Stress is something that we have to deal with on a daily basis, whether it is at work, school or when dealing with people. It is impossible to avoid stress completely. However, there are ways to manage our stress level. It is important to find out what works best for you in reducing your stress level, as we are all wired differently in our senses and brain structures.
Stress management does not need to be something fancy like going for a vacation, a shopping spree or a fancy dinner. Here are some practical and humble tips that you could try out:
1. Practice deep breathing
Breathing slowly and deeply can help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Here’s how you can try deep breathing:
i. Place one hand on your belly.
ii. Try to breathe in as deep as you can.
iii. As you breathe in, breathe in from your belly, you should feel your belly rising.
iv. Hold your breath for 5 seconds.
v. Then, exhale through your mouth slowly until all the air is exhaled. Imagine that you are exhaling all of your stress and worries.
vi. As you breathe out, feel your belly lowers.
vii. Repeat for at least 5 minutes.
The result might not be instant, it might take a few minutes to kick in but you could definitely feel the difference – you will get this sudden clarity in your head as more oxygen rich blood is pumped to all parts of your body especially the brain, and your anxiety/ stress will be reduced.
Deep breathing is our nervous system’s love language. — Dr. Lauren Fogel Mersy
2. Allocate time to have enough of sleep
Sleep regulates our mood. With 7 to 9 hours of sleep, we will have clearer clarity and sharper brain functions like learning, critical thinking, memory and decision making. Research has also identified that sleep can have profound effects on our emotional and mental health.
We should practice good sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is defined as behaviors that one can do to help promote good sleep using behavioral interventions. Here’s what you can do to have better sleep hygiene:
Maintaining a regular bedtime and wake time
Before bedtime, find out what works for you to wind down, such as reading, lighting a candle, journaling, deep breathing, reflecting on your day, etc
Avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine in the evening
Dimming lights
Staying away from electronic devices for an hour or more before bed
Decluttering your bedroom for maximum comfort
Getting good quality mattresses, pillows and sheets for maximum comfort
3. Move around/ workout
When you move around or exercise, the part of your brain that involves the pleasure and the reward system is activated. More levels of endorphins (happy hormones) is released and therefore making you feel good and reducing your stress level. Here are some tips:
Putting on some happy music and dancing around.
Taking your dog for a walk.
Walking to the grocery store.
Using the stairs at home or work rather than the lift.
Parking your car in far away from the entrance and walking the rest of the way.
Pairing up with an exercise partner and encouraging each other as you work out.
Playing badminton or an activity-based video game with your friends or kids.
4. Make time for fun and activities you enjoy
Most people are too busy in life and could not really make time for fun, “me” time or other relaxing activities. However, incorporating fun in our lives helps to reduce stress and divert your attention from your stressors for a while. It keeps us happy too, though it could be a short while, but these could be the things that could carry you throughout the day.
Here’s what you could try out:
Anything! It could be a hobby or anything that you wish to try out!
Sometimes self care is exercising and eating right. Sometimes it’s spending time with loved ones or taking a nap. And sometimes it’s watching an entire season of TV in one weekend while you lounge around in your pajamas. Whatever soothes your soul. — Nanea Hoffman
5. Talk to or hang out with a friend
Talking to or just spending time with a friend not only helps us to clear out our cluttered mind, but also it deepens the relationships as you get vulnerable. As you bond or connect with someone, oxytocin is secreted in the body. Oxytocin is a hormone that is called the "love drug" or "love hormone", typically linked to warm, fuzzy feelings and shown in research to lower stress and anxiety. That is why after spending time and bonding with someone, we feel positive and connected, and this helps to regulate our stress level.
Here are some tips for building relationships:
Reaching out to a colleague at work.
Helping someone else by volunteering.
Having lunch or coffee with a friend.
Asking a loved one to check in with you regularly.
Accompanying someone to the movies or a concert.
Calling an old friend.
Going for a walk with a neighbour.
Scheduling a weekly dinner date.
Meeting new people by taking a class or joining a club.
6. Engage your 5 senses
Our 5 senses – sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch play an important role in helping us to relive in the present moment, which helps a lot in reducing our stress level. As we focus in the present moment, our focus will not be in the past and in the future, hence no stress, anxiety and depression. In other words, it is also known as mindfulness – being mindful of your 5 senses, emotions, thoughts and surroundings.
We are all wired differently and respond differently to each of our sensory organs. Hence, go and discover, and explore which sensory works best for you and helps you to unwind the most.
Here’s what you could try:
Sight: Viewing a favorite photo, looking at nature
Hearing: Listening to music that calms you, listening to soundtrack of nature
Smell: Smelling ground coffee, lighting scented candles
Taste: Drinking hot soup, drinking hot chocolate
Touch: Touching a pet, putting on comfy clothes
7. Reassess your to-do list
Having a long to-do list will definitely tense you out. Try to pare down your to-do list –
Do those that are urgent
Delay those that do not need to be handled right away and schedule to do them when you are available
Delegate those that others could help you with
Delete unnecessary tasks from your to do list and move on
Know that it takes time and practice to find the best ways that work for you. Go explore and learn something new about yourself to manage your stress level! Remember that managing our stress level to a manageable level is essential to ensure the robustness of our mental health.
Sincerely yours,
Kim
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