What is stress? It is nothing but an imbalance of energy, partly conscious and partly subconscious. The energy you spend focusing on negativity and fear is directly proportional to your stress level. Instead, focus on positive steps that will help calm your mind, soothe your soul, and relieve stress.
11 Quick Tips for Stress Relief
Read on for a few effective stress relief techniques. If you find yourself stressed and not sure what to do, try applying some of these methods.
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Find Peace Through Forgiveness
If there’s someone who has hurt you or wronged you in some way, and you haven’t forgiven them, your stress level will inevitably be greater than it should be. The higher path of the spirit is to be at peace with the universe and with all our fellow beings. None of us are perfect and we all have reasons for acting the way we do. Strive for a state of acceptance and understanding of others, despite their negative behavior or difficult nature. And don’t forget to go easy on yourself too! How many times have you chastised yourself for making a poor decision, lashing out at others, being clumsy, or running late for a meeting? Most mistakes we make won’t affect us in the long run. In fact, by recognizing the value in our own folly, we can learn some of life’s most valuable lessons! Learn to let things go and be generous and kind to yourself and others.
“To err is human, to forgive, divine.”
― Alexander Pope
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Choose Positive Emotions
You are the pilot of your own course in life. When you find yourself automatically being guided toward the emotion of anger, for example, wait a few seconds and ask yourself if it would better serve you to change course! The ability to choose more positive emotions is something all of us have, but it’s like a muscle that needs regular exercise in order to serve us best. When you focus on flexing this muscle, you will learn better patience and your emotions will enhance your life instead of controlling it. This can also help you maintain healthy boundaries with yourself and others. Make only the commitments you know you can keep without stressing yourself out. Learn when to say no when you’re uncomfortable. Respect your time, energy, and resources. Take care of your physical needs by getting enough rest and proper fuel.
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Prayer for Stress Relief
Prayer is something that can help you on a daily basis. In times of stress, consistently calling on your higher power can be extremely helpful.
“Prayer breaks all bars, dissolves all chains, opens all prisons, and widens all straits by which God’s saints have been held.”
M. Bounds
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Relieve Stress With Energy Healing
Energetic imbalances such as trapped emotions – the remnants of trauma that have become stuck in the body – can lead us to unconsciously choose certain feelings, thoughts and expectations. Try an energy psychology technique such as the Emotion Code® or the Body Code™ to help reset patterns, and allow the mind to focus on the positive instead!
Using these methods, you can release emotional baggage, help restore peace to your subconscious, and correct physical imbalances too. This can lower your stress level by quickly getting straight to the underlying causes of negative emotional choices and nagging, negative thoughts. Removing these underlying causes of stress will also help your physical body to heal and function optimally, providing you with more energy to fulfill your commitments, meet your deadlines, and create a state of acceptance and forgiveness on a daily basis. The Emotion Code and the Body Code are easy to use and effectively achieve lasting results in balancing the mind, body, and spirit!
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Eat Nutritious Foods
Never underestimate the power of good nutrition! Healthy nutrition supports your brain function and can be an important step towards reacting more positively in stressful situations. When our bodies are stressed, cutting down on foods that cause inflammation, such as sugar and processed foods, can be helpful. Choosing to instead eat whole, nutrient-dense foods can lower cortisol levels in the body, leading to less stress! Magnesium is especially helpful in helping the body process cortisol, so when you need some extra support try eating these magnesium-rich foods:
- Avocados
- Pumpkin seeds
- Spinach and other leafy greens
- Dark chocolate
- Bananas
- Cashews, peanuts, and almonds
- Edamame
- Figs
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Try Herbal Supplements to Relieve Stress
If you aren’t able to get enough of a particular nutrient or vitamin in your diet then supplementation can be really helpful! In times of increased stress our bodies need support, and these supplements can reduce stress levels.
Some great supplements that may reduce stress levels are:
- Ashwagandha
- Epsom Salt Baths
- Magnesium
- L-Theanine amino acid
- B vitamins
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Find Time for Self Care
When you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed, it can be hard to take time to slow down! You might feel like the best way to feel better is to get everything done as soon as possible. However, sometimes dealing with your stress first can be a better way to tackle your tasks.
Set aside time to do something that recharges you. It could be as simple as watching an episode of television, taking a walk, or going to a coffee shop to meet with a friend. When we do this, it can be helpful for gaining perspective and recharging. Then, when you return to what you need to get done, you’ll have the energy to do it!
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Get More Sleep
Worries and negative thoughts can keep you up at night, but lack of sleep will only worsen your stress! Try to get more hours of rest instead. Try winding down a few hours before bed by turning off any screens, drinking some herbal tea, listening to calming music, practicing gentle yoga, meditating, taking a bath, or anything else that helps you calm your mind before bed. Having a consistent nighttime routine will help signal to your brain ‘you can relax now.’ Retiring to bed and waking up at the same time every day can also be very helpful for resetting your sleep schedule and making sure you get enough rest.
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”
— Irish Proverb
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Laugh More for Stress Relief
It may sound silly, but laughter actually causes positive physical changes in your body! Laughing engages and then calms your stress response. So, when you’re feeling stressed, try hanging out with your funniest friends, watching a comedy, reading jokes, or listening to stand-up comedy!
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Exercise to Relieve Stress
Movement is a great way to help your body deal with stress! Exercise can increase your overall health and sense of well-being. When you exercise, your brain is flooded with endorphins. Studies have found that regularly engaging in exercise decreases tension, elevates and stabilizes mood, and improves sleep. Even just five to ten minutes of aerobic exercise can have these wonderful stress-reducing benefits!
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Meditate for Stress-Busting Benefits
Meditation is an amazing way to calm your mind. Meditation can help train your mind to focus on a certain thought, so when you’re spiraling into stress over something you might be more able to redirect your attention to positivity and calm. Deep breathing can have a similar calming effect. These practices calm the nervous system and can have a lasting impact on your stress levels throughout the day.
“Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and our feelings.”
— Arianna Huffington
“Hormones are the messengers of the body and they send signals to our cells, allowing us to respond to the environment. Hormones are released by glands in the body, more specifically, by the HPA axis i.e. the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis. When a signal comes in from the outside, it is the hypothalamus that receives the signal, and relays it to the pituitary and adrenal glands. When the body receives signals of ‘danger’, ‘stress’, or ‘overload’, the body responds by increasing the stress response. This results in the blood moving away from the organs and glands to the arms and legs, in preparation for a ‘fight or flight’ response. When the body receives a signal that says all is well, the response is to supply the organs and glands with blood. This supports growth and repair in the body. The high stress response results in lowered immunity while the low stress response produces increased immunity.
Emotions are energy, as are our glands and organs. As we interact with our environment we experience emotions, some of these emotions can get trapped in the body. These trapped energies can imbalance the HPA axis.
The emotions we experience or pick up (even inherited from our parents at the point of conception) can get trapped anywhere in the body, and wherever they are trapped will ‘interfere’ with the frequency of the body. This too can impact the body’s stress response via the HPA axis to the environment. Of course, it is necessary to have balance in our lives and it isn’t possible to completely eliminate stress, as it is in all areas of our lives. Stress isn’t a good or bad thing — it just is. The main point here is that we can release these trapped emotions using the Emotion Code and the Body Code, allowing the body to live more in harmony with the signals that we are receiving from our environment.”
No matter what is causing you stress, these suggestions can help support your mental and physical health so you can better deal with stressful times. We also recommend speaking with a professional therapist or counselor if these measures aren’t sufficient or you need additional support.
