7 Practical Tips To Reduce Stress

Stress is a condition that many people struggle with today. Our lifestyles are getting busier, which also makes us more and more stressed. However, there are many remedies that can help counteract this. Below you can find 7 practical tips to reduce your stress.

Practical advice to reduce stress

1. Take deep breaths instead of shallow breaths

Deep breathing is the first of the pieces of advice to reduce stress. This can help reduce stress and provide your brain with oxygen, which helps you focus. The majority of people don’t know how to take deep breaths and therefore take shallow breaths, which can lead to hyperventilation.

Place your hand at the level of your stomach and bring your abdomen into a neutral position. Then take a deep breath and watch your belly and chest rise. As you do this, think about your breathing.

Imagine your lungs filling with air or imagine the air flowing in through your nostrils. Then hold your breath for three seconds and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat five times. Doing this three times a day can help reduce your stress level significantly.

Many people take breathing for granted, but it is an integral part of the stress reduction strategy and should not be ignored. The most important thing is that you take your mind away from what is causing you stress and taking a deep breath is the perfect solution for that.

2. Relaxing the muscles

Choose a muscle group that you slowly tense and then relax again. This is an important stress reduction exercise and serves two purposes: it can help relax your muscles (which will be more tense due to stress) naturally,  and it can clear your mind by focusing on something else.

You stretch muscle groups by tensing them for 5 to 10 seconds, and then completely relaxing them. You can do this for different muscle groups. You choose which muscles you want to focus on. For example, start with your feet and ankles, and then stretch your wrists, arms and shoulders. Finally, don’t forget your neck and face.

To relax your back muscles, lie on your back with your hips and knees bent. Then drop your legs left and right until they touch the floor. You can also pull your knees all the way towards you (so that your back arches) to relax.

3. Connect yourself to the world

Another piece of advice to reduce stress is to connect yourself with the world. Just sitting down while distracted by the stress, hoping it will go away on its own, may just make it worse. The trick is in the world around you.

Imagine doing a concrete activity that brings you back to reality. This can help remind you that all is well and not to worry. Clear your mind by doing chores around your house like cleaning, doing laundry, organizing your chest of drawers, etc.

You can also read, solve a crossword puzzle, call a friend,  or hold an anti-stress ball or other object in your hand to focus on. There are plenty of examples, as long as you are not alone at home and/or watching TV.

4. Replacing Thoughts

Replacement techniques have been around for many years, but they only work if you know how to use them. Whenever you have a negative thought that is causing you stress, you have to tell yourself “stop”.

Write the thought down and then find an alternative thought. Alternative thoughts are easy, more rational thoughts that can bring you more peace of mind. They can help you see the bigger picture.

For example, if you think you will be fired from your job because you were late for a very important meeting, you should immediately stop this thought and replace it with a more rational thought.

For example: “I’m only human and you can’t always predict heavy traffic. My self-esteem is not based on myself as the perfect employee.”

5. Guided Fantasy

Another piece of advice to reduce stress is to use your imagination. Close your eyes and think of a safe place where it is peaceful and quiet. This could be your house, the beach or a forest. It could also be the presence of someone you love or your favorite pet.

Then imagine you are in this place and embrace this experience with open arms. What do you see, hear, smell? Be specific and go deeper and deeper into the details of this image until you feel your stress level drop. Try to do this twice a day.

6. Accept fear

Accepting the symptoms of stress is a first step toward reducing its power over you. Accept that you have fears and take a look at your negative thoughts. Are these dangerous or uncomfortable?

In the majority of cases, stress is anticipatory. It can arise because you have a fear of things that will happen in the future or even will never happen. Don’t think there’s a hidden danger somewhere because you’re stressed. Stress can distort your thoughts and make you think in such a wrong way.

7. Movement

Everyone knows that exercise can release endorphins. These can make you feel good emotionally. Exercise doesn’t just mean intense cardio training or spending three hours in the gym every day. It means you need to be as active as possible. For example, walk for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.

You can also run, cycle, race walk, play tennis, golf, etc. Or consider taking yoga or pilates classes. The more active you are, the better you may feel.

If you are addicted to TV, it will be much more difficult to improve your emotional state and reduce stress. The next time you are under stress, remember the above advice to reduce stress and try to apply them.