Life is wonderful and stressful and everything in between! What if you could destress, reset & recharge in about a minute anytime you needed it? Well, you can! Here’s how …
The next time you feel stressed out, try these quick tips from health and productivity experts, who report that destressing can help you improve your sleep, mood and overall health! Best of all, these stress-relief techniques are simple and can produce calming results in approximately 60 seconds or less (of course the benefits tend to increase the longer you practice them).
1. Destress with a stick of gum!
Researchers discovered that the act of chewing gum sends more blood to your brain and can help “distract us from stressors.” Surprised? (We were!) Keep a pack of your favorite gum handy throughout the day, saving it for a quick stress-relief boost.
2. Relax with a warm beverage.
Researchers at the University of Michigan suggest you destress by spending a few moments enjoying a hot drink. Choose something without caffeine or alcohol because they will only amplify your stressful feelings. An herbal tea, hot water, or warm milk should do the trick!
3. Calm your mind with peaceful visualization.
The doctors at The Mayo Clinic recommend destressing with a simple visualization exercise. Close your eyes and imagine you are sitting in a peaceful place you love in nature: a forest, a river, a beautiful field or the ocean. Try to recall the sights, smells and feel of that place. This powerful, sensory-loaded exercise can quickly calm your body and mind.
4. Feel better with laughter!
Like a funny-but-effective reset button, laughing can help fix inflamed arteries, boost “good” cholesterol and reduce stress levels. The next time you feel stressed, read a joke, watch a funny video or call a friend who makes you laugh.
5. Make a “brain dump” to-do list.
Mindfulness expert Maria Gonzalez has discovered that writing down your unfinished tasks in a quick “brain dump” can help you feel more in control of your anxieties. Stress can scatter your thoughts and make it hard to think clearly about solutions. The act of making a to-do list in your planner can help you focus & destress quickly.
6. Calm stressful thoughts with positive self-talk.
The American Heart Association recommends turning stressful thoughts into positive thoughts. For example, if you have the thought “I don’t have enough time,” try rephrasing that negative thought with positive self-talk and say to yourself, “I can find more time by adjusting my priorities or asking for help.” Try reading your favorite motivational quotes to jumpstart positive self-talk whenever you have stressful thoughts.
7. Destress with the magic of music.
Have you ever heard a song that instantly dissolves the tension in your body? There’s something to that! Music has the power to destress an anxious brain and help your muscles relax. Consider creating a “destress playlist” of your favorite songs that induce calm, happy feelings in you. The next time you need to destress fast, press play & feel the tension melt away!
8. Unwind with aromatherapy.
Have you ever smelled a flower, candle or essential oil and thought “that’s what happiness smells like”? Keep a stash of happy scents in your home, office, car, wherever you spend a lot of time. Counselors at Purdue University recommend aromatherapy as a healthy, destressing technique. Jasmine, lavender and lemon scents are great for managing stress.
9. Use a stress-free timer.
As you try these quick and simple stress-reducing techniques, you may find yourself wanting to spend more than a minute on them to enjoy more of their peaceful and positive benefits. Go for it! Try using a serene, stress-free Designer Hourglass to set aside 10, 15, even 20 minutes for yourself whenever you need to unplug, destress & recharge.
10. Jot thankful thoughts in a journal.
There’s no denying the power of journaling and gratitude. That’s probably why our Gratitude Journal is a best seller. While it’s easy to get caught up in life’s stressful moments, it’s also easy to spend 60 seconds or less answering a gratitude prompt or two. Even reading past journal entries and reliving moments, people & things you’re grateful for feels good, can reduce stress and help you develop a more positive perspective.
Once you’ve tried these quick stress relief techniques & resolved a stressful situation, write about them in your journal to expand the positive benefits, which can include better sleep, increased creativity and so much more!
Unsplash Photos by Radu Florin, Sean O.
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