5 Simple Strategies For Stress Relief

Stress has its place in life. It can help you learn and help you grow, and stress can also kick things into survival mode. But when stress sticks around longer than it should, the effects can be detrimental to your health.

Seeker.com elaborates this best in their article “11 Ways Stress Affects Survival” by saying, “Stress can be constructive or destructive. It can encourage or discourage, move us along or stop us dead in our tracks, and make life meaningful or seemingly meaningless. Stress can inspire you to operate successfully and perform at your maximum efficiency in a survival situation. It can also cause you to panic and forget all your training. Key to your survival is your ability to manage the inevitable stresses you will encounter.”

So how can we manage the inevitable stresses we’re all bound to encounter in our daily lives? In this blog post, we share with you 5 simple strategies for stress relief that you should pocket for your own stress management.

1. Try a breathing exercise to shift your focus.

In a session with a therapist, we were taught a “balloon” breathing exercise to shift our attention away from stress and focus on relaxing. For this exercise, put your hands on your stomach and inhale but don’t inhale into your chest. Instead, inhale through your diaphragm. According to Medical News Today, this is called diaphragmatic breathing.

They shared, “Diaphragmatic breathing, or “belly breathing,” involves fully engaging the stomach, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm when breathing. This means actively pulling the diaphragm down with each inward breath. In this way, diaphragmatic breathing helps the lungs fill more efficiently.”

2. Remind yourself of what is in your control.

Stress happens commonly when we feel like things are chaotic and out of our control. Calm yourself by reminding yourself of the things that are within your control. Unsure of where to start? We recommend writing down a list.

Examples:

• I can control the nutrition I receive today.
• I can control how I react to things even if it’s not how I truly feel.
• I can control how I want to spend my energy on others.

After you get your list together, take a deep breath and on each exhale, repeat one of the line items from your list.

3. Pull out your gratitude journal.

Studies have shown that gratitude journaling can improve your mental wellness. It encourages positivity and focus on the silver linings in life which can ultimately have a positive impact on your stress management. When you remember what you’re grateful for in life consistently, stress will start rolling off your back.

4. Join a support group or some sort of safe space that gives you a forum.

Talking things out and through can be a quick solution for stress relief. Sometimes it’s a matter of unpacking things that you’ve kept behind your lips and locked up in your mind for a while and everything is screaming to come out.

By joining a support group or discussion space, you not only give yourself the opportunity to unburden yourself from being silent about how you feel, but you also connect with others who may be in similar situations. An opportunity for solidarity may help shift the vibe.

Coming Soon: Lovet Club Facebook Group

5. Assess your stressors and make some cut calls!

We saved this for last because it’s a bigger ask. If you’re dealing with so much stress and you feel overwhelmed, it’s time to evaluate your current situation and assess what the stressors are in your life. Make a list, be observant, and step away or cut out the stressors you find.

Did you like this blog post? When you love it, we LOVET. Keep up to date with the latest blog posts, Lovet Planners sales, self care tips, and more by subscribing to receive our newsletters: CLICK HERE NOW.