Stress is an unavoidable challenge of our lives; from daily chores to essential decisions and crises, we face stress. Sometimes circumstances that cause stress are beyond our control, but we can learn how to deal with and react to them. If not taken care of, stress can have a chronic and long-lasting effect on your mental and physical well-being.

There are several tips and techniques which are proven helpful to reduce and relieve stress on your own. It is important to know that these tips and techniques can work differently from one person to the next, but these are the most commonly used, so hopefully, you can give them all a go and maybe let us know which one(s) worked for you.

1. Meditation & Guided Imagery

Meditation is effective for both short-term and long-term stress relief. The benefits of making meditation part of your life are endless. There are several different types of meditation; you can choose the way that suits you.

Taking slow and deep breaths and repeating a mantra in your mind is one. Mindfulness or being still in the moment, paying attention to the peaceful surroundings, or imagining things that calm you is another way of meditating that significantly reduces stress. These meditation practices are not limited to one time, these should be more useful if practiced daily at the beginning of the day or in those moments when you are feeling stressed.

When the mind is focussed on the current moment, with the help of slow and deep breathing, you can fight the rumination of mind about the things that happened in the past, or you fear them happening in the future. Meditation and mindfulness help you bring in the present, relax your mind and body and allow you to better focus on the current task by reducing the level of stress.

Along with meditation, guided imagery is helpful to calm the mind, nerves and reduce stress. Guided imagery is a mental exercise in which you take a break from the current stressful situations and go to your happy place in your imagination.

Everyone’s happy place can be different; for some people, it can be sitting on a beach, feeling the fragrance of the ocean and flowers, feeling of cold breeze, or warmness. Guided imagery is not difficult to practice, like meditation; close your eyes, take deep and slow breaths, imagine yourself walking through your happy place, and try to feel the surroundings through all the senses.

Let yourself feel that for a few minutes, then open your eyes. You will feel a release of stress and an uplift in your mood. You can make these mental exercises part of your life.

2. Muscle Relaxation

Muscle relaxation is essential to have a stress-free mind and body. To relax the muscles, start with slow deep breaths, from upper body muscles to move towards lower body muscles, practice tightening, and then relaxing them.

You can learn the techniques and exercises to relax your muscles with some practice and guidance. You will ultimately find what works for your muscle relaxation. Other activities like stretches and simple cardio are also great for physical health and mental health. Make a daily routine of exercise part of your life.

3. Diet

You might think about what diet has to do with reducing stress! It has everything to do with the quality of your life. People often indulge in emotional eating when under pressure. This emotional eating usually consists of high fat and high sugar foods that provide a brief sense of relief but enhance the chances of long-term stress.

A healthy diet and food are quintessential for a healthy and stress-free life in the long run. Add more organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and protein to your daily diet and try to avoid processed food with high levels of fat and sugar. This can balance your energy and mood, which ultimately will help you better manage stress.

4. Take A Walk

As exercise and muscle relaxation are great stress relievers, taking a walk is also another light exercise that can be even more effective than all the previous tips. Taking a walk around a park can do wonders for your mental and physical state.

First, the change of scenery can help you change your state of mind, and physically the muscles will feel less rusty. When you are having a stressful day at work or stuck in a frustrating situation, just take a walk during the break to clear your mind. After work, you can form a habit of taking a long peaceful walk to get relief from stress and rejuvenate your body and mind.

5. Find A Hobby

Finding a hobby, getting creative, and having some leisure activities are fantastic ways to get rid of long-term stress. Picking up your creative side is never too late. You can start drawing, painting and busy yourself with colouring books in your free time.

Drawing, painting, and colouring are great activities to reduce stress. Research suggests that these creative activities have a meditative effect, reducing anxiety and stress levels. So, get yourself some adult colouring books if you are not finding yourself creative for drawing or painting.

Apart from artwork, there are many activities from which you can choose a hobby of your liking. Do not let yourself be stuck in your work life and find some activities that are helpful to relax your mind. Adjusting hobbies and leisure activities into your schedule is key to relaxing, uplifting your mood, and keeping you energized. Gardening, writing, cooking, playing a game, doing handicrafts can be great hobbies and leisure activities.

6. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is such a great stress reliever and energy booster. Aroma and fragrances are scientifically proven as natural relaxants. Certain fragrances such as lavender can reduce stress by releasing hormones that induce happiness and calmness.

Surrounding yourself with pleasant aromas and fragrances can positively impact your sleep and your overall mood by lowering the level of fatigue and stress. You can use scented organic candles, lavender oil, or other pleasant fragrances in your daily routine, around the place where you sit and at night before sleep. Aromatherapy is easy to incorporate into everyday life.

7. Expressing Gratitude

Make a habit of looking at the glass as half-full. Gratitude is recognizing and counting blessings from having a job, loved ones, friends, a roof over your head, a meal on your table, being grateful for a sunny day, living in a safe country, and simply being alive.

Look for all the things that are good in your life. The habit of Gratitude can change lives, and it is an excellent way of reducing your stress in the long haul.

Remember that while not all may work for you, we hope there are some you can take away and practice. Because if practiced they can have a positive impact on your life.

If you have any further doubts or questions regarding this subject or another treatment, contact one of our experienced Acupuncturists or Registered Massage Therapists here at West End Wellness Clinic. You can either give us a call or make an appointment.

Disclaimer: Please remember this article is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Please consult a healthcare provider or someone with the correct qualifications before starting any new exercise or treatment program.