Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Avoid unnecessary stress
• Method 2 of 4: Change your living environment
• Method 3 of 4: Relaxing activities to try
• Method 4 of 4: Adopt a stress-free lifestyle
• Tips
• Warnings

Stress. We all have to deal with it. Whether it's our job, family, drama with friends, a relationship problem or finances, all these cases involve stress. While a little stress may be good for you, extreme stress actually causes physical and mental damage. Instead of letting stress rule your life, try a number of stress management methods: you'll start feeling relaxed in no time.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Avoid unnecessary stress

1. Accept the fact that you are under stress. This may seem counterproductive, but acceptance means being aware of the stress. Then you can start thinking about the cause and what it takes to avoid the stress. Accepting does not mean that you should ignore stress, but that you know the origin of your stress / panic / fear well. Realize that stress is a healthy response to too much / too intense stimuli and that you can also deal with it in a healthy way.
2. Avoid the causes of the stress. That seems pretty obvious ... but sometimes it is more difficult than it seems at first glance. If a particular person is the cause of your stress, ban that person from your life. If the cause is permanent - work, school, or family, for example - make sure you have time to get away from it. Taking the time to get away from the causes of the stress is the first step in reducing the stress.
3. Map your problems. Sometimes a stressful situation is just the way you look at it. Instead of focusing on the negative and the problems that cause the panic and worry, you can also focus on the positive. If you can change your perspective, the stress decreases. Do your best to see things in a positive light and avoid a cynical attitude.
4. Be well organized. Stress is often caused by feeling overwhelmed or overwhelmed. Use to do lists to keep your life organized. If you are well organized and set your priorities well, you can break your responsibilities in your life into manageable pieces and focus on the things that really matter. Maintaining a grip and overview of chores and tasks help you to keep thinking positively and to get more done in the long term.
5. Learn to say no. Of course you cannot do everything you are asked to do so why would you pretend that you are? In fact, the more you promise and keep your promises, the less people will appreciate you; on the contrary, they will experience your so-called willingness as a burden because they know you will leave it at the last minute. Instead, be assertive and learn to say no in a polite but clear way. Always do this when you know that there is no way you can keep your promise.
6. Delegate. Like the tendency to want to do everything yourself, the tendency to never delegate has to do with the control you want to exercise. It also has to do with the belief that others cannot do their jobs as well as you. Learn to let go by having more faith in the abilities of others. Giving up certain tasks may seem stressful in theory but will give you more free time in the long run. Look for people in your life who can entrust you with tasks that you yourself are too stressed or worried about to be able to / perform.

Method 2 of 4: Change your living environment

1. Clean your house. Even the most stable of people get confused in an environment where there is always clutter. If your home, office, car or workplace is too cluttered or dirty, it certainly has an effect on your mental well-being. Take a few minutes to clean up the worst messy spots. Spiritually, you will breathe a sigh of relief.
2. Take a few extra minutes to prepare for the day in the morning. It's hard to feel rested for the day if you haven't taken enough time for it. Take an extra long shower, put on your favorite clothes and then head out for the day - ready to take on whatever the day brings.
3. Listen to music. Music has been proven to have a very strong effect on our mood and mental well-being. Calm yourself by listening to soothing music that you enjoy listening to. Even if you like rap to heavy metal, try to listen to softer or slower music for optimal results. Playing soothing music in the background while you study, work or just go about your daily activities is a great way to lower your stress level.
4. Give aromatherapy a try. Yes you read that correctly, what you smell influences stress. Scientific studies show there is a link between the scent of lavender and oranges on the one hand and reduced stress and feelings of anxiety on the other. Use a lavender scented air freshener in your home, office, car or sprinkle a little essential oil on your hair and skin (not undiluted as this can cause irritation, mix it with a little (olive) oil) before leaving the house in the morning goes. You can also rub a few drops of essential oil with a little olive oil on your temple to relieve stress-related headaches.
5. Change your surroundings. If making small changes to your environment isn't enough to make you feel better, try finding a completely different environment. If work or study is difficult at the office or at home, move your permanent place to a cozy café or a park. Changing the environment helps you to let your mind ebb away from the causes of the stress and gives you a chance to breathe and recover from your stress.

Method 3 of 4: Relaxing activities to try

1. Take a bath. Some people like to bathe while others prefer to take a shower. Whichever group you belong to, you can hardly deny the relaxing effect of a warm bubble bath with a nice drink and a good book. If you feel very stressed, try taking a bath. The heat relaxes your muscles and soothes feelings of stress.
2. Have a hobby that you enjoy. When stress and worry do occur, there is a tendency to put hobbies aside and focus on “priorities”. But then you make yourself even more stressed by giving up time for yourself! Return to an old hobby by returning to your favorite sport, updating your art journal, or going out for a hike. You will feel refreshed and more resistant to the causes of the stress if you have given yourself the time to do something you love.
3. Try out a new activity. If you don't have old hobbies that you want to pick up again or that you didn't even have, try a new activity that you are interested in. It's never too late to learn something new! Try attending a college at a local High School or look for other course classes in your area. Better yet, teach yourself something new and practice to get better! Learning something new causes your thoughts to focus on something other than the cause of the stress that makes it easier for you to relax.
4. Go outside. Sunlight is a natural remedy for depression, which is related to stress and anxiety. Even when there is no sunlight, Mother Earth provides us with excellent opportunities for relaxation and that is the great outdoors. Walk through a park, hike in the mountains, go fishing - whatever your interest. But get out there to do it! It's hard to stay stressed when you are surrounded by natural beauty while your body is exerting itself at the same time.
5. Laugh. Laughter is sometimes said to be the best medicine. Laughter may seem difficult when you feel anxious and tense, but integrating it into your life will make you feel significantly better. Put on your favorite series, watch funny videos on YouTube or meet a friend with whom you can laugh. Laughing and smiling release hormones in your brain that reduce stress and make you feel better very quickly.
6. Have a cup of tea. In the long run, people who drink tea show fewer symptoms of stress than people who don't drink tea. It is therefore a very good method to reduce stress. Although a cup of black tea gives the best results, other teas also work well. Holding the warm cup will help you to relax and the taste of the tea will give you something nice to focus your attention on.
7. Get a massage. Massages are not only good for your body, but also really activate hormones in your brain that make you feel good. The next time you feel stressed, call a masseuse you know is good and make an appointment. If you let the tension from your muscles massage, this will help you to also take the tension out of your thoughts. Do you know what is even better? To let your loved one give you the massage. The combination of your partner or spouse giving you a massage will release extra hormones that will help release some of the stress you had.

Method 4 of 4: Adopt a stress-free lifestyle

1. Eat healthy foods. Few people will be surprised to learn that among the many benefits that healthy eating brings is stress reduction. Avoid snack bar foods and sweets that negatively affect your mood and increase your anxiety hormones. Instead, include healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. This will cause your body to produce more hormones that reduce stress. You will soon experience a significant decrease in stress thanks to nothing less than your diet.
2. Get plenty of exercise every day. The much-discussed euphoria that runners receive after running for a while is not an isolated instance experienced only by runners: physical exertion releases endorphins that make you feel happy. That means you can cheer yourself up and throw your anxiety and stress out the window by making your heart work a little harder. Go cycling or swimming, lift weights, or play your favorite sport to improve your physical and mental health.
3. Get a good night's sleep. When people feel stressed and burdened with countless things to do, one of the first things that is often sacrificed is sleep. However, this is one of the biggest health mistakes you can make. Enough sleep ensures that your body can recharge and refresh itself so that you can start the day with a clean slate. If you don't get enough sleep, the body can't get rid of the excess hormones and toxins that have built up that cause stress, making the stress a never-ending cycle. Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
4. Keep a diary. While keeping a journal may seem like a chore, jotting down your thoughts regularly can help keep you stress-free. If emotional or mental stress makes you feel depressed, write about it in your journal. Writing it down on paper creates a sense of relief that you may not be able to experience in any other way.
5. Hug more. If you are in a healthy relationship, try to approach your partner more for physical contact. Studies show that regular hugging, kissing, and sex release oxytocin - a hormone that induces feelings of happiness and reduces stress. Yes indeed - some of your favorite activities actually affect your mental well-being. Do this regularly to balance your hormone levels so you don't get stressed!
6. Find a way to experience spirituality. The main motive for people to practice spirituality? To get rid of stress and anxiety. If you are already a member of a religious movement, try to get more involved if you are under stress. You are likely to experience a sense of relief in the community while at the same time your experience of the spiritual grows stronger in your life. If you suffer from chronic stress, consider joining a religious group and discover the spiritual benefits it offers.
7. Maintain healthy relationships with those around you. It's easy to get stressed when you surround yourself with people who are unhealthy and dependent. Instead of maintaining relationships with people who annoy you or cause you fear on your side, you better develop relationships that nourish you and make you a better person. If you know that there is someone in your life that you want to disconnect from, do so slowly and without hurting anyone's feelings. You will feel better in the long run, even if it is difficult in the short term, if you have happy and healthy people around you.

Tips

• Keep in mind that not all activities to reduce stress affect all people. Experiment with different techniques to find out what works best for you. Here are some more tips:
  • Dance or walk in the rain to relieve your stress.
  • Apply Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
  • Meditate. Meditating, concentrating, or simply clearing your head while looking at a calming landscape (real or in video clips) can help you let go of fearful thoughts.
  • Apply self-hypnosis.
  • Treat yourself to an Indian head massage
• While relieving stress is a good idea, solving the causes that underlie the stress is even better. If the same topics keep causing problems in your life, think very carefully about how you can solve them for good.
• Think of your mind as a hotel. Hotel employees are not obliged to give you a room. The same goes for your mind. Don't give space to stressful thoughts (no room). Only let good thoughts stay in your “hotel” and you will start to feel much better.
• Think of a place where you feel happy or something positive.

Warnings

• Don't just suffer in silence. Just as you wouldn't hesitate to see your doctor if you are in physical pain, you shouldn't hesitate to see a therapist for persistent psychological pain. A therapist is a professionally trained problem solver who, based on insights from psychology, can offer you choices that you may not be aware of.
• Perhaps your doctor can help you by prescribing medication to relieve feelings of anxiety and depression or otherwise help you cope with a particularly stressful situation.
• If you feel suicidal or find yourself wanting to hurt yourself, seek help right away! Call the suicide prevention helpline on 113. There are several helplines you can call. If you don't know where to call, call the police or your doctor and ask for help or check the internet.
• Be careful not to flee or seek false distractions from your problems that cause you to lose too much of your life path. So don't relieve your stress by doing something that will only make it worse in the long run (such as buying an expensive pair of shoes if the cause of your stress is money worries or turning to alcohol or drugs).