6 Ways to Reduce Stress
by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD
1) Deep Breathing
Focusing on deep, slow breaths with your eyes closed can really help you regain your composure and relax the body. Similar to a deep breath you’d take during physical stress (exercise), you can do the same with mental/emotional stress.
2) Talk It Out
Reach out to a close friend or family member and get things off your chest, even if they’re just a listening ear without any input. It’s not healthy to bottle things up. You need some kind of an outlet.
3) Exercise
Working out can increase your “feel good” hormone production, which reduces stress. A highly intense workout can help release negative energy, while a causal walk can give you some mental clarity.
4) Laugh! And Do It Often
Laughing can help lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
5) Listen to Music
This can be ANY GENRE YOU LOVE! Don’t let people tell you that your “angry” music will make you angrier. (I hear this a lot and it drives me crazy.) If you love heavy metal, then listen to heavy metal. If you love country, listen to country. Personally, when I’m having a bad day, Five Finger Death Punch’s “Under and Over It” does the trick.
6) Face the Fact That You Can’t Control Everything
Sometimes you just have to walk away and move on from a situation because no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to change the outcome. There’s no use in stressing about it, especially if you know you tried to handle it as best you could. You can’t change people, and you can’t help those who don’t want to be helped. So just let it go.
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