10 Tips for Reducing Stress
Here I have gathered together all of our favourite stress busting tips to help you!
Tip 1: Just breathe
When we are feeling stressed we take short, shallow, fast breaths. By taking control of your breathing and slowing it down you can stop your stress response from taking over. My favourite technique is called 7/11 breathing. Breathe in for the count of 7 and breathe out for the count of 11. Give it a try – you’ll feel so much more relaxed!
Tip 2: Hit the pause button
When things start to feel overwhelming, when you feel the stress rising, hit your internal pause button and take a breath. Hit the pause button like you do when you’re watching Netflix. This small action is often all that is needed to give us the time to think, to stop ourselves from acting without thinking, to see a different perspective. Give it a try next time you feel the build up and see what difference it makes for you.
Tip 3: Take a walk in nature
There have been many studies done on the connection between our mental wellbeing and our interactions with nature. Being outdoors boosts levels of our feel good hormone serotonin helping to lift our spirits. Walking is a therapeutic activity in itself and we often drift off into a light trance giving our brain the space it needs to process the events of the day. Try and fit in a walk everyday – even if it’s just for 5 minutes – and see the difference it makes.
Tip 4: Start a gratitude journal
Writing down something you are grateful for everyday helps our brains to focus on what we have rather than what we don’t have, shifting us away from negative thinking. his simple act has been shown through many scientific studies to have a huge impact on our levels of stress and anxiety. So find a notebook or diary and start your gratitude journal today!
Tip 5: Do something different
It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut, feeling like we are going through the motions, especially when we are feeling stressed. When we do something new our brain releases an extra shot of our feel good hormone, serotonin, giving us a real buzz and a feeling of motivation. And doing new activities often means we meet new people, learn new skills or knowledge and find new opportunities. So what will you do differently this week?
Tip 6: Get a good nights sleep
1 in 3 of us don’t get enough sleep and that starts to have an impact on our stress levels. Sleep has two functions – restoring our mind and our body – and when it goes wrong it can often leave us feeling more tired than when we went to bed! Take time away from phone or tablet screens to wind down before bed You’ll sleep deeper
Tip 7: Take a break
It is not a selfish act to look after ourselves. There is a reason that in-flight safety briefings tell us to put our own oxygen masks on before helping others. If we don’t take care of ourselves first then we’ll be in no fit state to help those around us. So take the time to have a break. We all know we feel better and function better after we’ve taken a short break. So whether you book a short weekend away, or commit to actually taking your lunch break, do something this week to give yourself a break.
Tip 8: Exercise!
Exercise isn’t just about improving our physical health, it also improves our mental health. Just 20 minutes of gentle exercise (that’s a walk to you and me!) releases lots of our lovely feel good hormone, serotonin and another chemical called BDNF which holds the serotonin in your brain for longer giving you a double whammy of feel good factor, combating the stress of the day.
Tip 9: Take a relaxing bath
At the end of a stressful day what better way to relax than a lovely bath? Try using some essential oils to lift your spirits and wash away the stress of the day, or add some Epsom salts to give your body a detox.
Tip 10: Just dance!
Go on, no one is watching! Put the music on loud and dance around the house like you did when you were a kid! I guarantee you’ll be smiling before the end of the first song!
