- Breathe deeply
All it takes are a few simple steps. The Medical School Harvard recommends choosing a place where you feel relaxed and you can clear your mind. “Try a deep breath: breathe slowly through your nose, allowing your chest and lower abdomen to rise as you fill your lungs. Let your abdomen fully expand. Now breathe out slowly through your mouth (or nose, if that seems more natural to you) ”.
- Laugh
According to the Mayo Clinic , laughing and finding humor in things is so beneficial that it can ease physical pain, strengthen your immune system, help you make connections with other people, and deal with anxiety and depression.
- Get a massage
A 2005 study from the University of Miami noted that levels of cortisol (the chemical the body produces when you’re in a stressful or scary situation) drop after massage therapy.
- Do a mental scan of your body
Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of the Headspace meditation app, told Entrepreneur that if you’re stressed you should close your eyes and do a mental scan of your body for 30 seconds, from the top of your head to your feet. “By shifting the focus to your physical senses, you get out of your thinking mind, which immediately has a calming effect,” he said.
- Show gratitude
Consider keeping a gratitude journal so you can have something concrete to refer to when anxiety starts to depress you. A study from the University of California, San Diego found that people who were grateful had healthier hearts. “They showed better well-being, a less depressed mood, less fatigue, and slept better,” study author Paul J. Mills told Today. “When I’m most grateful, I feel more connected to myself and my surroundings. That’s the opposite of what stress does.”
- Sing
Give it a try, even if you are not a songbird, the benefits will surprise you. A 2014 study conducted in Japan on the health of the elderly found that after a group of elderly people sang, their stress levels dropped and their moods improved, even if they weren’t fans of singing.
- The nose knows
Some scents are commonly used to combat stress. In particular, lavender, lemon, and jasmine are known to help relieve anxiety and tension. Lavender oil is sometimes used to treat headaches.
- Count to 10
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America recommends counting slowly to 10 or 20 to focus your mind on something other than what is stressing you out.
- Get some rest
If you feel stressed during the day, consider taking a nap or going home a little earlier to go to bed at an earlier time. According to the American Psychological Association , “When we either don’t get enough sleep, our bodies don’t get the full benefits of sleep, such as muscle repair and memory consolidation. Sleep is so crucial that it even affects memory, judgment and mood.