8 Tips on How to Destress

Let's talk about stress. We all know that feeling—the tightness in your chest, the racing thoughts, the overwhelming sense of unease. Stress is a part of life, and in small doses, it can even be beneficial, spurring us into action and helping us navigate life's challenges.

The Impact of Stress

When stress becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can wreak havoc on our health and well-being. Chronic stress can cause headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, fatigue, or even heart attacks. Mentally, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and burnout, making it difficult to enjoy life and pursue our passions.

The good news is you can learn how to manage your stress instead of allowing it to control your life. Yes, stress is inevitable, but reducing your stress is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Stress Management Strategies

Here are a few tried-and-true strategies to help you navigate life's ups and downs:

1. 🧘 Meditate

Mediation is the practice of inward-focused thought that relaxes the mind and body combined with deep breathing exercises. It's been proved that it can reduce high blood pressure and even heart disease.

Meditating for just five minutes a day can help ease your mind and improve your focus when done consistently.

2. 🌟 WOOP

WOOP is a tool that you can use to promote positive thinking and reduce stress. WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan; the idea is to think of something that you want, visualize the obstacle, and come up with a plan to overcome that obstacle and get the outcome you want.

3. 🔢 Count

Doing something as simple as counting can help keep your mind busy and allow you time to calm yourself down. It can help divert negative thoughts and/or emotions by making you focus on something other than what's making you stressed or angry.

4. 🎤 The Three S’s

Sing, sigh, and scream. Stress is a result of letting your emotions build-up without having an outlet for them. One of the best ways to relieve this pent-up energy is by letting out a scream.

If you are in public when your stress shows its face, then sigh. Each sigh releases any tension in your body. If that doesn’t work, move on to singing. Singing your favorite song can release oxytocin and endorphins, allowing you to feel less stressed and more joyful.

5. 📵 Unplug

Turn off your devices and leave them behind for a day. When all you see on social media is negative news, it can really take a toll on your mental health and increase your stress level.

6. 🌈 Visualize

Find a quiet space and take just a few minutes to imagine something that makes you happy, maybe it's your favorite place to visit or someone you love. Whatever it is, revel in the moment and feel the happiness build up inside you and displace your stress.

7. 🚶‍♂️ Take a Walk

Exercise is known to be a great stress reliever. Some people say they may not have the time to jam it into their schedule, but even if it's ten minutes a day, it’s enough to get your heart beating and clear your head.

8. 😂 Laugh

It's been said that laughing can decrease your stress hormones. Think about something that puts a smile on your face. Make it easily accessible in your head and let out a good laugh. Once you start, you'll immediately start to feel better.

By incorporating these simple strategies into your daily routine, you can keep stress in check and embrace each day with a renewed sense of calm and clarity. Hope this helps!

Mark

What do you want to hear more about?

Let me know what topics you're interested in, and I'll do my best to include them in future blogs! Email me at mark@outbackoil.com