3 Easy Ways to Relieve Daily Stress

by | Mar 11, 2020 | health, Senior, wellness

The world is a stressful place. Between climate change, COVID-19, and the stock market in free-fall, it’s hard not to be stressed and anxious. But are you over-stressing over things? Yes, there is a lot to worry about. Sometimes, though, our minds can get a little carried away, creating more stress than is really warranted, or completely blowing a situation out of proportion. 

Sometimes you just need to step back, refocus, and glean information from the right perspective. Of course, telling yourself this is easier than practicing it. However, with the right frame of mind and these three little tips, you can be on your way to a less-stressed version of yourself!

Stress-Buster 1: Focused Breathing

an image that shows Take a deep breath
You might be asking yourself, how can focused breathing help? The fact is breathing can help lower your stress levels. By focusing your attention on your breathing, you stimulate your relaxation response. Your heart rate decreases and calms your brain. Breathe deeply through your nose, fill your lungs with air, hold it, then release your breath through your mouth. 

Two popular methods of breathing include Deep Belly Breathing and 4-7-8 Breathing.

Stress-Buster 2: Scented Candles

lavender and lavender candle
Lighting a scented candle can do wonders for relieving stress levels. The fragrance stimulates your olfactory senses. This, in turn, can help you tune into your emotions, which can help regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and stress. Certain scents are better at curbing stress than others. To help manage stress, try picking scents that help you relax. Pick Lavender, Rose, Chamomile, Bergamot, or Sandlewood. 

Stress-Buster 3: Exercise

Exercise has been linked to having so many beneficial effects on the body, it’s a no-brainer that it finds its way in this list. When you exercise, you’ll find your cortisol levels (stress hormone) decrease and your endorphins increase. The added exercise can also help you sleep, which also helps lower stress.  Plus, exercising helps your overall mental and physical well-being. Need some help getting back into exercising? Read this!

 

Next time you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious, try taking a moment for yourself and try one of these stress-busting methods. Even though they won’t get rid of your problems, relaxing your mind and body can help curb noisy, overactive thoughts so you can think clearer! 

What’s your favorite way to relieve daily stress?

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