08 Oct The 10 Best Ways To Relieve Your Stress In 5 Minutes Or Less
Feeling stressed because you’re short on time? Or stressed because you don’t have time to destress? All you need is five minutes!
A quick reset and a chance to unwind don’t have to eat into your schedule. You can follow these ten tips to find your inner zen in less than 300 seconds!
1. Enjoy A Calming Cuppa
A cup of tea can make anything better! Although some caffeinated teas may exacerbate feelings of anxiety, many other herbal teas help to relieve stress, improve sleep, and boost your mood.
A few great examples are:
There’s a good reason people often say, “Take a deep breath,” to an anxious or upset person. Deep breathing helps to calm your nervous system, slows your breathing, and distracts your mind, decreasing your body’s stress levels. One particularly helpful technique is box breathing or square breathing, which follows four simple steps:
2. Just Breathe
There’s a good reason people often say, “Take a deep breath,” to an anxious or upset person. Deep breathing helps to calm your nervous system, slows your breathing, and distracts your mind, decreasing your body’s stress levels. One particularly helpful technique is box breathing or square breathing, which follows four simple steps:
– Inhale for four counts.
– Count to four again while holding your breath.
– Exhale for four counts.
– Repeat until your calm returns.
3. Laugh It Off
It’s no joke; laughing decreases stress hormones like epinephrine, cortisol, and dopamine while upping our endorphin levels. It increases respiratory rates, flooding our systems with oxygen, and relaxes our muscles.
So, before you succumb to stress, find some comic relief that will get you giggling. Listening to a comedian’s podcast or watching a funny animal video could boost your mood and calm your anxiety before dealing with a stressful situation.
4. It’s A Walk In The Park
Fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and being in nature all have a calming effect on the body and mind. Exercise releases feel-good hormones in your brain. The fresh air gives your body the extra oxygen it needs, and, apart from the mood-enhancing vitamin D in the sun’s rays, a little sunshine on your back always feels good.
Going for a short walk also provides a momentary escape from the situation and a chance to get in shape, too!
5. Don’t Detonate – Meditate!
When stress has made that bouncing blood vessel in your temple ready to pop, take five minutes to withdraw to a quiet place to meditate. Intentionally quieting your mind will help relieve the immediate fight-or-flight response. You could use well-known methods like mindfulness, meditation, movement, prayer, or even finding a quiet spot to breathe and recalibrate.
6. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
You can use this simple but effective relaxation method anywhere, even at your desk. Start at your toes and work your way up to your head. Tense each muscle group for a few seconds and release it over 30 seconds. Then, move on to the next muscle group. By the time you’ve completed the exercise, you will feel calmer and more able to deal with your stressors.
7. It’s Music To Your Ears
Music can be a powerful stress reliever, affecting your mood and biological processes in no less than seven ways:
1. It reduces cortisol and triggers pleasure.
2. Slow, calming music reduces your breathing rate, blood pressure, and heart rate.
3. It acts as an emotional release when you can’t express your feelings in words.
4. It grounds you in the moment.
5. Music takes your attention off your stressors.
6. It fosters creativity.
7. It can connect you to others, reducing a sense of isolation.
8. Listen to your favourite soothing song before tackling your stress.
8. Steam It Up
We all know how great a long, hot bath feels, and saunas have proven to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. But if you’re short on time, it’s not always easy to jump in a bath or squeeze in a sauna session. However, there are plenty of other ways you can use heat to cool your stress levels. A warm washcloth over your eyes does wonders, as does a heated eye mask. Alternatively, pop a heated bean bag on your neck and shoulders to help your muscles relax, and you’ll feel the tension slide away.
9. Write Your Stress Off
Putting your thoughts down in writing lets you release your feelings about stressful situations, especially when speaking it out is impossible or unhelpful. After all, saying those angry things running around in your brain is probably best left unsaid, but writing them down will give you the same satisfaction as saying it verbally and help eliminate negative emotions.
10. All You Need Is Love
When your stress levels are rising rapidly, find a special person or furry friend and go in for that hug! Hugging releases oxytocin, the love hormone. It reduces anxiety and stress, boosts your mood, and even lowers your blood pressure. If you have a friendly cat, listening to its purr can increase your endorphin levels and lower your stress, too.
Turn On The Kettle And Breathe
In our fast-paced, stressful world, life can be a whirlwind of deadlines, responsibilities, and challenges. But that doesn’t mean it has to take us down at the knees. With these ten stress-relieving tips in your toolbox, you can navigate life’s ups and downs with a spring in your step.
A little self-care doesn’t go amiss in our savage world, so whether you’re getting some comic relief, putting your frustrations to paper, meditating, or listening to music, put yourself first for five minutes, and you will soon feel the tension flow out of your body, giving you the peace of mind to face your challenges. So take a deep breath and a cup of tea, and watch the stress melt away!
Teapro co-founder. Favourite tea - Long Jing Dragon Well Green Tea. Obsessed with film, photography and travelling.
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