17 Techniques That Will Fight Off Symptoms Of Stress

By: Laura

It’s inevitable, relentless and will impact your life one way or another. Stress is a part of life, the first step in alleviating it, is to admit it’s there. Often times we try to shrug it off and just power forward, like a shrill game of peek-a-boo. But taking practical steps to combat tension can improve your mental and physical health, helping you to live a happier life and make better judgment calls.

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1. Progressive relaxation Developed by American Physician Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s. The technique is tense up all the muscles in your body, head to tip, then release each muscle group one by one actively. Exhaling while you do this relaxes the mind.
2. Light yoga Deep breathing and poses that focus all your mental energy on balance are a great way to calm the nerves and listen to your body.
3. Turn the phone off Instead of looking at the screen every few minutes, switch it off and go for a bike ride or a walk through your local park. Afternoons and weekends are your time away from work, so use it for anything other than.
4. Taste buds and endorphins Taste is one your most powerful sense when your taste buds receive something they like, endorphins release in your brain. So diet or no diet, get a scrumptious treat once in awhile.
5. Chew gum Scientific studies show chewing gum can reduce the level of cortisol in your bloodstream, which subsides nervous tension​
6. Regular naps Napping when you’re tired instead of waiting for the usual time you go to bed restores energy and revitalizes muscles harboring lactic acid from overworking.
7. Deep tissue work Go for a massage, when you do, ask the masseuse to give you a deep tissue massage. This technique penetrates deep, dissolving knots, releasing entire muscle groups at once, and draining your body of toxins.
8. Go to a spa Book yourself in for a spa day where you’ll be pampered, and your skin will get exfoliated and replenished.
9. Sex Studies back up the notion of sex relieving stress, by lowering blood pressure and emotional distress.
10. Find a hobby Find something that you can really dig your teeth into, something that’s just yours e.g. arts and crafts, start writing a diary or a scrapbook of your life, knitting, gardening, etc.
11. Sports Join your local tennis club or aerobics class. You’ll meet new people and challenge yourself to get fitter and stronger.
12. Get a pet Animals are known to calm the nerves of those who have social anxiety as well as play a pivotal role as a loyal companion. By taking the dog out for a regular walk, you also cleanse your mind of household chores.
13. Tea for coffee Instead of regularly drinking coffee as an energy boost, drink black tea instead. Tea isn’t as sharp, and you don’t need as much sugar to balance out the bitterness with lots of sugar. There’s nothing better than a hot soothing cup of tea at the start of the morning.
14. Laughter Laughter is the best medicine they say, well how will you know this is true if you don’t try it? Go to a live standup gig or watch a comedy film. Humor is a way to make light of the world around you.
15. Stop being too serious It’s time we all accepted, life is difficult, and some things are just out of our control. Shift your attitude from being controlling to being able to adapt to any situation life throws at you; roll with the punches.
16. Spend time with kids If you have children, they can be so tiring and at times infuriating. But, remember that they’re yours, spend time with them on their school projects, and you might see something in them that you recognize as being part of your personality.
17. Listen to classical music Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, the three most famous classical music writers. Their splendid tones and complex yet calming notes are a window to a distant land of birdsong and long open meadows.