Stress can ruin your health if you let it. Use these common-sense stress-relieving techniques instead of drugs. When stressed, people often avoid thinking about their problems using the “head in the sand” approach, and they resort to popping pills to make themselves feel better. Unfortunately, both methods are ineffective – they only dull the senses temporarily and delay dealing with what is bothering them in the first place.
The better way is through holistic stress relief that promotes relaxation and a calmer mind without side effects or addictive tendencies. Holistic methods such as acupressure, massage therapy, yoga, and other mind-body practices help improve physical health by lowering cholesterol levels while improving mood and coping skills that reduce susceptibility to stress.
In today’s world of stress, illness, and pain – we all need acupressure points referred to as “releasable tension.” Releasable tension is a built-in survival skill that allows you to stay calm in stressful situations. You can train yourself to release this tension whenever necessary by using the following 23 ways on how to relieve stress:
1) Take Essential Oils
Essential oils have antispasmodic effects on muscles and nerves. Massage with these can relieve muscle spasms or headaches caused by tension. Peppermint essential oil helps relieve headache pain when rubbed over the neck’s temples, forehead, and back. Lavender essential oil relieves anxiety while helping with relaxation for better sleep at night time. Other Essential oils like lemon, rosemary, and eucalyptus have been reported to relieve stress, muscle spasms, and headaches.
2) Make Time for Exercise
Exercise helps relieve muscle tension and even reduce stress hormone levels. Walking, running, or swimming are effective ways to relieve built-up stress by lowering heart rate and blood pressure while improving sleep. Consider taking a yoga class if you have time – its active healing properties can leave you feeling calmer, healthier, and relaxed.
3) Don’t Go it Alone
A study at the University of North Carolina showed that men diagnosed with prostate cancer who received group support had better outcomes than those treated without social support. Social isolation is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Not only does having solid social connections lower your risk of coronary artery disease, but sharing daily problems may be the most powerful way to relieve this condition.
4) Live in the Present
By letting go of stressful thoughts and feelings, we can lower our stress levels. Meditation is an effective way to quiet the mind, reduce tension and help us focus on the moment. Mindfulness fosters a better understanding of your emotions, frees you from worrying about what happened yesterday or may happen tomorrow, and helps you concentrate better today. You can learn meditation techniques by taking a class, studying with a spiritual leader, or following an online program such as this one. Many people find acupuncture helpful too; its deep relaxation effect increases neurohormone production, soothes the nervous system.
5) Pamper Yourself – Massage Therapy
While massage therapy is often associated with relieving physical pain, including muscle tension, many patients report that it also helps reduce their stress levels. One study showed that massages could produce a relaxing effect on the nervous system by lowering levels of cortisol, our body’s stress hormone. Aromatherapy is another holistic treatment; its sweet smell and gentle movements promote relaxation, which automatically reduces muscle tension.
6) Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation helps release built-up tension and balance emotions while boosting self-awareness, concentration, and energy levels that help us cope with life more healthily. When we worry or feel stressed about something, it may be because we are judging ourselves negatively rather than understanding what happened or why. It may sometimes just be an emotional reaction to our past experiences with no real connection to current happenings.
By being mindful of our thinking, we can make a conscious decision to accept that it is just a thought and not necessarily the truth. We have the power to change how we feel by changing what we focus on and therefore remain calm in stressful times.
7) Live Green
Eating “green” foods such as fresh vegetables and fruit boost your antioxidant intake, which helps relieve pain from muscle tension while increasing the energy levels that allow you to rally against stress. Studies show that regular exercise also contributes to reducing chronic pain caused by inflammation. Drinking more water than caffeine increases adenosine levels in the brain, which calms us down while boosting concentration levels that help you fight fatigue when dealing with stress.
8) Do Nothing at All
If you feel overwhelmed by stress, do nothing at all. Don’t try to distract yourself from your thoughts by going out or doing something active to “take your mind off things,” which can make you more stressed. Instead, be still and rest. Your body needs the time it takes for your breathing to calm down before it can prevent itself from feeling tense and help you face a stressful situation with less anxiety and stress.
Do not suppress any emotion; instead, accept whatever thoughts come up when you’re doing nothing – they are just thoughts. If negative thoughts arise, remind yourself that they are only passing experiences and don’t necessarily reflect what is happening at the moment.
9) Visualize Your Outcome
Visualizing an outcome we want to create helps reduce stress. When we envision ourselves successfully achieving something, our mind releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, stimulating the brain’s reward center that makes us feel confident and optimistic.
10) Get Plenty of Sleep
Getting enough sleep is one of the best ways to cope with stress. One study has shown two main stages of healing from tissue injuries caused by muscle tension: inflammation and tissue repair or remodeling. It takes a certain amount of time for this process to occur, during which we may experience pain while sleeping (mainly when lying on a hard surface).
The deeper stage of sleep known as slow-wave sleep allows us more restorative REM cycles, reduces overall blood pressure levels and oxygen consumption, decreases the release of stress hormones, and reduces muscle pain.
11) Learn Patience and Perseverance
We all speak with our minds, so be careful how you use your words since self-talk often manifests as reality. Recognize that life is not about what happens to us but rather how we respond to it – don’t let anyone get you down because you control your happiness.
Be patient when things aren’t working out so well for you because continuous effort leads eventually to success rather than being too anxious and giving up at the first sign of failure. Let yourself be present moment by moment without getting lost in the past or worrying about the future! You only live once – why spend it wishing for tomorrow?
12) Let Go of Attachment
Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. There is no point in worrying about what you cannot change because worry only serves as a distraction from being present, making it harder for us to deal with stress. Be open-minded to new experiences and accept things as they are without judgment. Enjoy life as it comes and goes with the flow of whatever happens!
13) Accept Whatever Comes Your Way
We all experience some form of pain or disappointment through our lives, so don’t feel disappointed if something doesn’t turn out the way you hoped it would – enjoy what you have now. Detach yourself emotionally from how others act because you can never really tell what’s going on inside someone else’s mind. Be compassionate towards those experiencing pain or suffering but don’t try to “rescue” them – only they can find their way.
14) Accept change as a Natural Part of Life
Change is inevitable so accept it rather than resisting it. Whether you like it or not, the world keeps turning, and people keep changing! Things that happened in the past cannot be changed, so just let them go and enjoy the present instead.
Do not pretend that things never happen, making you feel insecure because you’re living a lie. Instead, acknowledge the reality of what happened by accepting responsibility for your thoughts and actions while forgiving yourself for any mistakes made along the way with a positive attitude on how you intend to learn from these experiences to do better next time.
15) Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Stop comparing yourself to others because it is impossible to truly know what someone is experiencing from the inside or how they feel about themselves on any given day. Be happy for other people’s success as you would be happy for your own. Live and let live!
There is enough love, joy, happiness, and opportunity to go around for everyone – why feel jealous of anyone else? Unhappiness comes from within so make an effort not to take anything personally because you never really know how someone else feels. Instead of worrying about whether other people like or approve of you, focus on doing the things which make you feel good instead!
Let go of your attachment to outcomes by accepting things turn out because you cannot control what happens to you. Always be prepared for unexpected change and don’t try to predict the future – simply go with the flow and open yourself up to receive whatever is given in each moment – don’t miss out on all the blessings that life has to offer!
16) Be Pro-Active and Take Personal Responsibility for Creating your Own Reality
We are constantly creating our reality by projecting our beliefs onto every aspect of life. Whatever we think about expands so deeply we believe in your positive power rather than giving in to fear, worry, or doubt.
You can make anything happen if you set your mind on it, so do whatever it takes to get what you want in life – nothing comes from wishing; the only action makes something happen! It is often said that “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” but in reality, it is so much more complex than that because our thoughts and emotions significantly affect the unfolding of physical events in our lives.
So why wait for things to happen when you can make them happen yourself? Focus your mind upon what you want and hold this intention with deep emotion – do not worry about whether or not it will work out because worry only creates resistance and blocks positive energy from flowing freely. Instead, be open-minded and allow new possibilities to find their way into your life.
Life holds no guarantees, so don’t expect everything to work out the way you plan it – instead, accept whatever happens without judgment or preconceived notions. It is only when you open yourself up to new experiences that life can begin!
17) Remember That Everything Happens for a Reason
There are no coincidences in the Universe -everything happens for a reason. Our lives unfold according to our choices and the lessons we need to learn along the way. At first, something that appears negative can turn out to be positive later on, but don’t forget that there is always another choice if it doesn’t work out.
Consider how your reactions affect those closest to you and think about how you would respond the situation was reversed. Before making any decisions, consider all possibilities that will help you make smart choices based on logic rather than emotions to find true happiness.
18) Be Consequential with your Decisions and Actions
Better choices result from the consequences you have experienced in life, but it is only fair that you get yourself out if you got yourself into this mess. The choice is yours! There is no point in complaining about something if you could take action to solve the problem instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself!
Look at what happened to you as a learning factor rather than something gone wrong and forgive everyone involved because it wasn’t their fault! If someone has done something hurtful to you or left you without explanation, see the situation from their perspective to understand where they are coming from.
It may make more sense than what might appear on the surface! If you feel angry or frustrated, take some time out to cool off and consider the bigger picture of what has happened. Is it worth holding onto all this negative emotion? What will it achieve in the long run? Will it make you feel better?
Consider how your actions affect those closest to you and think about how you would want to be treated if the tables were turned. You might find a simple solution or that someone has just made a mistake that requires an apology.
19) Remember that It’s Not About You
Often when something happens, it seems as though it must be related directly to our lives, but most events happen at random! Resist the temptation to think that everything is about you because that is not true – there is always a bigger picture, and the people around you will have their problems, too.
So why get upset about something which happened in the past? It is unproductive to hold on to anger or sadness when rather than dwelling on what has happened, you could be enjoying your life! If someone hurts you, it does not mean that everyone else hates you, so do not expect every relationship to work out as you planned! Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone deserves a second chance, so yourself before thinking the worst of others.
20) Understand that Forgiveness is Your Choice
Holding onto resentment will only cause more pain. When someone hurts us deeply, we can either let go and move on or cling to the pain like a life jacket to keep our heads above water. Possibly that person did not think straight or may have had their problems, but you will feel so much better! Holding onto grudges and anger will make you bitter and lonely – learn from the situation by looking at what went wrong and try to be more tolerant of others in the future. Then take responsibility for your actions and truly forgive from your heart without any resentment.
21) Make Sure You are Happy with Yourself Before Looking for Happiness Elsewhere
We cannot force other people to give us love or approval, but we can choose how to respond to whatever they do or say. If someone is not giving you what you want, you don’t have to take it! If someone hurts your feelings or does something which you cannot forgive, give them a second chance but if they are still not treating you with respect and kindness, then walk away.
It doesn’t matter how much in love you think you are – if the person does not love and respect you for who you really are or is just manipulating you for their own gain, then leaving them will be much better in the long run. Remember that nobody can make another human being happy and satisfied without first making themselves happy and satisfied. When we feel complete within ourselves, we do not tear others down to build ourselves up!
22) Take Responsibility for Your Own Life
Don’t blame others for your unhappiness or think that someone else can change you into the person you want to be. If you are not happy with your life or don’t like yourself as much as you would like, start by making small changes in your day-to-day life, making a huge difference over time. Go for a walk instead of sitting at home watching TV! Take up a hobby! Learn something new! These things may not solve all your problems, but they will give you some perspective on what is important in life and how your actions affect others.
23) Let Things Go
You only worry about what you can control because there is no point wasting time and energy worrying about things you cannot do anything about anyway. If it bothers you, then act on it, but otherwise, you will feel bad for no reason. It is better to deal with a problem when it happens and not dwell on matters you do not control. If something troubles you or makes you unhappy, try to contemplate the root of that unhappiness and how you can correct the problem. Remember that nobody has perfect lives problems are inevitable, and everyone makes mistakes; we need to learn from them.
You might have seen the news about how stress is bad for your health, but it’s not just physical effects that you need to worry about. Stress can also negatively affect your mental and emotional state of being. We all can do some simple things to reduce our levels of stress daily–such as getting enough sleep or exercising regularly–. Still, other things may require more work, such as finding new hobbies or practicing mindfulness techniques. Whatever steps you take towards reducing your stress level, whether big or small, will impact the quality of life you experience every day! Do any of these tips resonate with you?