5 Stress Management Techniques For Better Health

Stress management is beneficial to everyone, whether they have any mental health issues or not.

When we become over-stressed we can start dealing with issues of anger or irritability, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and even physical symptoms.

We need to learn how to deal with stress healthily and productively.

When we can deal with our stress healthily, life becomes not only easier but much more enjoyable.

The first method we are going to look at is what I believe to be one of the best. This is because it not only helps to relieve stress but gives benefits to all different categories of health, both mental and physical.

This will, I’m sure, be nothing new to you, and most likely won’t be surprising as well.

The First Method Is Regular Exercise

Exercising will help you to relax your body as well as your mind. It gets the blood flowing and increases your brain’s production of endorphins.

Endorphins are the feel-good chemicals that the brain releases. While more strenuous exercise, like running, or a faster pace on an elliptical will help release the maximum level of endorphins, it is not the only way to accomplish this.

Any type of aerobic activity can produce endorphins in your brain. This can be as simple as going for a brisk walk, or a hike out in nature.

Don’t feel like you HAVE to do some kind of strenuous exercise to get the results you need to help you relax and reduce your stress levels.

Not only are you going to get the release of endorphins, which make you feel good, from exercise but you will simultaneously be helping your heart, your immune system as well as your digestive system.

These are all big positives to not only your mental health but physical health as well. Kind of an all-in-one.

So, how much exercise would you need to accomplish this?

It’s actually not as much as you may think. Looking at a total per week you’re looking at 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of more vigorous exercise.

Let us break that down though to show you just how easily this can be done.

For moderate exercising, so a brisk walk or a hike through nature, you would only need a little more than 20 minutes per day.

That’s not much at all. Now, this doesn’t mean you can just add up all the time you spend walking between sitting. This is a 20-minute continuous, in one-session exercise.

If you have a dog, plan out a 20-minute block of each day to take him or her for a walk.

For vigorous exercising, which would be something like running on a treadmill, or at a higher speed on an elliptical, you would only need 10 min a day.

When you break it down into a day-to-day activity it really doesn’t take up much time at all to get the desired effects.

In the beginning, it may be hard to motivate yourself to do these things. However, after you’ve kept to a steady schedule for a few weeks, you’ll find that if you miss a day you miss it, and feel off not having exercised.

Another Easy Method To Help You Relax Is Relaxing Your Muscles

This is something that can easily be done at home, anytime you have a few spare minutes. How do you go about doing this while you’re stressed out you ask?

1) Stretching is a great way to help your tense muscles relax.

Plus it will help in your flexibility.

If you do a quick search on google for different stretch poses, you can easily pull up a list and usually with images to show you how to do it properly.

2) Have a good soak in a hot bath.

Sitting in a hot bath will help to ease the tension of the muscles. As the tension in your muscles starts to ease, you will find that your whole body and mind start to relax. As you start to relax your stress will start to fade.

Plus you get clean at the same time, it’s a win-win.

3) And of course, there is always getting a massage.

Massages are always good for getting tense muscles to relax. If you have a partner at home you could always offer to switch off on days and give each other a 15 or 20-minute massage.

If not, you can see a massage therapist, but this can be expensive depending on whether you have a benefit plan and how much they will cover.

This next method is one of my favorites in all honesty:

Deep Breathing

Not only does deep breathing help with stress levels, but if you suffer from anxiety as well, this will also help with your anxiety. I use it all the time when I start feeling anxious. It can be done no matter where you are, and that’s part of the beauty of it.

For the best results, do this in a sitting position or laying down.

If you are doing this in a seated position, sit with your back straight and both of your feet, side by side, flat on the floor.

You can put your hands on your thigh, or put them together in your lap.

It is more effective if you can close your eyes but not necessary.

Take a deep inhalation to the slow count of 5, so 1 mississippi, 2 mississippi, and so on.

When you reach 5, pause for 1 to 3 seconds and then slowly exhale to the same count of 5.

Repeat the process for about 5 or 10 minutes, or longer if you want. The amount of time is completely up to you, but for any results, you want to try for at least 5 minutes.

I think this next method is important for everyone. Not only when you’re stressed out, but even when you are having good days.

This is a very simple thing to do, and that is:

Take A Break For Yourself and Slow Down

Turn off any distractions and do something simple without thinking about anything else. Some activities you can do to help you accomplish this are things such as:

• Do a simple walkthrough meditation audio.
• Follow along to a relaxing yoga video.
• Spend some time sitting outside.

Listen to your favorite upbeat music. (Make sure the music is happy and upbeat. Don’t put on a song that will make you feel sad or depressed.)

If you are religious, spend a few minutes in prayer.

The last method, but certainly not all the possible methods, is:

Taking Time To Enjoy Whatever Hobbies You Have

This is one of my favorites as well as I am an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction books.

Engaging in a hobby that you enjoy will take your mind off anything that may be stressing you out, and begin to make you feel better because…well…it’s something you enjoy doing.

Even if you only spend 10 to 15 minutes doing this, it causes a break in your cycle of stressful thoughts or feelings and forces you to focus on something that makes you feel good.

Just to give you a starter on some activities, here is a short list:

• As I mentioned earlier, reading.
• Watching a movie or a TV show.
• Playing a card or board game.
• Sewing or knitting.
• Kayaking or snowshoeing.
• Playing a video game.

These are just an example of some things you can do. If you’re having a hard time coming up with something just do a google search for relaxing hobbies or relaxing activities. There are tons of lists out there to help you.

You should be able to do one or all of the methods I’ve discussed today. Remember that you don’t have to spend a lot of time on any of these each day.

A quick 10 to 15 minutes will suffice or for moderate exercise 20 minutes.

Don’t feel bad about having to take time for yourself. It is not a selfish thing to do as it is important to look after yourself and your wellbeing.