Effective holistic stress management techniques are oxygen to a healthy body and mind. Stress can be described as mental or emotional pressure. Our body responds to any change, whether physical or emotional. Stress causes a significant imbalance in the body. Therefore, you should learn some stress management techniques to cope with stress instead of letting it take over your life.
15 stress management techniques:
1. Get Sufficient Sleep
Getting enough sleep is the best and easiest way to deal with stress. Adequate and enough sleep ensures that we wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. When we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies become weak, and it becomes hard to concentrate on tasks, leading to frustration and more stress. Mental illness and lack of sleep are closely related. Ensure you go for at least 8 hours of undisturbed sleep daily.
2. Get Moving
Physical activity releases endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel happy and relaxed. Determine the type of physical activities that suit your requirements, whether jogging, dancing, or playing sports. If time permits engage in intensive workouts like Yoga for best results. When you exercise regularly, the research shows that it could be as effective as a beginning dose of an antidepressant.
3. Manage Your Time
Stress often occurs when you are overwhelmed with tasks that need to be completed in a certain time frame. Make sure you prioritize your tasks, so it becomes easier for you to determine which task needs to be done first and by when. Set realistic deadlines and ensure you stick to them or do something about it if you cannot meet the deadlines.
4. Seek Professional Help
Stress can be overwhelming; it is, therefore, essential that you seek professional help before it takes a toll on your mind and body. Paying attention to the changes in your mental health can help you seek help before it is late. Many people don’t even realize that they are stressed till they have symptoms. A therapist would guide you in managing stress by coming up with ways to deal with pressure and anxiety. You could also take medication if necessary and follow the therapist’s instructions to the latter. A mental health professional will also help you transition to major life changes and provide a positive perspective on things you might be struggling with.
5. Practice Meditation
Individuals who practice meditation exercises are calmer and more composed than individuals who do not. Meditation involves deep breathing, during which you focus on your breathing patterns for a couple of minutes. Deep breathing is an effective way to reduce stress levels in just a few minutes. Keeping a daily routine of 5-10 minutes of deep breath work is sufficient to keep stress at bay.
6. Connect With People You Love
If you are overwhelmed with stress, it is time to connect with people who love and care about you. Talk to your family members, friends, or significant others about the problem you are dealing with. This would help keep your mind off things that are stressing you out. It is natural to isolate yourself when you are going through a stressful situation. Remember, isolation can be the first warning sign of declining mental health or depression. Pay attention to the decline in interest for the things you used to enjoy.
7. Expose Yourself To The Sunlight
Spending a few minutes under the sun would positively impact your mood. Studies show that exposing yourself to sunlight for as little as 15 minutes per day can help reduce stress levels significantly. You also want to check with your primary physician about B12 and Vitamin D3 deficiencies, especially in winter. These deficiencies can make you feel tired, low in energy, irritable, and even contribute to trouble sleeping.
8. Eat Nutritious Food
One way to deal with stress is by eating nutritious food. It would help if you stuck to foods that are rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids, proteins, and complex carbohydrates, which would help you recover from fatigue more quickly. Ensure you drink plenty of water, too, as dehydration has been associated with stress. A healthy diet has many benefits for mental and physical healing. Start slow, and keep improving your eating behaviors and healthy ways to incorporate nutritious food to stay healthy. If you are short on time, a balanced diet and regular exercise are enough for a healthy lifestyle.
9. Write Down Your Stress
Journaling is an excellent way to get rid of your frustrations and express your emotions on paper. Writing down your stress makes it easier for you to deal with it because the words have been out already. Writing stressful situations down gives you a sense of control. Journaling is very effective in getting rid o negative thoughts and gaining a more positive perspective on stressful situations. Keeping a gratitude journal, in particular, helps you keep a positive attitude as well.
10. Get A Massage
Getting a massage would help unblock the tension in your body and mind, thus reducing stress levels. Getting a massage once a month improves sleep and progressive muscle relaxation. Massage is a good self-care alternative to get rid of the stress from the body if mental reflection work seems complicated for you.
11. Laugh It Off
Laughter is known for relieving stress so ensure you watch your favorite sitcom or comedy shows regularly to keep yourself entertained and relaxed at the same time. If you don’t like sitcoms, read funny stories or watch Youtube clips.
12. Delay Showing Anger
Showing anger or frustration would further increase your stress levels; therefore, delay showing anger until you are comfortable enough to express it without causing any damage. Ensure you breathe deeply and slowly while trying to show anger. Deep breaths would help calm yourself down before taking any step that might affect your personal or professional life.
13. Expose Yourself To Soothing Environments
You can do this by staying in a room with dim lights and gentle music playing in the background. Ensure you stick to low-pitched voices; this would help you relax quickly and reduce stress levels rapidly.
14. Practice Yoga Or Tai Chi
Yoga and Tai Chi are great ways of dealing with anxiety issues and stress. This would help you relax your muscles without compromising your physical strength, agility, and fitness levels at the same time.
15. Manage Feelings
Chronic stress is nothing but unprocessed emotions that get trapped in your body. Managing stress is a lot about being aware of your painful feelings. By ignoring your feelings as a coping mechanism, you tell yourself that your feelings and ultimately you don’t matter that in return impact your overall self-esteem. When you feel stressed in your body, pay attention to what you feel. This awareness is enough to make positive changes to have a balanced lifestyle.
There you go! You now have fifteen holistic stress management techniques to cope with daily stress. As we know, stress has become a significant problem in today’s hectic lifestyle, and it all starts and ends with us!
