29 Stress Relief Strategies Experts Say Can Make You Feel Calmer
Chronic stress can increase the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and sleep deprivation. The good news is that simple daily actions can effectively lower stress levels. Here are expert-recommended strategies to help you find calm quickly.
1. Sneak in a workout
Exercise does just as much for your mind as it does for your muscles. Blend or alternate aerobics with strength training, stretching, flexibility, and agility exercises for an endorphin boost. One study found that people who participated in group exercise saw greater improvements in mental, physical, and emotional health than those who worked out solo.
2. Walk through the park
About to lose it at the office? A short, 15-minute stroll is enough to lower levels of stress and fatigue, finds a study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. You can thank both a release of feel-good hormones, such as endorphins, and exposure to nature for the benefits.
3. Gargle water
The vagus nerve is the long, wandering nerve that facilitates the relaxation response, or parasympathetic nervous system. When we are stuck in chronic stress, we can get hijacked by our stress response, or sympathetic nervous system, and similar to muscles that go unused for a long period of time, the vagus nerve can lose its strength or tone. Gargling stimulates the nerve, increasing your ability to shift to a state of calm.
4. Listen to the waves (even fake ones)
Beach days are relaxing—science shows as much! Sunshine and much needed vitamin D boost your mood and ocean air even has negative ions which can act like airborne antioxidants and may have anti-inflammatory effects in the body. But just listening to the sounds of waves has a rhythmic, meditative effect, too.
5. Make yourself laugh
Watch a stand-up comedian you love on Netflix, send memes back and forth in your group text, or meet up with your funniest friend. Laughter is great medicine. It helps you relax your body, lowers cortisol (a stress-inducing hormone), and increases endorphins.
6. Act like a kid
Our mind, body, and soul are renewed when we play. So go outside for a game of tag with your child or run around with your pup—doctor's orders!
7. Do a mindfulness exercise
A 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise: Start by focusing on slow, deep breaths then find five things you can see around you; four things you can touch or feel; three things you can hear; two things you can smell; and one thing you can taste. This mindfulness technique helps ground you where you are. Doing so can not only calm the stress, but give you a clear mind to be able to problem-solve and focus on what you need to focus on to move forward.
8. Let your mind wander
It's important to allow our brains to just explore on their own sometimes, free from the constraints of our task-focused intentions. This helps you make connections that aren't always obvious in your day-to-day grind, ultimately making you a better problem-solver. To get started, doodle, zone out for a few minutes, or rock back and forth while listening to some music.
9. Focus on someone else
Volunteer, call your mom, or pick your hubby up his favorite dessert: Those who help others are less likely to die after experiencing stressful events, according to research in the American Journal of Public Health. When you divert your own attention to someone else, it sinks your stress levels, curbing the cumulative effects stress can have on your health.
10. Take a nap
When you're stressed, you likely just want to get one more thing done to finally feel relaxed. The reality, though? There's always more to do. If we're not careful, we'll get so amped up on stress hormones trying to keep pushing through feeling tired that we won't be able to fall or stay asleep at night. A short 10- to 15-minute nap (or even resting your eyes for this amount of time) can help both brain and body recharge.
Want to better track how stress affects your health? Xiaoshu Health App can sync with Apple Health to track relevant metrics, helping you understand your heart rate, sleep, and activity data for science-based stress management.