Get active
Virtually any form of physical activity can serve as a stress reliever. Even if you're not an athlete or out of shape, exercise can be a good stress reliever.
Physical activity can boost your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that increase your sense of well-being. Exercise can also make you refocus on the movements of your body, which can improve your mood and help the irritations of the day subside. Go for a walk, jog, work in the yard, clean the house, ride your bike, swim, lift weights or do anything else that gets you active.
Eat healthy
Eating healthy is an important part of self-care. Eat as many fruits, vegetables and whole grains as possible.
Avoid unhealthy habits
Some people cope with stress by drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, smoking, eating too much, or using illegal substances. These habits can be harmful to your health.
Meditate
When you meditate, you focus your attention on yourself and silence the flood of thoughts that flood your mind and cause stress. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health.
Guided meditation, guided imagery, visualization, and other forms of meditation can be practiced anywhere and at any time, whether you're taking a walk, riding the bus to work, or waiting at the doctor's office. You can also try deep breathing anywhere.
Laugh more
A good sense of humor can't cure all ailments, but it can help you feel better, even if you have to force a fake laugh through your grumpiness. When you laugh, it not only relieves your psyche, but it also causes positive physical changes in your body. Laughter spurs your stress response and then cools it down. So read some jokes, tell some jokes, watch a comedy or get together with your funny friends. Or try laughter yoga.
Connect with others
When you're stressed and irritable, you may feel most like isolating yourself. Instead, seek out family and friends and socialize.
Social contact is a good stress reliever because it can distract, provide support and help you endure life's ups and downs. So take a coffee break with a friend, email a relative, or visit your place of worship.
Do you have more time? Consider volunteering for a nonprofit organization to help yourself while helping others.
Stand your ground
Assert yourself
You may want to do it all, but you can't, at least not without paying a price. Learning to say no or being willing to delegate tasks can help you better manage your to-do list and stress.
Saying yes seems like an easy way to keep the peace, avoid conflict, and get the job done right. But it can lead to internal conflict as your needs and those of your family take second place, which can lead to stress, anger, resentment, and even a desire for revenge. And that's not exactly a calm and peaceful response.
Try yoga
With a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises, yoga is a popular stress relief tool. Yoga combines physical and mental disciplines that can help you calm down physically and mentally. Yoga can help you relax and manage stress and anxiety.
Try yoga on your own or find a class - classes are available in most communities. Hat ha yoga, in particular, is a good stress reliever because of its slower pace and easier movements.
Get enough sleep
Stress can cause you to have trouble falling asleep. If you have too much to do - and too much to think about - your sleep can suffer. But sleep is the time when your brain and body recover.
And the quality and amount of sleep you get can affect your mood, energy levels, concentration and overall performance. If you suffer from sleep problems, make sure you have a quiet, relaxing bedtime, listen to soothing music, put away clocks and stick to a set schedule.
Keep a diary
Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a great way to release pent-up emotions. Don't think about what to write - just let it happen. Write whatever comes to mind. No one else has to read it, so don't strive for perfection in grammar and spelling.
Just let your thoughts flow onto the paper - or computer screen. When you're done, you can throw away what you've written or save it to think about later.
Get musical and creative
Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever because it provides a mental distraction, reduces muscle tension, and decreases stress hormones. Turn up the volume and let the music take over your mind.
If you're not interested in music, turn to another hobby you enjoy, such as gardening, sewing, sketching - anything that requires you to focus on what you're doing at the moment
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