6 Simple and Effective Strategies for Managing Stress
Stress is a major part of most people’s lives. It can stem from work, financial worries, relationship struggles and other triggers. In fact, nearly 80% of Americans feel stress each and every week. This stress can make life challenging and make even simple tasks feel like a lot of work.
Thankfully, there are some simple and effective strategies to manage and control your stress. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Use tools and technology
Tools and technology can help people in a variety of ways, including managing stress. Over the years, there have been many technological inventions and creations aimed solely at helping people improve their mental health.
There are apps that can help you relax and mitigate stressful thoughts, and there is even a unique biohacking device by Hapbee to help control your emotions. You can also buy back or shoulder massagers that will ease tension that builds up in your body. There are many different pieces of tech out there that can help you relax, so be sure to take advantage of them.
Exercise
In addition to being great for you physically, exercise can also be great for your mental health. Exercise pumps up your endorphins, which can help you feel better and reduce stressful thoughts and feelings. It also improves your mood, and can often help you feel more confident in yourself.
You can experience these benefits from doing any kind of exercise, including lifting weights, running or swimming. Of course, be sure to start slow when you exercise, and always ensure you use proper form. If not, you could end up injuring yourself and doing more harm than good.
Meditate
One of the simplest and easiest ways to improve your mental health and manage your stress is practicing meditation. Even a couple of minutes of meditation can help you relax and eliminate a lot of the stress and worry from your life. It is all about focusing on the present, how you are feeling in the moment, and learning to be in tune with your breathing and how you feel.
While you may see meditation as sitting cross-legged with calming music playing, this doesn’t have to be the case. You can meditate in your office chair, on the bus, in bed, or anywhere else you find yourself throughout the day. As long as you can reach a calm and stable state through mindfulness, you are meditating.
Take a deep breath and slow down
No matter where you are, this strategy can be used to help you manage stress. When many of us get stressed, it becomes hard to think straight. Our brains begin going at a million miles a minute and we can get overwhelmed.
When you feel this sort of experience coming on, one of the best things to do is slow down and take a deep breath. If you keep letting your thoughts spiral and continue down that rabbit hole, the stressful feelings will only escalate. Take some deep breaths and you should begin to calm down. There are many different breathing exercises to reduce stress, so choose the one that works for you.
Talk about and share your problems
When you are experiencing stress and other mental health issues, don’t hesitate to ask others for help and talk about what you are going through. Unfortunately, many people don’t like to talk about their stress, or feel it is a burden on others to talk about it.
The truth is, those close to you will be happy to help you if you are stressed and need someone to lean on. And while speaking to family and friends is great, they aren’t the only resource to consider. You can head online to seek forums of people who share similar problems. You can also speak to a mental health professional or counselor. Simply talking about your stressors and sharing them with another person can unburden you and make all the difference in how you feel.
Head to the spa
Few things are as relaxing as a day at the spa. Whether you get a massage, facial, pedicure or manicure, getting pampered can be a wonderful way to destress and get an escape from your busy life.
These special self-care days can recharge your batteries and help keep stress at bay. And though some spa treatments can be expensive, it’s important to make yourself a priority and treat yourself occasionally. While you won’t likely go to the spa each week, there is nothing wrong with going to the spa every once in a while to effectively deal with your stress.
Any or all of these strategies can be used to help you manage your stress and feel better in life. And remember to not only appreciate all the positives in your life, but look forward to other positive things to come in your future. Having hope for better times and anticipating adventures is a big part of seeing the big picture and calming down.
