10 Tips to Alleviate Stress Instantly
Stress and anxiety are part of everyday life. Work, family, finance, health and other things can cause stress. The key is to manage it. Here are 10 ways to reduce stress quickly.
1. Deeply breathe in (counting to 3) and breathe out (counting to 3).
Deep belly breathing is one of the best and quickest ways to lower stress.
When you take a deep breath in, your heart rate increases slightly. As you exhale, your heart rate slows. Repeated deep breaths will naturally shut down your body’s stress response in just a few seconds and causes your brain to release endorphins, which are chemicals that have a natural calming effect.
Breathing exercises are a good way to relax, reduce tension, and relieve stress.
2. Reduce your caffeine intake.
Let's face it, we all love our coffee. There is nothing wrong with it. In fact, a study found that the most antioxidant-rich beverages are:
- Coffee—200–550 mg/cup
- Tea—150–400 mg/cup
- Red wine—150–400 mg/glass
The key with coffee is not to drink too much of it. Up to 400 mg (4 cups) of caffeine appears to be safe for most healthy adults according to the Mayo Clinic.
3. Spend time with friends and family.
Socializing and the the sense of belonging are vert important to wellbeing.
According to a study, spending time with friends and children helps release oxytocin, a natural stress reliever, especially for women. This effect is called "tend and befriend," and is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response
4. Listen to soothing, ambient music.
This can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate. Some of our personal favorites are soundtracks such as Oblivion, Blade Runner or other tracks by composer Hans Zimmer.
5. Rub your hands together briskly to open up the blood vessels.
Because stress pulls blood out of your toes and fingers and sends it to your internal organs, this will jar your brain out of its stress response.
In general, exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress. It does not have to be difficult. A simple walk around the block after work can be very beneficial to unwind. This will help with stress hormones, sleep and confidence.
6. Repeat calming self-talk.
Reassuring and self-affirmations such as "This will pass", "I can handle this" or "I'll be okay" will keep your mind from revving up with habitual negative chatter.
7. Laugh!
Visualize a time when you were laughing with a good friend or family member. Remembering a short funny situation will trigger a genuine smile, which lowers your heart rate and leads to quicker recovery from your stressful experience.
Try to find humor in everyday life.
Watch a comedy show once in a while to help relieve stress.
8. Use 'time-distancing" by asking yourself how you'll feel about this stressful event about a year from now.
Keep moving the time frame to a month, a week, a day, an hour. This reduces stress by helping you put it in perspective.
9. Chew gum.
Chewing loosens jaw muscles, which hold stress. We don't recommend chewing gum often but it can be a super easy and quick stress reliever for some.
10. Take some supplements.
StressCalm Px by Restorative Formulations is what Karine recommends to help alleviate occasional symptoms of stress by promoting optimal nervous system function. One of the main ingredients, Ashwagandha, is an adaptogenic herb which has been shown to support adrenal function and protect against occasional stress. Feel free to contact Super Women's Health to purchase/pick up your supply of StressCalm Px.