Chillax With Some Chocolate
When you need a quick break, break off a square of dark chocolate to boost your brain health and reduce stress Berk L, et al. . Dark chocolate increases acute and chronic EEG power spectral density response of gamma frequency for brain health: enhancement of neuroplasticity, neural synchrony, cognitive processing, learning, memory, recall, and mindfulness meditation. DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.878.10 . As an added bonus, dark chocolate is lower in sugar than milk chocolate, but it hits the sweet tooth sweet spot.
Avoid Too Much Intake Of Caffeine:
The caffeine present in energy drinks, soda and coffee is not only harmful to health, but also boosts up the stress level.
Limit your coffee drink to a cup or two, instead you can drink more amount of water when you feel stressed.
Besides this, the options of drinking lemon tea, peppermint tea, black tea or green tea are also great to reduce stress and stay alert at work.
What Is The Fastest Way To Relieve Stress
There are countless techniques for managing stress. Yoga, mindfulness meditation, and exercise are just a few examples of stress-relieving activities that work wonders. But in the heat of the moment, during a high-pressured job interview, for example, or a disagreement with your spouse, you cant just excuse yourself to meditate or take a long walk. In these situations, you need something more immediate and accessible.
One of the speediest and most reliable ways to stamp out stress is to engage one or more of your sensessight, sound, taste, smell, touchor through movement. Since everyone is different, youll need to do some experimenting to discover which technique works best for youbut the payoff is huge. You can stay calm, productive, and focused when you know how to quickly relieve stress.
Social interaction is your bodys most evolved and surefire strategy for regulating the nervous system. Talking face-to-face with a relaxed and caring listener can help you quickly calm down and release tension. Although you cant always have a pal to lean on in the middle of a stressful situation, maintaining a network of close relationships is vital for your mental health. Between sensory-based stress relief and good listeners, youll have your bases covered.
Affordable Online Therapy for Stress
Get professional help from BetterHelps network of licensed therapists.
Need urgent help? .
You May Like: What Should You Do When You Are Stressed
Are You Stressed Or Is It Your Partner
You and/or your partner may be suffering from stress from external sources. Ultimately, you are each responsible for your own recovery.
If you blame your partner, other people or the situation, you can get trapped in feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. This is unhealthy as you end up wasting precious energy on things you have no control over, instead of focusing on the things you can control.
Visualize Your Favorite Vacation:
If things are becoming too messy, and you are not able to understand what to do, then just sit on your seat, turn your head a little down, and close your eyes.
Start visualizing your favorite vacation, or any other thing that makes you feel happy. A ten minutes break like this is great to de-stress at work.
Also Check: How To Deal With Stress Naturally
Find Your Flow Activity
When we were children, we had a much greater capacity to be in the moment. Remember starting to play in the sandpit at noon and being dragged home by your mother well past 4 pm because you lost track of time? Thats called being in flow.
Hungarian-American scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was a pioneer in the study of happiness. He also defined the psychological concept of flow: moments when youre concentrating so intensely that you feel the world has quietened around you and youre completely absorbed and in the zone. Flow activities are like a moving meditation. In this state, your creativity, concentration, and imagination take over your feelings of stress, leaving you lighter and happier.
Find your flow activities: singing, playing musical instruments, cooking, fixing things around the house, building Ikea furniture, playing with kinetic sand, painting, drawing, or whatever. Anything can be a flow activity. Dedicate some time to figuring out what works for you.
Organize Your Work Desk:
A neat, well organized work station helps reducing stress to a great extent. Make sure that each and everything on your desk is in the appropriate place.
You also need to organize your files and piles, so that you are easily able to find them when there is an urgent need.
So, whenever you are in a hurry of finding something on your desk, then you will be able to do in less time, and there will be no space for stress or tension to grow.
Read Also: How Does Stress Affect The Heart
Having A Social Outlet
Many hobbies lend themselves to group activities: golfing rotations, knitting circles, and creative writing groups are good examples.
Hobbies that connect you with others can bring the added benefit of social support, which can bring stress relief and meaning to life in a fun way. The friends you have fun with can become some of your best friends, so hobbies that bring you closer to others are well worth your time.
Connect With Your Breath
Youre probably already breathing unless youre holding your breath. We tend do that when were in a tizzy. Whether youre holding in your air, taking shallow sips of it, or hyperventilating, you might be adding to the stress response in your body.
The good news is that taking slow, full breaths can calm you. Try a quick breathing exercise to get back to a more relaxed state.
Recommended Reading: What To Do To Prevent Stress
Quick Stress Relief On The Go
In traffic. Play music or listen to an audiobook. Take a different route to see something new. Do neck-rolls at stoplights. Sing in the car to stay awake and happy.
Public transportation. Take a break from reading, cell conversations, and music to tune into the sights and sounds around you. Try noticing something new, even if youre on the same old bus ride.
Running errands. Wear a special perfume or lotion so you can enjoy it while you rush from place to place. Carry a stress ball in your pocket. Take a mental snapshot or postcard at each destination.
Waiting in lines. Instead of worrying about time slipping away, focus on your breathing. People watch. Chat with the person ahead of you. Chew a stick of minty gum.
Learn To Avoid Procrastination
Another way to take control of your stress is to stay on top of your priorities and stop procrastinating.
Procrastination can lead you to act reactively, leaving you scrambling to catch up. This can cause stress, which negatively affects your health and sleep quality .
Get in the habit of making a to-do list organized by priority. Give yourself realistic deadlines and work your way down the list.
Work on the things that need to get done today and give yourself chunks of uninterrupted time, as switching between tasks or multitasking can be stressful itself.
summary
Prioritize what needs to get done and make time for it. Staying on top of your to-do list can help ward off procrastination-related stress.
Yoga has become a popular method of stress relief and exercise among all age groups.
While yoga styles differ, most share a common goal to join your body and mind.
Yoga primarily does this by increasing body and breath awareness.
Some studies have examined yogas effect on mental health. Overall, research has found that yoga can enhance mood and may even be as effective as antidepressant drugs at treating depression and anxiety .
However, many of these studies are limited, and there are still questions about how yoga works to achieve stress reduction.
In general, the benefit of yoga for stress and anxiety seems to be related to its effect on your nervous system and stress response.
20 ).
You May Like: How To Decrease Stress Levels
Listen To A Relaxing Song
Emmeline Edwards, Ph.D, Director of the Division of Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health, said music therapy can also be a great way to relax wherever you are.
The auditory cortex is connected to other areas of the brain that are connected to our reward system, motor systems, centers for motivation and emotion regulation, Edwards said.
In fact, research shows music can help people dealing with stress-related disorders, mild depression and anxiety.
Health Benefits Of Hobbies
One study found that those who engage in physical leisure activities for at least 20 minutes once a week are less susceptible to fatigue.
Other research found that enjoyable activities performed during leisure time were associated with lower blood pressure, total cortisol, waist circumference, and body mass index, and perceptions of better physical function. Such activities were also correlated with higher levels of positive psychosocial states and lower levels of depression and negative effect.
Ultimately, the benefits of hobbies, both psychologically and physically, are worth exploring. Find something you enjoy engaging in and you create time for yourself and your health!
Read Also: How Can You Manage Stress
Use An App To Help You Learn How To Meditate
There are many free meditation apps out there that can help you tune out for the five minutes you need to relax.
Popular apps like Headspace or Insight Timer have hundreds of guided meditation options that can help you deal with any emotion you may be feeling. Research suggests meditation can help ease anxiety and depression.
Nick Allen, a psychology professor and director of the Center for Digital Mental Health at the University of Oregon, suggests you try to build a meditation practice when you’re not feeling stressed. The more you work beforehand, he said, either by yourself or with a professional, the better results youll see when youre in a pinch.
Stress Relief: When Tension Signals A Deeper Problem
Goodstein says he would prefer that people use proven tension-taming steps to gain stress relief instead of taking a medication, but there are times when people need more help. “Some stressors are chronic and unremitting,” he says. “You may want to take a broad overview of your life to see if you have allowed yourself to be encumbered by factors that are making your life unpleasant.” If so, consider making a lifestyle change, he says.
If youve been hiking, socializing, and taking care of yourself and you still have high levels of stress, talk to your doctor. Your tension could be a sign of another health issue.
Remember, you dont have to live with tension. In fact, not only is tension unpleasant, but it is unhealthy. Keep trying out stress-relief techniques until you find the ones that work for you.
Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Stress Fat Belly
Identity Your Stress Triggers
First things first, what exactly stresses you out? Do you know exactly what triggers this reaction? How do you react to it,? When you have a few answers, look for possible solutions.
While youre not going to be able to eliminate every stress trigger in your life, you can at least remove the ones that you have influence over.
For example, if your morning commute is your main cause of stress because of traffic, then ask for a flexible schedule where you only have to commute three days week and work two days from home. Another option for a flex schedule would be coming in earlier or arriving later so that you can avoid most of the hectic traffic.
Related: How Working At Home Can Be Harmful to Your Health
Make Yourself Ergonomically Correct:
Your body is not designed to sit in one position for long hours and work endlessly. Even you need rest if you do not want to meet health issues such as pain, muscle aches, strain or fatigue.
If in case you meet any such trouble, then surely you will feel very stressed at work . So, make sure that you sit properly while working and take rest as and when needed.
You May Like: How To Deal With Stress At Home
Tip : Bring Your Senses To The Rescue
To use your senses to quickly relieve stress, you first need to identify the sensory experiences that work best for you. This can require some experimentation. As you employ different senses, note how quickly your stress levels drop. And be as precise as possible. What is the specific kind of sound or type of movement that affects you the most? For example, if youre a music lover, listen to many different artists and types of music until you find the song that instantly lifts and relaxes you.
Explore a variety of sensory experiences so that no matter where you are, youll always have a tool to relieve stress.
The examples listed below are intended to be a jumping-off point. Let your imagination run free and come up with additional things to try. When you find the right sensory technique, youll know it!
Listen To Your Favorite Tunes
Surely you have a Spotify playlist to pep you up or soothe your soul. Crank it. Just listening to music has relaxation benefits, one study shows Linnemann A, et al. . Music listening as a means of stress reduction in daily life. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.06.008 .And if youre not going to bug anyone else, go ahead and sing along. You know you want to.
Also Check: How To Know If You Have Chronic Stress
What Not To Say
Dont mention an issue you created. Avoid mentioning a time when you put yourself in a needlessly stressful situation. You don’t want to come across as someone who causes workplace stress.
Dont say that you were really stressed. You shouldnt focus too much on how stressed out you felt. While you should certainly admit that stress happens, try to emphasize how you dealt with the stress rather than how much it bothered you.
How To Answer How Do You Handle Stress
To answer this question successfully, you’ll want to provide specific examples of how you’ve handled stress well in the past. You might also provide examples of times when pressure actually made you work more productively.
Be careful how you respond. If you say you get stressed when you’re given multiple projects, and you know the job will require you to juggle many assignments at once, youll look like you’re not a good fit for the position.
Consider mentioning how a little stress can be a helpful motivator for you. Try to provide an example of a time when the stress of a difficult project helped you be a more creative and productive worker.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Best Treatment For Anxiety And Stress
Go Outside For A Few Minutes
Dr. Monique Tello, a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that sometimes, getting outside for a quick walk or fresh air is a great option to reduce stress quickly.
If someone is feeling very stressed and they have the chance to change their environment, get fresh air, see nature water, trees they should, Tello told TODAY. Exercise, take a brisk walk.
This strategy is great for people who feel restless or unable to concentrate and there are studies to support its effectiveness, she added.
Were always going to be faced with challenging situations, but they dont always have to stress us out, Tello said.
Related:
Managing Stress During The Interview
Job interviews are stressful for most people. Even if you’ve interviewed a lot, it can still be challenging to stay calm and collected. You’re meeting new people in a new environment, and you’re trying to sell your credentials to someone who might be your next boss.
There are strategies you can use to handle interview stress and to sell yourself to the hiring manager.
A big part of handling stress is preparation. Be sure to research the company in advance and practice answering common interview questions. The more you practice, the more comfortable youll feel in the interview.
You can also reduce stress by avoiding negative thinking . Instead, visualize having a successful interview . Do this visualization in the hours right before the interview.
Use these relaxation techniques. If you start to feel stressed just before the interview, try taking a deep breath or two to relax. During the interview, feel free to take a breath or a sip of water before answering a question. This will give you some time to compose yourself and prepare your answer.
Watch your body language. Your body language during the interview can also help convey that you’re relaxed. Try to avoid fidgeting too much. Stand up straight and look the interviewer in the eye . By appearing calm and confident, you are more likely to feel calm and confident.
Being able to effectively handle a stressful job interview will indicate to employers that you’ll also be able to handle workplace stress.
Recommended Reading: How To Deal With High Levels Of Stress
Put Your Mental Health First And Listen To What You Need
This is the most important point on the entire list.
That’s why it’s essential to put yourself first and do whatever’s necessary in order to improve your mental health.
Feeling relaxed and ready to go back to work? Be sure to spread some of the best tips on how to de-stress at work with your coworkers in need!
Get Inc.s top posts straight to your inbox. and youll receive Todays Must Reads before each day is done.
If You Need Help Managing Stress And Anxiety Yoga May Be A Great Solution And Self
StressyogameditationUltimate relaxation: Imbibes mindfulness: Also Read: Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gainHelps you know yourself a little bit more: Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression: Improves mental strength:Boosts confidence:Rebuilding focus:
Read More News on
You May Like: How Can Stress Affect Your Pregnancy
