Stress Relievers

We all have stress.  Work, school, significant others, family, traffic, bills, politics.  If you just watch the news at night you can get stressed out. 

The list of things to be stressed over is never ending.  How do you deal with it?  Well, here are 19 great ways to deal with the stress in your life.

  1. Say no.  No is most powerful word in the English language.  You can soften it with a “no thank you.”  A phrase that I have found very effective is, “I’m sorry that doesn’t work for me.”  Keeping boundaries in your life can eliminate a lot of stress.                      
  2. Take a break-  Whatever is stressing you out take a break from it. Work stressing you out? Take a few days off.  Your husband making you nuts? Go see your sister.  We all need a break from each other.  It is actually healthy.              
  3. Exercise-Nothing relieves stress like a good hard workout.  Run your stress off. Lift weights.  Ride a bike until you can’t anymore.  Go hit a punching bag that all of a sudden looks like your boss. 🙂  You literally can burn the stress off.                          
  4. Meditate- Meditation is one of the best stress relievers you can do.  There is nothing like a little quiet time and some internal focus to put things in perspective.    
  5. Get Out in Nature- There is something very therapeutic about getting out in nature.  The beauty, the smells, breathing the fresh air.  If you want to feel even more grounded take off your shoes and socks while you are out.  This “grounding” many people find very soothing.

6. Get Some Sleep-  The benefits of a good nights sleep are innumerable.  It is said to be the foundation of good mental and physical health.  Make sure you never compromise your rest.

7. Get Together with Family and Friends- We realize this contradicts #1, but being around “your people” can be just what the doctor ordered.  Having support of loved ones and being around people who care about you can change everything.  Unless of course they are the ones stressing you out!

8. Try Something New- Sometimes you just need something different in life.  You feel like you are going around in circles.  Adding something new can change everything.   Learn to play an instrument, learn a new language, learn how to dance, build something.  Get out of your comfort zone.   My experience has been all of the good stuff is outside of your comfort zone.

9. Eliminate The  Bad Things-  Eliminate some of the bad things in your life.  Quit smoking, Quit recreational drugs, Quit drinking.  Improvement by elimination.

10. Spring Clean Your House and Your friends.  Let’s assume your house is clean.  It is ok to grow apart from friends  If you have a friend who is nothing but negative, it may be time to move on from them.  It doesn’t mean you are mean or cold.  It means you respect yourself.

11. Minimize Your Time with Difficult Family Members- If you have a family member that does nothing but cause you problems, minimize your time with them.  I have a plan I say to my sister.  Go there, be wonderful for a few hours, smile and get the hell out of Dodge.  It is not mean.  You are protecting your own mental health.  It is the smart thing to do.  The right thing to do and probably what is best for you. 

12. Journaling- Sometimes just writing down everything that bothers  you can eliminate the stress.  It is as if you are purging the garbage out through your pen.  Having a gratitude journal can be a great positive spin on stress relief.  It is difficult to be upset about something when you just made a list of all the things you are thankful for.

13. Music, Music, Music-Music is one of the greatest things in the world.  It will never cease to  amaze me how the right song can come on and just change your whole mood. Rocking out to your favorite artist can definitely change your attitude.  If you are looking to spice things up start looking for your favorite new music.  Discovering a new artist that you love is like receiving a gift.

14. Sing- Turn on that music from #13 and sing your heart out. Act like you are playing Madison Square Garden or Wembley Stadium.  Sing that stress away! 

15. Dance-Get your body moving to the music.   Combine 13 and 14.   Now you just started your own party.  If you invite a friend over, that just makes it more fun.  I don’t care if you you are 12 or 112 singing and dancing with friend makes all stress melt away!  Dance every chance you get!

16. Get a pet-  Whether you are a dog or a cat person.  A pet can completely relax you or at least make you smile.  Science has shown that petting or sitting with a pet can lower stress.

17. Talk it out- Talking with a good friend can really reduce your stress.  A good listener is invaluable as you work through some of the stresses in your life.

18. Read- A good book can take you to another place.  Sometimes a visit to someone else’s story can help you with yours.

19. Make some changes- Take a hard look at your life and change the things that aren’t working for you.  This is probably the most important thing you can do.   If you keep doing the same things you will keep getting the same results.  You deserve better.

Incorporate one or a few of these suggestions into your life and you may find your stress disappearing quicker than you thought.  Remember, take care of you first.  You can’t help others if you’re not ok.

This information should in no way be deemed as medical advice.  If you are having any problems we recommend that you see a professional.  Please seek any medical advice from a medical professional.