, spending time in the countryside, sitting by a river, soaking up some sun, listening to the birds or spending time around animals, these are some of the ways you can enjoy nature. Spending just twenty minutes in nature can significantly reduce your cortisol levels which is a stress hormone. There are other ways it can help your wellbeing by reducing your feelings of anger, boost your mood and increase self-esteem and confidence.

Practise Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice by which you bring your focus to the present moment and what your feeling, without judging or interpreting. Practising mindfulness creates a space between what you are experiencing and your reactions to the experience. You can practice mindfulness in various ways, some of which are while you’re eating and noticing all the flavours, textures and smells you notice. It could be while you’re going out for a walk taking note of things like the wind and how strong it is, the colours of your surroundings, the sounds you hear, and the smells you smell etc.

A simple example of how to set yourself up to practice mindfulness on a daily basis is to take some time after waking up to sit or lie down, breathing deeply and slowly while focusing on the present moment and how your feeling, taking note of any judgements that you notice, then letting them go.  If you notice that your mind wanders bring your attention back to the present moment and how your feeling. The practice of mindfulness is continually bringing your mind back to the present moment when it wanders. Practice makes perfect after all.

Guided Meditation

Guided meditations can be of great assistance, in inducing a feeling of relaxation when you need it. Practiced on a regular basis guided meditations can help to also build a resilience to how you handle stress and help you to cope with stress more effectively. With a guided meditation you simply sit or lie down and listen to the audio, which will guide you through the whole process. They can bring a sense of clarity that you have not experienced before and help melt the stress away. They can also help you to become more resilient to stress. You can have a listen to a 15 Minute Guided Meditation for Physical and Mental Relaxation below or download it here.

I hope this article has helped you to learn ways to relax and reduce stress in your life, and that it improves your health and wellbeing.