The Five Best Ways To Relieve Stress
Stress is a natural part of the body’s nervous system. It prompts humans and other living beings to defend themselves in times of danger or alertness. It can also be productive when arising in positive situations, such as a new job or during an important school test. However, stress can become unhealthy when it is persistent and severe and impacts daily functioning. When experiencing severe or chronic stress, there are a few stress relief options you might consider to ground yourself and improve your mood.
This article explores what stress is, what causes it, and five stress management techniques that can help. We’ve also highlighted resources for individuals who’d like to speak with a mental health professional for personalized ideas on how to reduce stress in their lives.
What is stress?
Stress is the reaction your body has to any actual or perceived threat. For example, your stress response might be activated during a new relationship, when you can’t find your keys, or when you have a deadline to meet. When low amounts of stress motivate you to finish a task, like cleaning your home or completing homework, stress can be beneficial and does not necessarily cause harm to the body.
However, high amounts of stress or long-lasting stress can mean your body has to adjust to get used to stress hormones, and too much stress may negatively affect the body. Chemicals in the body, like adrenaline and cortisol, are released during the stress response. When these chemicals remain in the body, they can have health consequences like increased blood pressure, muscle tension, headaches, and more.
What causes stress?
There are external and internal causes of stress. External causes can involve challenges with work, school, family, finances, or desire. Internal causes occur in the mind, including negative self-talk, restricting self-beliefs, or perfectionism. Traumatic events can also cause stress. Traumatic stress is often severe and long-term, causing significant functioning difficulties in daily life.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
How does stress impact health?
Stress can affect your health negatively, potentially causing challenges like inflammation and a high heart rate. Other health issues that may be caused by stress include but are not limited to the following:
Stomach pain
Headaches
Illness
Heart disease
A reduced immune system response
Stress may also negatively impact many areas of the body, including the muscles, endocrine system, nervous system, and reproductive system. Mental health challenges are also connected to chronic stress, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Symptoms of chronic stress
Below are some of the potential symptoms you might experience if you’re living with stress:
Muscle pains
Headaches
Chest pains
Changes in sleeping patterns
Dizziness
Anxiety
Mood changes
Depression
Memory problems
Changes in interests
Worrying often
Struggling to focus or concentrate
Nausea
An urge to partake in repetitive behaviors, such as skin-picking or fidgeting
If you are experiencing the effects or symptoms listed above, you might be living with chronic stress. In this case, lifestyle changes can be a healthy way to move forward and reduce the stress you’re experiencing.
Five ways to relieve stress
Regardless of the cause of your stress, practicing self-care and making healthy lifestyle changes can be crucial. You can work on mental, physical, spiritual, and personal areas of life to start grounding your nervous system. When your body is not in a constant state of stress, you may be able to react healthier to future stressors.
Get your body moving
Adopting an exercise regimen can benefit your mental and physical health and may reduce stress hormones. Exercise may also loosen your muscles, relieving tension that may contribute to worsening stress.
If you don’t know where to begin, you can start with short walks on a break from work or throughout the day. Walks can relieve stress and improve your health overall. Leaving a situation can also allow you time to clear your head. Changing your location may improve other symptoms of mental health challenges, as well, including anxiety and panic.
Other ways to move your body include dancing, ice skating, roller-skating, yoga, exercise videos, stretching, and gym. Find an activity you enjoy and commit to at least ten minutes a week at first, increasing the time you work out each month.
Sleep an adequate amount
Studies show that sleep is one of the most crucial aspects of health and public wellness. Stress can cause you to lose sleep, which may harm your health. Your body needs sleep to reboot so you can have the energy to care for yourself in other areas of life. Try to sleep at the same time each night and practice sleep hygiene, such as turning off the lights, putting your devices away, and drinking hot milk or herbal tea without caffeine.
Find a support system
Having a support system to lean on in times of stress can be beneficial. Having friends and family that you can call or visit when you need to talk about your day can remind you that you are cared about and loved. Spending time with loved ones can also be a distraction from challenges. If you don’t have a current support system, consider the following ways to make one:
Find a “chosen family” in friends and non-immediate relatives
Attend a support group
Attend a local meetup
Join a local identity-based or hobby-based group
Attend an online support group
Join online social media groups or forums
Talk to a therapist
Develop a functional routine
Finding a functional routine can be challenging but is often worth the trouble. With time management, scheduling, and motivation, stress may be less likely throughout the week. Some people may report money, work, or a lack of time as the most significant stressors in their lives. If you relate, having a strict schedule may open up more time in your day. Block off time for self-care and leisure, as well.
If you don’t have control over a situation in your schedule, you might try practicing an acceptance exercise, such as the radical acceptance skill from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). You can practice this skill as follows:
Observe how you might be questioning or fighting your reality.
Remind yourself that your reality cannot be changed in this situation.
Try to note any causes for the reality. Acknowledge how many people do not have control over what causes stress.
Practice acceptance with your mind, body, and spirit. Use positive self-talk to tell yourself you are willing to accept this situation, even if it is difficult.
List all the behaviors you'd partake in if you already accepted this situation. Then act this way until you find it aligns with your reality.
Cope ahead by thinking of ways to accept the situation if it worsens.
Attend to your body sensations using mindfulness or meditation to connect with yourself.
Allow disappointment, sadness, grief, or anger to arise if they do. Note them and do not act on them. Give them the space to exist.
Acknowledge that life can be worth living, even when there is pain.
Create a pros and cons list if you are resisting acceptance further.
Ask for help
It can be lonely and tiring to fight stress on your own. Try not to let shame stop you from asking for help, whether from a loved one or a therapist. Professional services or a support group of people who understand chronic stress can be a beneficial resource if you believe you’re alone in your experiences.
Support options
Psychotherapy is a professional form of support you can use to receive support with stress. A therapist can guide you through evidence-based strategies to reduce stress and control your nervous system. However, if you’re struggling with anxiety or fear about seeing a provider in person, it can be challenging to know where to go. In these cases, online therapy platforms like BetterHelp may be beneficial.
Through an online therapy platform, you can sign up to get matched with a therapist with experience treating your specific symptoms or diagnosis. However, you don’t need a diagnosis to get started online. In addition, you can choose between phone, video, or live chat sessions if you’re nervous about having control over how you receive support.
Studies also back up the effectiveness of online interventions. One study of online therapy for anxiety and depression, common causes of stress, found that online interventions were more effective, cost-effective, and meaningful for participants. These results show that online therapy can be an effective way to reduce chronic stress.
Takeaway
Stress is the body’s natural reaction to challenging experiences, often called stressors. These stressors can be real or perceived threats, but the stress response in the body is the same. In some cases, stress chemicals remain in the body long term, which may lead to complications. For this reason, it can be crucial to practice self-care, such as exercise, sleeping well, and eating a healthy diet. To learn other ways to care for yourself through stress, consider contacting a mental health professional online or in your area.
How do you deal with stress healthily?
Everyone is different, and finding a healthy technique for dealing with stress can take some time. Here are a few things you can try:
- Move your body. Exercise can reduce stress and relieve tension. If you don’t already have an exercise routine, try starting small. Daily walks can be a great way to improve your health and manage your stress. Other fun ways to move your body are dancing, yoga, roller skating, swimming, hiking, or playing with your dog outside. Aim for about 30 minutes a day, but even just a few minutes can help.
- Prioritize sleep. Sleep is crucial to health and wellness as it helps you rest and reboot. If you have difficulty getting enough sleep, try going to bed at the same time every night. Ensure your room is dark and comfortable, and do not use screens for about an hour or so before bed to help you fall asleep.
- Find a support system. Identify the friends and family members you can turn to when you’re having a bad day or need to vent. Spending time with friends and family can be a welcome distraction from stressful challenges. If you don’t have a reliable network of friends and family to reach out to, consider attending a local meetup or support group or joining a group online.
- Establish a healthy routine. Some of life’s most significant stressors are unavoidable, like work, school, family obligations, or financial difficulties. By blocking off time for self-care or activities you enjoy, you may be able to counter your daily stress with rest or relaxation.
- Ask for help. It can be challenging to cope with stress, and sometimes, you may need more help than a friend or family member can offer. Talking to a therapist can help you understand chronic stress and help you learn better ways to manage it in your own life.
How can I help myself with stress and anxiety?
Physical activity can be a great way to deal with stress and anxiety. Running, jogging, cycling, and swimming can all help you manage stress, but so can other physical activities like dancing, roller skating, kayaking, walking, playing outside with your kids, or going on a hike. Other forms of self-care (prioritizing sleep, eating healthy meals, and making time for your hobbies) can help, too. Managing stress and anxiety can be challenging, and everyone will respond to different things. It may take a few methods to figure out what works for you.
How do you release stress from your body?
Here are some things that you can try to help release stress from your body:
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet. It can be tempting to drink alcohol or overeat rich or indulgent food when you’re stressed, but these things may add to your stress. Choose a healthy, balanced diet to help your body combat stress.
- Exercise. Exercise can have physical health benefits (like helping lower blood pressure) but can also improve mental health and help manage stress. Think outside the box. If running or weightlifting isn’t your thing, try ice skating, canoeing, yoga, Tai Chi, hiking, or any activity you love that gets you moving.
- Practice relaxation techniques. Guided imagery, deep breathing, mindfulness meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation in a quiet place can all help release stress and boost self esteem.
How can stress affect you emotionally?
When stress hits, it may contribute to a variety of emotions, including depression, anxiety, and irritability, and it can make you feel overwhelmed. Continued stress may also cause mood swings and contribute to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
How can stress and anxiety affect your daily life?
Stress has many significant effects on the body, some of which can impact your daily life. Muscle tension can lead to headaches and migraines, shortness of breath, and contribute to the development of chronic physical and mental health conditions. People with anxiety may have bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and other GI discomfort and may eat much more or less than usual. In some cases, people with high stress may experience panic attacks, which can be debilitating and cause significant disruption to their lives.
How can stress negatively affect your behavior?
People who are experiencing stress may display behavior that is out of the ordinary. For example, they may eat more or less than usual, use or abuse illegal drugs, use tobacco, or exercise less frequently.
How can stress affect social health?
People who are experiencing stress may experience angry outbursts, causing people to keep their distance. They may also withdraw socially, preferring to stay at home by themselves than spend time with friends or family, which can have significant effects on their emotional well being.
What can you do to maintain mental health from your side?
Some of the things you can do to maintain good mental health are the same as what you can do for stress management: exercise, eat a healthy diet, prioritize sleep, and make time for interests and hobbies. Talking to a mental health professional can help you learn strategies to prioritize your mental health and manage stressors.
Can stress cause aggression?
Older studies on rats have found that stress and aggression reinforce each other at the biological level. There could be many reasons that this happens to people. For example, people who are more prone to aggression but may have been otherwise able to control it may not be able to keep their aggressive impulses in check when they’re feeling overwhelmed. Someone who is stressed at their busy office job may come home with a lot of pent-up stress and become aggressive with someone at home, even if they don’t want to.
How does stress affect social-emotional development?
Not all stress is bad, but in childhood, toxic stress can significantly affect social-emotional development. Severe stressors, like the loss of a parent, poverty, neglect, abuse, maternal depression, or lack of medical care can lead to long-term activation of cortisol, the stress hormone, and an inflammatory state that remains elevated after the stressor is resolved. Toxic stress, especially if caused by multiple stressors, can lead to poor self-control, easily triggered emotions, anxiety, depression, and problems with memory and concentration.
In some cases, the body adapts to this chronic stress, lowering the level of cortisol so the person becomes less reactive to daily stressors. This effect is called a blunted stress response, and it can have significant repercussions, including poor emotional control, aggression, impulsiveness, and antisocial conduct.
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