Best ways to relieve stress and anxiety are unknown to people. Although most of them everyday observe stress and anxiety. 70% of adults in the world feel stressed or anxious daily. Here are some simple ways to get relief from stress and anxiety.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the most important tasks you can do to combat stress. Exercise might seem contradictory, but putting physical stress on your body through it can relieve mental stress. The benefits are most reliable when you exercise regularly. People who use periodically are less likely to experience anxiety than those who don’t apply. There are a lot of reasons behind the theory: Exercise lowers your body’s stress hormones — like cortisol — in the long run. It helps release endorphins. These are chemicals that improve your mood to act as natural painkillers. Exercise can improve your sleep quality, which gets negatively affected by stress and anxiety.
When you regularly exercise, you may feel more confident and competent with your body, in turn, promoting your mental wellness. Find an exercise routine and activity you enjoy the most, such as walking, dancing, rock climbing, or yoga. Events — such as walking or jogging — that involve repetitive movements of large muscle groups can particularly for stress relieving. Regular exercise helps lower stress and anxiety level by releasing endorphins and improving your sleep and self-image.
Consider Supplements
Several supplements promote fear and anxiety lowering. Let’s see an overview of the most usual ones:
Lemon balm is a member of the mint family that has anti-anxiety effects.
Omega-3 fatty acids help medical students. It shows who has been receiving omega-3 supplements experienced a 20% reduction in anxiety symptoms.
Ashwagandha is a herb used in Ayurved to treat stress and anxiety. Several studies suggest that it’s practical.
Green tea contains antioxidants to provide health benefits. It lowers stress and anxiety by increasing serotonin levels.
Valerian root is one of the popular sleep aid due to its tranquilizing effect. It has valerenic acid to alter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors lowering anxiety.
Kava kava is one of the psychoactive members of the pepper genre. It has been in use as a sedative in South Pacific. Its use has increased in Europe and the US. It treats mild stress and anxiety.
These supplements interact with medications or have side effects, so you must consult a doctor if you have any medical condition. Certain supplements help reduce stress and anxiety, including omega-3 fatty acids, ashwagandha, lemon balm, and green tea.
Light aroma or a simple Candle
Use essential oils or light scented candles to help reduce your feelings of stress and anxiety. Some fragrances are especially soothing. Here’s the list of the most calming scents:
Rose
Lavender
Vetiver
Roman chamomile
Neroli
Bergamot
Frankincense
Ylang ylang
Orange or orange blossom
Geranium
Sandalwood
Using aromas or scents to help rejuvenate your mood is called aromatherapy. Many studies show that aromatherapy can decrease anxiety and improve sleep. Aromatherapy can help reduce anxiety and stress. Light aroma candle or use essential oils to help to calm down.
Reduce Caffeine Intake
Caffeine act as a stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks. High doses can increase anxiety. People possess different thresholds for caffeine they can tolerate or drink. Caffeine makes you jittery or anxious, and then you must consider it cut back on its consumption.
Many studies show coffee can be healthy if taken in moderation, although it’s not for everyone. Five or fewer cups per day may be considered moderate amount. High quantities of caffeine increases stress and anxiety. People sensitivity to caffeine can vary greatly.
Write Down your Stress Points
To handle stress it is better to write things down. While writing what you’re stressed about is one approach, another is jotting down for you’re grateful.
Act of Gratitude help relieves stress and anxiety by focusing thoughts on what is positive in life. Keep a journal to help relieve stress and anxiety, primarily if you focus on the positive.
Chew a Gum
To get a super easy and quick stress reliever, try a pack of chewing gum.
Study shows that people who chewed gum had a greater sense of wellbeing and reduced stress. One explanation is that chewing gum causes brain waves similar to relaxed people. Another example is chewing gum promotes blood flow to the brain. Additionally, a recent study observed that stress relief was most significant when people ate more strongly. According to many studies, chewing gum helps you relax. It helps promote wellbeing and reduce stress.
Spend Time With Family and Friends
Social support from friends and family helps get through stressful times.
Being part of a friend network gives a sense of belonging and self-worth, which can help in tough times. Studies found that for women spending time with friends and children release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever. The effect is known as “tend and befriend.” It is the opposite of the fight-or-flight effect. Check that both men and women get benefitted from friendship. Another observations shows men and women with the fewest social connections were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. Having strong social ties may help get through stressful times and lower the risk of stress.
Laugh
It’s hard to feel anxious when laughing. It’s good for health, and there are some ways in which it helps relieve stress: Relieving stress response.
It was relieving tension by relaxing the muscles. In the long term, laughter also helps in improving the immune system and mood. People with cancer were studied, and it showed that people participating in the laughter intervention group experienced much more stress relief than those who were simply distracted. Try watching funny TV shows or hanging out with fun-filled friends who make you laugh a lot. Find the humor in everyday life. Try spending time with entertaining friends. Watch a comedy show to relieve stress.
Say No to Stressful Tasks
Not all stressors are within the control, but some are. Take control over the parts of the life that you can change and those who are causing stress.
One way to do this is saying no. It is true if you find yourself taking on more than you can handle can leave you feeling overwhelmed and juggling between responsibilities. Being selective about what work you take on — and saying no to work that will unnecessarily add to the load — can reduce your stress levels. Do not take on more than one can handle. No to say… Saying no is one of the best ways to control your stressors.
Avoiding Procrastination
Another way to take control of the stress is to stay on top of the priorities. Stop procrastinating the work. Procrastination can lead to acting reactively, leaving you scrambling to catch up. It can cause stress, which negatively affects health and sleeps quality. Make a habit of making a to-do list organized by priority. Give realistic deadlines and work the way down the list. Work on the things that need to be get done immediately and give chunks of uninterrupted time, as switching between tasks and multitasking may be stressful. Prioritize things that need to be done first and make time for it. Staying on top of the to-do list can help ward off procrastination-related stress.
Take Yoga Classes
Yoga has become a popular method to relieve stress and is becoming an exercise method among all the age groups. While yoga styles differ, almost all share a common goal to join the body and the mind. Yoga primarily helps this by increasing body and breath awareness. Studies have examined yoga’s effect on mental health. Researchers have found that yoga enhances mood and may act as effective as antidepressant drugs at treating depression and anxiety. However, many of the studies are limited, and there are still questions about how yoga achieves stress reduction.
In general, the benefit of yoga for relieving stress and anxiety seems to be related to the effect on the stress response and nervous system.
It helps lower cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate and increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that lowered in mood disorders. Yoga helps with stress reduction. It helps to reduce stress hormone levels and blood pressure.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness has practices that anchor you to the present moment.
It helps combat the anxiety-inducing effects of negative thinking.
There are many methods to increase mindfulness, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and meditation. A recent study done on college students suggested that mindfulness help increase self-esteem, which in turn lessens symptoms of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness practices help lower symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Cuddle
Cuddling, kissing, hugging can help relieve stress. Positive physical contact helps release oxytocin and lower cortisol. It helps lower blood pressure and heart rate. Both of them are physical symptoms of increased stress. Interestingly, humans are not the only species who cuddle for stress relief. Chimpanzees hug friends who are stressed. The positive touch from cuddling, hugging, kissing may help lower anxiety by releasing oxytocin and lowering blood pressure.
Listen to Soothing Music
Listening to music can have a relaxing effect on the body.
Slow-paced instrumental music help induce the relaxation response by helping lower blood pressure and heart rate as well as stress hormones. Celtic, classical, Indian, and Native American music can be particularly soothing, but merely listening to the music you enjoy is practical too.
Nature sounds can also be very calming. It is why it often incorporated into relaxation and meditation music. Listening to music, a person like can be an excellent way to relieve anxiety.
Deep Breathing Exercises
Mental stress help activates the sympathetic nervous system, signaling the body to go into “fight-or-flight” mode. During this reaction, stress hormones get released, and you experience physical symptoms such as a faster heartbeat, quicker breathing, and constricted blood vessels. Deep breathing exercises 0helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system that controls the relaxation response. There are so many types of deep breathing exercises, which include diaphragmatic breathing, belly breathing, abdominal breathing, and paced respiration. The goal of deep breathing is to starting focussing the awareness on the breath, making it slower and more profound. When one breathes in deeply through one’s nose, your lungs fully expand, and your belly rises. It helps slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel more peaceful. Deep breathing activates the relaxation response. Multiple methods help you learn how to breathe deeply.
Spend Time With a Pet
Having a pet helps reduce stress and improve mood.
Interacting with your favorite pets help release oxytocin, a brain chemical promoting a positive atmosphere. Having a pet also helps relieve stress by giving the purpose, keeping a person proactive, and providing companionship — all the qualities that help reduce anxiety. Spending time with the pet is a relaxing, enjoyable way to reduce anxiety.
The Bottom Line
Stress and fear arise in the workplace and personal life. There are simple ways to reduce the pressure. These tips often involve getting the mind away from the source of stress. Exercise, pets, mindfulness, music, and physical intimacy work to relieve anxiety — and they will improve your overall work-life balance as well.