Today, I will share with you practical stress relievers. Taking on too much work, a demanding boss, and the stress of making money are all common reasons people get stressed. But there’s hope.
Stress is a normal part of life. However, it’s essential to learn how to manage your stress, so you don’t become overwhelmed and lose control of your life.
You can relieve stress naturally, from exercising and meditating to listening to music or taking a hot bath before bedtime.
Stress Relievers for Busy Professionals
This article will look at ways to deal with everyday stressors like work deadlines or arguments with friends. We’ll also discuss how these tips can help improve your overall health if used consistently over time!
Note: You can help employees manage stress. Bring our stress management workshop to your company.
Know what you really want.
One day, I did a thought experiment. What if I had 100 million pesos, how would I live my life?
I know of people who think that having a lot of money can help them solve the many problems they have. I also think that money can solve many problems.
So, I did free-writing. I imagine how I will live my life.
All I want is a simple life.
And knowing these freed me from a lot of pressure. I do not have to be envious of “successful speakers” who earned millions each month. That’s because I don’t need them to live the life that makes me happy.
You can read how I intend to live my life if I had 100 million.
Sleep well.
Sleep is a beautiful way to recover from stress. Getting enough sleep is important because sleep deprivation can lead to other health problems and even depression.
Research shows that a lack of sleep increases the risk of depression and anxiety disorders, so it’s crucial to get quality sleep every night.
Take short catnaps throughout the day (about 20 minutes each). Use your bedroom as your “quiet zone” where there are no distractions from technology.
Take a hot bath before bedtime.
A hot bath before bedtime is a great way to relax, stimulate the immune system, and help you fall asleep. It also helps wake you up in the morning!
If you’re not used to baths at night and don’t have an electric tub or shower nearby, consider using Epsom salt (or magnesium sulfate) instead of water as your heat source.
This mineral reduces stress levels by increasing blood flow through the body’s lymphatic system—which helps clear toxins from within us—and releasing endorphins that make us feel good about ourselves.
Do something that makes you smile.
Do something that makes you smile.
You know how it is—you’ve got to get yourself out of a bad mood, and the best way? By smiling at someone else!
It’s one of those simple things that can make all the difference in your day-to-day life. For example, when stressed out and overwhelmed by our lives, we tend not only to feel less happy with ourselves but also less likable.
If someone smiles at us or says something nice about us (even just once), it sends a direct message that says: “Hey! I’m here!”
The more often this happens, the more likely you’ll be able to help calm down any anxiety you might have before you head home from work later tonight after having been stuck in traffic all morning—and who knows what impact this could have on your stress levels?
Spend time with a pet.
If you’re looking for a good stress reliever, consider adopting a pet.
Caring for an animal can help you relax and decompress from the pressures of everyday life. And while pets might not completely cure your anxiety, they might be able to reduce some of those symptoms.
Breathe deeply.
Breathe deeply. Deep breathing helps you relax and release tension.
Exercise.
Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Not only does it help you sleep better, but it also helps decrease anxiety and depression by increasing levels of endorphins (feel-good chemicals) in your brain.
Exercise can also help reduce the feelings of stress that come with having too much going on at once. It gives you energy so that when things get hectic again, you’re not as worn out by them.
Take breaks from the source of your stress.
Take breaks from the source of your stress. For example, if you are stressed out by work, take a break from work and walk around the office.
If social media stress you out, minimize your time spent on it and find other ways to relax that don’t involve scrolling through updates on Facebook or Instagram.
Meditate or pray every day, even if briefly.
Meditate or pray every day, even if briefly. Then, take a few minutes to relax and focus on your breath. Count your blessings and be thankful for everything that happens in your life.
Laugh out loud.
Laughing out loud is the best medicine for stress. It reduces stress, improves your heart health, and makes you feel better about yourself!
Laughter is also contagious; it can be used as an ice-breaker or a way to connect with others in a new environment.
Laughing helps relieve tension in the body by releasing endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers), which are responsible for reducing anxiety levels and increasing feelings of joy, happiness, and well-being.
When we laugh together, we release oxytocin—the bonding hormone that makes us feel close to one another—and serotonin (a neurotransmitter associated with contentment).
Stretch.
Stretching is a great way to relieve stress. It can help you relax, sleep better and focus. To stretch:
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend at the waist until you feel an easy stretch in your hamstrings, quads, and lower back (the latter may be more painful if you have a herniated disc). Hold for 30 seconds or more—if not painful, hold slightly longer until it becomes uncomfortable. Then repeat three more times before stretching again.
Lie on your stomach with arms straight out in front of you like wings; pull up one leg and then the other as far as possible without straining anything; rest for 30 seconds before repeating two more times on both sides.
Adopt a stress-relieving hobby.
- Choose a hobby that you enjoy.
- Choose a relaxing hobby.
- Choose a hobby that is not too expensive for your budget.
- Choose a hobby that doesn’t require much time but still provides enjoyment (like playing tennis or gardening).
- Be sure to find things to do while they’re not busy with work so they can unwind at home too!
Practice yoga.
Yoga is a great way to relieve stress and get in shape. It can help you sleep better, relax, and focus.
Check out the gym.
You can do it at home, in a gym, or during your lunch break. Or, if you want to be productive, try having a workout partner who will keep you accountable (and maybe even motivate you).
You can also exercise alone if that works best for your schedule.
Many different exercises help relieve stress—from running and jumping jacks to yoga and pilates—and they all have their benefits.
Take a bubble bath.
Epsom salts are an excellent way to relieve stress. They’re one of the oldest and most popular medicines in the world. You can use an Epsom salt bath for almost everything—from helping you fall asleep at night to soothing sore muscles after a long day at work.
Oils like lavender or peppermint are great aromatherapy oils that will relax you while they work on your stress levels as well. They don’t have to be used in their pure form—you can buy them in capsules or add them directly into your water (which is better than adding them straight).
Adding some beads into the tub is another excellent way to help relieve tension from your body! In addition, the friction created by rubbing against each other can sometimes feel therapeutic when stressed out!
Do a crossword puzzle or Sudoku.
If you’re looking for something that will help keep your mind active, try a crossword puzzle or Sudoku. These games are easy to play anywhere.
You might even want to try them with a friend! Crosswords are good for people who have trouble relaxing because they require you to focus on the task while exercising their mental faculties.
The same goes for Sudoku; this game works best when played in groups because it requires collaboration between players as well as sharing knowledge about how specific rows/columns fit together (which makes sense).
Read a great book.
Reading can be a great way to relax and unwind, especially when you have some free time. So choose a book that isn’t too challenging and you enjoy reading.
Reading more than one book at a time is also helpful as it gives your brain more to think about while not being overly stressful.
Find books that interest and engage both sides of your brain: one side might be focused on logic while another focuses on creativity (or vice versa).
If possible, try reading in the bath or while taking a hot shower; this will help reduce anxiety since fewer distractions are around!
Play with your pet.
Pets can be great stress relievers because they’re entertaining and adorable. Plus, playing with them is great for your pet and good for you too!
Here are some games you can play with your dog or cat:
- Catch the ball (with their mouth)
- Hide-and-seek (with no hands)
- Tug of war (with paws only)
Journal about your stress triggers.
Tame stress by writing about it. Journaling can be a great tool for dealing with stress and keeping track of your thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
It will also help you identify what triggers your stress and how to avoid those situations in the future.
You may want to start by listing all the things that cause stress: work deadlines, family conflicts, and relationship problems. Then write down practical suggestions to improve each.
Don’t worry if this feels overwhelming. You’ll find that once started, it’s easy enough to keep going until all these ideas are flowing freely from your mind onto paper (or screen).
Drink more water.
Drinking water is an excellent stress reliever because it helps you stay hydrated.
When stressed, our bodies produce more of the hormone cortisol, and this causes us to lose more water than usual. As a result, stress can lead to dehydration, making you feel worse about yourself and your stress response.
Drinking water helps flush out toxins that have built up in our bodies as a result of being stressed—and it also flushes out other chemicals that may be causing inflammation in your body (which can lead to pain).
Drinking enough water also helps us process food; this means we’ll digest our food better and absorb vital nutrients like vitamins A & C more efficiently!
Finally, having access to clean drinking water is essential for regulating temperature throughout the day so that we don’t become overheated or chilled at any point during our waking hours.
Do something creative.
Creativity can help you think of new solutions to problems and is a great way to reduce stress. It allows you to feel more in control, which is important when stressed out.
For example: if your boss has been giving you the cold shoulder all day, take some time out of your busy schedule to draw up an imaginary scenario where he offers his hand—and then act it out!
Creative activities can also help boost your mood by making you feel connected with others (and thus less alone). For example, if someone at work shares similar interests as yours—like an artist or musician—it might be fun for them to collaborate on new projects together!
Practice deep breathing.
Deep breathing is a simple technique that can help ease stress, improve mood, and increase concentration. It’s also an excellent way to prepare for the day ahead:
Breathe in through your nose for four seconds. Hold for two seconds, then breathe out slowly through pursed lips or open mouth as long as possible without making noise. Repeat this cycle five times (you can do it more slowly if you like), then repeat it later in the day or night before going to bed if necessary!
Take a mid-day break to recharge.
Taking a break is one of the best ways to recharge your batteries and restore yourself from the stress you’ve been facing.
Take breaks during the day, especially if you are working hard at something, because it will help your mind relax and refocus on what matters most.
Those who have worked hard all day long know that taking a break can be more than just physical relief; it’s an opportunity for reflection on what we’ve done so far in our lives and how we can improve ourselves in every aspect of life.
When taking a mid-day break, try not to use this time as an excuse to do nothing but relax (although some people may find it helpful). Instead, use this time wisely by planning out what activities or tasks need to be done next or which could wait until tomorrow morning or later today when everyone else has gone home from work!
If possible, try setting aside specific blocks of time devoted solely to relaxation each day without fail; otherwise, there’s always tomorrow.
Smell the Flowers
I keep myself motivated to work and study by going outside. It is a good thing that here at UP Los Banos, I can see a lot of trees. The air I breathe is clean.
My plants are my stress relievers.
And the flowers of Angel’s Trumpet greet me each morning. I love also the scent of my mints and basil.
Be one with nature.
Volunteer for good causes.
Volunteering is a great way to help someone else. It can help you find a sense of purpose and make you feel less stressed, especially if you’re volunteering for an important cause.
Volunteering also has the added benefit of meeting new people.
It will give you some much-needed downtime from all those stressful things we do every day — whether taking care of our kids or working full-time jobs at the office where we need more sleep than ten hours each night (and not getting any).
Move your body.
If you’re looking for a quick, easy way to relieve stress, try moving your body. Exercise releases endorphins—natural painkillers that can help you feel more energetic and less tired and improve your sleep quality at night.
Exercise also improves blood flow throughout the body, which helps regulate moods and decrease stress levels.
The best part? You don’t have to be an athlete or gym rat (or go outside) for it! Just walking around the house will do wonders for reducing anxiety.
Write in a journal.
Writing in a journal is one of the best ways to relieve stress, whether you’re writing about your day or simply reflecting on what happened before.
It can help you process negative thoughts and feelings and remember happy moments. A journal will also give you space for creativity, which most people need when feeling down.
Writing in a journal encourages you to be more honest about how others see you—and how those perceptions affect how much energy (and attention) they receive from others.
Listen to music.
Listen to music that lifts your mood.
Music can be a great stress reliever and a great way to eliminate stress. It’s also an excellent way to relax, primarily if you use it as an accompaniment for meditation or yoga.
You don’t have to listen to the same artist all the time; try different genres and artists until you find one or two that suits your mood!
Listening to music that you enjoy can be a great way of relieving stress in your life.
- Listen to music that relaxes you.
- Listen to music that makes you smile.
- Listen to music that makes your heart sing and helps you forget about your stress, even though it’s there in the background of your head.
Drink some tea.
Tea is a natural source of antioxidants, which help reduce the damage caused by stress. It also has caffeine, which can help you focus and stay alert while working on your to-do list.
Many types of tea are available—from green to black, white, or oolong—and they come in many different flavors, like lemonade or ginger lime.
You could make your own at home with hot water (or cold) and milk or lemon juice added!
Get some sunlight.
Getting some sunlight reduces stress. The sun’s rays reduce your levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can help you feel more relaxed and less irritable. In addition, sunlight helps boost moods by increasing serotonin levels in the brain—a neurotransmitter responsible for feeling happy and peaceful.
Sunlight isn’t just good for your mental health; it’s good for your physical health too!
Call someone you love.
- Call someone you love.
- Visit with a friend or family member, whether a neighbor or your pet.
- Reach out to someone who has been there for you in the past and is always willing to lend an ear (or paws).
Avoid negative people.
Limit the time you spend around negative people. Avoiding negative people can be difficult if you have a lot of family members and coworkers who bring out the worst in each other.
But even if they’re not causing problems for themselves, their negativity is affecting everyone else—including YOU!
Avoiding negative people means limiting your exposure to their bad moods and complaints by avoiding them as much as possible (for example: don’t go out with friends if they’re always complaining about their spouses).
If someone tries to engage in conversation with you about their issues, ignore them completely until they’ve left or changed the subject (which should happen quickly).
Don’t fight back against negativity; move on!
Negative people are often trying to bring others down with them because they know how miserable it makes people feel when someone else doesn’t appreciate all their hard work at work today.
Don’t let this happen by responding negatively. You don’t have to respond at all.
Massage your hands or feet.
Massage is a proven stress reliever that can help you sleep better and feel more positive about yourself. It also has the bonus of helping you feel more positive about your life.
Massage is a great way to relieve stress, and it can also help you relax.
The best part about massaging yourself? You can do this alone or with a friend! If you’re feeling up for it, try out some of these techniques:
- Rub the oil into your skin and then gently rub it with your fingers (this works exceptionally well on the backs of your hands).
- Using lotion on both hands and feet before starting the massage process will help keep them moisturized throughout the session, making for more effortless movement of muscle groups throughout the body area being treated by a hand-held device(s).
Repeat a positive affirmation to yourself.
You can use positive affirmations to help you feel more confident and optimistic.
Say the affirmation out loud. This is an excellent way for your subconscious mind to hear what you say, which allows it to process the message more deeply than if it were just in your head.
By repeating an affirmation out loud, especially one that helps boost feelings of self-worth and confidence, we’re also sending a message of positivity into our lives—a significant step toward feeling empowered!
Keep a journal where you write down any thoughts or feelings related to this exercise (or any other stress relief tip). This will allow you time later when things may seem more stressful again so that those feelings don’t go unnoticed by them, forgetting about them altogether!
Simplify Life
Much of the stressors come from complicated life. It is important that we are clear about what we really want — and do away with complicated situations.
I learned that in order for me to enjoy life, it is important for us to learn the things that we can live without. By simplifying our lives we can focus on what matters most.
FAQS
Conclusion
These 35 stress relievers can help you to enjoy your life and be productive at work. They are simple, easy to do, and practical. I hope this list has helped you find some ideas for how to relax and destress during your busy day.
Remember that the best way to combat stress is through self-care, and it’s important to remember that you don’t have to go at things alone!
Instead, try looking for support groups or friends with similar interests so that you can share tips on how or where they found their favorite ways to unwind.
