Many people deal with stress every day. Many aspects of daily life, such as work, family, health, and financial obligations, can lead to elevated stress levels.
Some factors can influence your vulnerability to stress. These can include:
- genetics
- level of social support
- coping style
- personality type
- discrimination due to race, gender or perceived gender
- childhood trauma
- your profession
Minimizing the chronic stress of daily life can support overall health. Chronic stress can increase the risk of conditions, including heart disease, anxiety disorders and depression.
Here are 14 evidence-based ways to relieve stress.
1. Get more physical activity:
If you’re stressed, moving your body consistently can help reduce stress levels and improve your mood.
A 6-week study of 185 college students found that participating in aerobic exercise 2 days a week significantly reduced overall perceived stress and perceived stress due to uncertainty. Additionally, the exercise routine significantly improved self-reported depression.
Exercise on a regular basis has been demonstrated to alleviate the symptoms of common mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
If you don’t currently exercise, begin with milder sports like cycling or walking. Choosing an activity you enjoy can help you increase your chances of pursuing it in the long term.
2. Eat a balanced diet:
Your diet affects every aspect of your health, including mental health.
A 2022 research review suggests that people who eat a diet high in ultra-processed foods and added sugars are more likely to experience higher perceived stress levels.
Chronic stress can cause overeating and a preference for extremely palatable foods, which can be detrimental to your general well-being and emotional state.
Not eating enough nutrient-rich whole foods can increase your risk of deficiencies in nutrients essential for regulating stress and mood, such as magnesium and B vitamins.
You can make sure your body is getting enough nutrients by consuming fewer highly processed foods and beverages and increasing your intake of whole foods. In turn, this could improve your resilience to stress. Whole food options may include:
- vegetables
- fruit
- beans
- fish
- peanuts
- seeds
3. Minimize phone use and screen time:
Although tablets, PCs, and smartphones are frequently required, using them excessively can raise stress levels.
Numerous studies have connected excessive smartphone use to higher stress levels and mental health disorders, according to a 2021 literature review.
Excessive screen time is linked to higher stress levels and decreased psychological well-being in both adults and children.
Additionally, screen time can negatively impact your sleep, which can also lead to increased stress levels.
4. Practice self-care:
Taking time to practice self-care can help reduce stress levels. Practical examples include:
- go for a walk outside
- take a bath
- light candles
- read a good book
- exercise
- prepare a healthy meal
- stretch before going to bed
- receive a massage
- practice a hobby
- using a diffuser with calming fragrances
- practice yoga
People who engage in self-care typically have lower levels of stress and better quality of life, while a lack of self-care is associated with a greater risk of stress and burnout.
Taking time for yourself is essential to living a healthy life. This is especially important for people who tend to be very stressed, including nurses, doctors, teachers and carers.
Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated. It simply means taking care of your well-being and happiness.
Exposure to certain scents via candles or essential oils can be especially calming. Here are some relaxing scents:
- lavender
- rose
- vetiver
- bergamot
- Roman chamomile
- neroli
- incense
- sandal
- ylang-ylang
- orange or orange blossom
- geranium
Using scents to improve your mood is called aromatherapy. Aromatherapy can reduce anxiety and improve sleep.
5. Try journaling:
Maintaining a journal can be a healthy way to process your feelings and thoughts while also lowering stress and anxiety.
According to a 2018 study, people who are managing chronic health conditions—including but not limited to mental health conditions like depression—can benefit from expressive writing or therapeutic writing.
They noted that regular journaling may be linked to improved quality of life, more proactive self-care behaviors, and other healthy behaviors, such as taking prescription medications.
You can also try a guided journal if you prefer more focused and expressive writing.
6. Reduce your caffeine intake:
Caffeine is a chemical in coffee, tea, chocolate and energy drinks that stimulates the central nervous system.
Consuming too much can make anxiety worse, according to a 2021 literature review on the topic. Excessive consumption can also harm your sleep. In turn, this can increase symptoms of stress and anxiety.
People have different thresholds for how much caffeine they can tolerate. If caffeine makes you nervous or anxious, consider reducing it by replacing coffee or energy drinks with decaffeinated coffee, herbal tea or water.
Although coffee has health benefits in moderation, it is recommended to keep your caffeine intake below 400 mg per day, which is equivalent to 4-5 cups (0.9-1.2 L) of coffee.
However, people who are sensitive to caffeine may experience increased anxiety and stress after consuming less caffeine than this, so it’s important to consider your tolerance.
7. Spend time with friends and family:
Having the social support of friends and family can help you manage stress and get through difficult times.
In 2019, a study comprising 163 Latinx young adults in college found a correlation between loneliness, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress and lower levels of support from friends, family, and romantic partners.
A strong social support network is critical to your general mental well-being. Social support groups can be helpful if you feel alone and have no family or friends to turn to for support. Consider joining a club or sports team, or volunteering for a cause that’s important to you.
8. Create boundaries and learn to say no:
You can control some stressors, but not all of them. Taking on too much can make you feel more stressed and reduce the amount of time you have for self-care.
One way to reduce stress and protect your mental health might be to say “no” more often. This is particularly true if you take on more than you can manage, as managing a lot of obligations can lead to feelings of overwhelm.
Being selective about what you undertake and saying “no” to things that will unnecessarily increase your burden can reduce stress levels.
Creating boundaries, especially with people who increase your stress levels, is a healthy way to protect your well-being. This can be as simple as asking a friend or family member not to stop by unannounced or canceling plans to meet up with a friend if you need more space.
9. Avoid procrastination:
Maintaining focus on your priorities and refraining from putting things off when you’re not stressed out are two more strategies to manage stress.
Procrastination can hurt your productivity and leave you struggling to catch up. Stress can result from this, which is bad for your health and sleep patterns. It’s also true that procrastination is a common coping mechanism among stressed individuals.
In a Chinese study involving 140 medical students, procrastination was associated with higher stress levels. Procrastination and delayed responses to stress were also linked in the study to more unfavorable parenting approaches, such as rejection and punishment.
If you find yourself procrastinating regularly, it may be helpful to create a to-do list organized by priority. Give yourself realistic deadlines and work your way down the list. Sometimes, adding an item to your list can help you feel better, even if it doesn’t get done right away.
Take care of the things that must be done today and set aside periods of time for yourself to be alone. Multitasking or task switching can be stressful in and of themselves.
10. Take a yoga class:
Yoga has become a popular method for stress relief and exercise among all age groups.
Although yoga styles differ, most share a common goal: uniting the body and mind by increasing awareness of the body and breath.
Research shows that yoga helps reduce stress and anxiety. Furthermore, it can promote psychological well-being.
These benefits appear linked to yoga’s effect on the nervous system and stress response.
Yoga can help reduce cortisol levels, blood pressure and heart rate by increasing levels of gamma aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter low in people with mood disorders.
11. Practice mindfulness:
Mindfulness describes practices that anchor you in the present moment.
Meditation and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), a subtype of cognitive behavioral therapy, are two mindfulness-based stress reduction methods.
Meditating consistently, even for short periods, can help improve your mood and reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety.
If you want to try meditation, there are a ton of books, apps, and websites that can teach you the fundamentals. Also, there might be MBCT-trained therapists in your community.
12. Cuddle:
Human touch can have a calming effect and help you cope better with stress.
For example, studies show that positive physical contact can help relieve stress and loneliness.
These types of contact can help release oxytocin and lower cortisol. These outcomes then contribute to a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure. Physical signs of stress include elevated heart rate and blood pressure.
13. Spend time in nature:
Spending more time outside can help reduce stress.
Studies show that spending time in green spaces like parks and forests and immersing yourself in nature are healthy ways to manage stress.
A review of 14 studies found that spending just 10 minutes in a natural environment can help improve psychological and physiological markers of mental well-being, including perceived stress and happiness, in college-aged people.
Hiking and camping are great options, but some people don’t like – or don’t have access to – these activities. Even in an urban area, you can look for green spaces like local parks, arboretums, and botanical gardens.
14. Practice deep breathing:
Mental stress activates your sympathetic nervous system, sending your body into fight-or-flight mode.
During this reaction, stress hormones trigger physical symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat, faster breathing, and narrowed blood vessels.
You can stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, which governs the relaxation response, by engaging in deep breathing exercises.
Deep breathing exercises include:
- diaphragmatic breathing
- alternate nostril breathing
- box breathing
- rhythmic breathing
Deep breathing aims to focus awareness on the breath, making it slower and deeper. When you inhale deeply through your nose, your lungs fully expand and your belly rises. This helps slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel at peace.
The bottom line:
Although stress is unavoidable, chronic stress has a negative impact on physical and mental health.
Thankfully, there are a number of research-backed techniques that can assist you in lowering stress and enhancing your general psychological health.
Effective strategies include getting outside more frequently, exercising, practicing mindfulness, spending time with pets, and minimizing screen time.