These days many people have stressful days. With the pressures of home, work, financial worries and the wide variety of other problems people can face, it is not unusual to have several stressful days each week. Chronic stress can cause major health problems as well as sapping your energy, affecting your productivity, and limiting your ability to enjoy life. If you find yourself having a stressful day try one of these quick stress relievers for a few minutes. You might be surprised how taking just a few moments and focusing on a stress relief technique can change your whole day.
Call a Friend
Take a break for a few moments and phone a friend. Either someone you can use as a sounding board or just to have a friendly conversation and take your mind off the stressful situation. A simple distraction from thinking about the stressful situation may allow you to refocus.
Take a Few minutes for Physical Activity
Go for a short walk or do some mild stretching. Even a short burst of physical activity can release endorphins into your system that can counteract stress hormones. A few minutes of physical activity will give you a break and a chance to re-energize your mind and body.
Deep Breathing Routine
A few minutes of deep breathing can increase the oxygen supply to your whole body and help you relax. Take a deep breath all the way to your diaphragm, hold it for a few seconds and slowly breathe out. Repeat this ten or fifteen times and you will lower your heart rate, clear your mind, and give your body and brain an oxygen boost.
Take in a Little Nature
Many people find sitting outdoors or getting a little fresh air soothing. Even if you cannot go outside, you can get nearly the same effect from lush plants in your office or even concentrating on calm nature scene in a picture. Imagine yourself in a peaceful nature setting and try to feel the cool breezes and the wind through the trees. Focusing on a nature scene can have a very calming effect.
Find Something to Laugh At
Keep a few favorite comics in your desk or a funny family photo and take a few moments to relive the funny memory or find a web site where you can get a good laugh. Just like exercise, laughter can have a dampening effect on stress hormones, help you relax, and remind you of the good things in life.
Rethink Your Attitude
Sometimes short circuiting the stress reaction can be as easy as getting some perspective. You need to ask yourself whether the thing you are stressed about is truly a disaster or just a momentary problem that you are not handling well. Sometimes fatigue or chronic stress can cause a distortion in perspective. Rethinking the long-term consequences of the stressful event may help you realize that what you are worrying about will resolve itself quickly and your frustration is just pointless and harmful.
When you suffer from everyday stress taking just a few moments and concentrating on a stress reliving technique can give you a chance to break the stress cycle and get some relief. Anything you can do to relieve stress will make you much healthier and more productive. Don’t give in to the cycle of chronic stress, instead focus on the positive and let things go at the end of the day.
