No matter the source, whether it be road rage, work meetings that make us anxious, or simply feeling overwhelmed – there are ways to alleviate stress that don’t involve medication – though often we get caught up in our day-to-day lives and neglect taking the necessary steps until it’s too late.
Why Is Stress Relief Essential? There’s a Reason? So It Is Important To Practice Stress Reliever Techniques: Here Are Five Techniques You Haven’t Tried Yet:
1. Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is an effective stress relief technique that doesn’t require equipment and can be practiced any time or place. It works by increasing oxygen in your blood and activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
Deeper breathing also reduces your heart rate and blood pressure, helping ease any pain you might be feeling and even helping you sleep more soundly at night.
Breathing deeply soothes your sympathetic nervous system, which controls your fight-or-flight response to stress. Deep breathing also helps calm the part of your nervous system responsible for activating cortisol and adrenaline stress hormones, thus decreasing their production.
2. Counting
Counting can help prevent your mind from wandering during times of pressure, while simultaneously providing an effective means of relaxation and decreasing anxiety levels.
No matter if it’s in your mind or out loud, slow breathing is integral for this technique to work effectively. Begin slowly and count out loud until your mind relaxes.
Counting is one of the primary skills a child learns. This process includes understanding number word sequence, using only one number word per item counted and understanding that the final number stated represents numerosity (quantity). It also encompasses many other ideas and skills.
3. Yoga
Yoga is an ancient mind-body practice designed to relieve stress through breathing and meditation, known to improve mood, emotions and self-esteem as well as increase muscle tone, endurance and strength. Regular practice of Yoga has been known to significantly lower stress levels while increasing self-esteem, muscle tone and endurance strength.
Yoga helps build friendliness and compassion as well as equanimity and self-control, according to Houston Methodist medical director of psychiatry Corinna Keenmon. All these qualities can assist with managing stress and anxiety more effectively.
Yoga has been shown to lower high blood pressure and heart disease risk factors. Furthermore, it keeps spinal disks supple – helping lower herniated disc risk as well as nerve compression risk.
4. Meditation
Meditation is an evidence-based mind/body practice which has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and pain while increasing empathy, peace and focus.
Meditation teaches people to calm their minds and concentrate on a particular object, image or mantra. Additionally, it trains their attention when their thoughts wander off course.
Meditation can be one of the best stress-relief techniques you can employ for yourself. Meditation has been proven to reduce blood pressure and boost immune system functioning among other benefits.
To meditate effectively, find a quiet place without distractions such as television or music and try different meditation styles until one meets your individual needs.
5. Massage
Massage stimulates the release of endorphins and feel-good hormones that promote relaxation, relieving stress by lowering heart rate, relaxing muscles and decreasing feelings of anxiety or depression.
Massage can also help alleviate pain caused by tension and knots in soft tissues. Reducing tension through massage increases energy levels while improving posture – ultimately making you more flexible.
If you haven’t experienced a massage yet, why not give it a try? You will be amazed at just how beneficial massage therapy can be to your body, mind, and overall health.