36 Ways to Relieve Stress

While I love the holidays, it seems like it is the most stressful time of year. If you are student, finals are near and if you are a working professional, you have more deadlines than you can count. Parents have to juggle their busy schedules with children being on vacation and the list goes on…

Maybe you can relate to how I look here:

What do you do to decompress? Sometimes, I am too stressed to undo the stress. It doesn’t make much sense, but it is true. As I work on my computer to finish reports, I find my shoulders hunched, neck tense, eyes strained and I wonder how long it has been going on. Now, even if I have to set a daily reminder for myself, I take 5 or 10 minutes throughout the day to do something that will recharge me and help me focus so that I may better complete tasks. I am sure the list doesn’t stop at 36, so feel free to share with me what techniques you use!

Pray.
Sleep.
Take a shower.
Go for a walk.
Eat right.
Eat often!
Walk your pet (If you have a goldfish, my apologies).
Train hard in the gym.
Play a board game.
Eat slowly, savoring every bite of food.
Read a fiction novel.
Help the less fortunate.
Smile
Clean.
Cook.
Practice yoga.
Make a list of things you were able to accomplish in a day or week.
Cancel your appointments.
Daydream.
Eat outdoors.
Breathe deeply.
Call a friend.
Get a massage (Don’t forget there are massage schools that offer super discounted rates!).
Watch a funny movie or show.
Hug someone.
Read your favorite childhood novel.
Hang out with a child.
Resist the urge to complain.
Make yourself a cup of tea.
Draw or paint.
Stretch.
Write in a journal.
Ask for help.
Add soothing fragrances to your home such as lavender, eucalyptus or chamomile.
Write a letter rather than texting or calling.
Shut off social media for a day.

0 Comments

penneysposts

November 28, 2012 at 12:17 pm

This is great!

The Divine Hostess

November 28, 2012 at 2:26 pm

Thank you!

T__Ali

November 28, 2012 at 4:07 pm

I love to gaze out into nature. Green is the most visible hue to the human eye, so I run my eyes several times over a natural landscape. Being in TN, there’s plenty of green lol. After that, I picture my life in the future… 5pm or the next day I have off lol. Then I pity the workload that’s missin my attention and get back to it.
Sometimes I say, with as much sincerity as I can muster each time, “I love doing _____ because I can ________ when I do it.” I say that 5-10 times. Each time I try to find a new good or positive thing about what I’m doing. It typically works to bring the task away from terrible and toward neutral lol. Sometimes we actually make it to enjoyable!