5 Ways to Relieve Stress
Posted on 1st February 2021
There are many things in life than can make us stressed and sometimes it can be easy to get too caught up in it. Lots of people would consider themselves to be stress junkies and feel that it’s almost a necessity to be stressed whether at work or when dealing with unexpected or difficult situations. When this stress is all around it can be absorbed, and this can really become a way of life where being late or any tasks that you may have to do can trigger this unwanted stress reaction.
We cannot completely get rid of stress as it is a part of life and can in some cases be good. It can put us under pressure and give us the opportunity to rise to challenges and push a bit harder and even be a motivating force when needed. When not controlled, stress can be debilitating flooding us with adrenaline and placing us in the fight flight scenario for extended amounts of time which can be unhelpful and even dangerous. There are five methods that are great for dealing with stress.
Focus on your breathing. Whilst this may seem obvious it truly is an amazing way to control your stress and bring your body back under control. Breath in and count to 5 and breath out focusing on the out breath. You can also think to yourself that you are breathing in good energy and out with the stress whilst breathing out and feel your stress leaving your body with the breath. Taking a few moments to do this can reset your brain and relax you in difficult situations.
Loving kindness is a wonderful method for introducing oxytocin into your body. Start by closing your eyes and imagine someone that means a lot to you, maybe a lost love one or an animal or someone that you know has supported you or has said kind words to you. Imagine that person in front of you saying loving kind and encouraging words to you. By using your imagination, you can almost trick your brain into feeling and reacting like this is actually happening and that you are really receiving these kind and loving words. Follow this up by giving yourself a hug and saying I love you to yourself. This can reduce the adrenaline and make you feel a lot calmer
Journaling is a very good way to start the day. By writing down things that you are grateful for or that you are feeling positive about can make a big impact on your wellbeing. You can also write down however you are feeling. If you are feeling negative or upset about something, write it down. It is important to get things out and talk things through.
Go for a walk-in nature and enjoy your surroundings even for a short while in a park. Running and exercise is also helpful for stress, this can help you get out of the negative thoughts that you may be stuck in and give you focus.
Crafting drawing, cookery, musical instruments. These are fantastic and creative. Putting yourself in a flow state where you can be completely in the moment is key for relieving stress.
All of these things can really help you to deal with stress from day to day and introduce calming activities that can be fun and creative and even productive! If you are really struggling it is beneficial to ask for help perhaps from a friend or loved one or even a therapist to talk things through. It is possible to overcome stress with the right help and self-care.
Call me if you would like to see how I can help.
Tagged as: Stress Relief
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