Stress can have negative impacts on both our mental and physical health. That’s why it’s essential to have strategies to help us stay calm and centered when we feel overwhelmed. In this article, we will explore ten effective ways to manage stress and maintain a sense of calmness in our daily lives.
Breathe In
Breathing is one of the main tenants of meditation, so it should be no surprise that focusing on your breath helps regulate your emotions. The first thing it does is distracts you from stressful situations.
Additionally, focusing on slowly inhaling and exhaling activates your parasympathetic nervous system. This is the network of nerves that helps relaxes your body during stressful or dangerous situations.
Meditate Every Day
Meditation is one of the best science-backed ways to reduce your stress levels. Not only does a 10-minute a-day meditation reduce your built-up stress and anxiety, but it also makes you more resilient to stress in general.
Talk to Yourself
Though this may seem counter-intuitive, talking to yourself can be a calming exercise when you’re under stressful conditions. A study at Michigan State University has found that speaking yourself in the third person allows you to psychologically distance yourself from the situation to regain control.
Get Sleep
Sleep deprivation builds an alarming amount of stress and anxiety, and too many all-nighters can even damage your brain and reduce your cognitive control.
Getting a decent night of sleep can help your mind stay sharp.
Get Excited
A Harvard University study found that you can’t force yourself to be calm. Getting excited, though, prepares you for the possible positive things in the future. Try whispering, “I am excited,” instead, and see how you feel.
Mentally Distancing Yourself
Toxic behavior is an unfortunate part of many work cultures, whether that be a high-maintenance boss or a bullying worker. The “fly on the wall” method helps you self-distance on reflection and in the heat of the moment.
Behavioral scientists have found that reflecting on angry experiences from a distanced perspective, like a fly on the wall, takes you out of the victim role and allows you to see the broader point of view. Once you’re able to do this in the moment, this method can aid you in controlling your anger and stress levels.
Take Mental Breaks
Our bodies, especially our minds, have limits. Though you may be working on a tight deadline or balancing a thousand things at once, scientists have found that “deactivating” your goal by switching tasks actually helps your work performance.
If you focus too intensely on a task, you only build up more stress. Taking short breaks to read the news, fill out a crossword puzzle, or even go for a walk can make you more effective at reaching your goals.
Exercise
Exercise isn’t only great for your physical health but has also been found to improve your parasympathetic nervous system activity. On top of this, exercise also increases the number of endorphins, the hormones that make your brain feel happy and your body produces.
One of the most relaxing exercises is yoga, but you can do anything from a brisk walk to an intense hour of pilates. A thing to note before doing intense exercise is that you want a gradual increase in heart rate so your parasympathetic nervous system will get used to this rate of increase.
Listen to Music
Music has a profound effect on the brain, and experts have found that plugging in your headphones and playing your favorite song can immediately calm your mind and body.
The music can take you out of this jolting moment and remind your brain of the happiness you feel when listening to the song.
Create a Routine
A chaotic schedule and lack of routine can worsen feelings of distress. Creating structure and, eventually, a daily and weekly flow helps your body feel stable, avoiding the overwhelming feeling. The first step you should do is to set a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.
After you’ve got these times set, try incorporating a morning walk after you’ve woken up. This will help set your circadian clock for that day and help your parasympathetic nervous system warm-up.
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