We all experience stress at some point in our lives. A little stress here and there is good and healthy, but for the purpose of this blog, we’re discussing negative stress. And when it comes to that type, we’re hoping that these tips and resources will help you reduce your stress, so that you can conquer your dreams and goals without draining all your energy.
Reduce Your Stress by Managing It
To manage your stress, stay on top of it before it gets out of control and unbearable. This means you must increase your self-awareness and identify your stress indicators. Everyone shows stress differently, so check out this article about the most common symptoms of stress.
Ideally, you want to reduce your stress before those symptoms appear. According to an article from the American Heart Association®, these three tips are great for managing stress:
- Positive self-talk
- Fast acting stress-stoppers
- Daily activities that stop stress in its tracks
For more information, check out the article above. If you’re starting to notice your jaw tighten or that you are constantly reminding yourself to relax your shoulders, it may be time to work on stress-relief options.
Reduce Your Stress by Exercising
If you want to force the stress right out of you in a healthy way, there are a number of great stress-relieving exercises. This article lists 8 exercises that relieve stress, including going for a bike ride. However, if you live in a big city that doesn’t allow you to ride on a bike path, that probably isn’t the best option for you. In any case, most exercise provides you with stress relief as it helps release unspent energy and take your mind away from your stressors.
If exercise isn’t for you, consider these low-energy options.
Reduce Your Stress by Relaxing
Some people find the idea of exercising to be more stressful than helpful, so we’ve gathered low-energy relaxation techniques to help you reduce your stress—peacefully.
- Deep breathing or “box breathing”
- Visualization
- Meditation
- Prayer
- Reading (stay away from high-intensity books)
- Swimming
- Sitting in a sauna
These are just a few relaxing ways to relieve stress. We all find different activities relaxing, so definitely consider what activities relax you, then give them a shot the next time you’re stressed out. If everything listed above isn’t enough, here are 19 fun activities that help relieve stress.
Reduce Your Stress by Choosing Gratitude
As you know, we are big proponents for regularly exercising your gratitude, so we’ve got some great news: Expressing gratitude is proven to help reduce your stress. Next time you feel overwhelmed, direct your focus to the aspects of your life that you’re grateful for. For example, turn your attention away from stress and ask yourself these questions:
- What have I learned recently that has helped me get closer to my goals?
- What goals have I met?
- Where have I improved in the different areas of my life?
- Who are the people I am most thankful to have in my life?
- What abilities or circumstances do I often take for granted?
- What beauty have I seen recently?
- What unique experiences have brought me joy?
After you’ve expressed gratitude internally, consider doing it externally and letting the people close to you know how thankful you are that they’re a part of your life. Once you’ve chosen gratitude it’ll put things in perspective and minimize the stress you’ve been experiencing.
Be Stress-Free
With all of this information, you should be well prepared to reduce your stress. And remember, not all stress needs to be eliminated because a little stress is healthy. But the negative stress that causes you grief and takes a toll on your physical and/or mental health—that needs to go. Now that we’ve said our piece, we hope that you find your peace.
A lot of people spend too much time stressing over the past. Specifically, people often worry about the mistakes they’ve made and allow themselves to be held back by them. If this sounds like you, we encourage you to check out our other blog called “Letting Go of Our Failures.”
