13 free, simple and effective stress management strategies

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Chronic stress and anxiety pose a threat to your health. Chronic stress is associated with many serious diseases and has been shown to suppress immune function-none of us need it.

We have listed 13 things you can do to respond. These things do not cost money, and you can do them at home (or at least near your home).

13 ways to manage your stress and calm yourself down

Next time you feel overwhelmed by counterproductive thoughts, try one of these strategies.

1. Take a few deep breaths

If you are like most people, you may respond to emotional distress by breathing shorter, shallower, and faster. This means that your body gets less oxygen, which in turn affects your ability to think and function clearly-this will exacerbate this tangled emotion.

Taking a few deep breaths can replenish the body’s oxygen supply, as a reward, give you some time to pause, which can also help you calm down.

When you feel too stressed, stop and inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, then exhale through your puckered lips. Do this several times until you feel settled down.

There are many variations of this exercise, so keep trying until you find the best method for you.

2. Try grounding techniques

If stress and anxiety threaten to overwhelm you, try one of these grounding techniques. They work by pulling you away from anxious thoughts, most of which are either obsessed with the past or meditating on the future, and bring you back to the present.

One easy to remember is the “five senses” technique. You can do this: Stop and think about what all your five senses are experiencing. What did you hear? What are you smelling How do you feel about your skin? What do you see? What’s your taste?

3. Limit your online time

Many researchers have found a close connection between long-term use of the screen and the possibility of anxiety and depression.

By the way, this is not an argument for not using social media, smartphones and the Internet at all. These things can bring great value to our lives.

However, if we do not limit our consumption, even good things may be bad for us, so if you find that going online has brought you a lot of pressure, please set some parameters.

One option is to give yourself an hour of inspection time in the morning and evening. Another option is to set up a call-free time after a certain time. The third option is to turn off the phone’s alarms and notifications.

None of these suit you?this is Seven other thoughts.

The sun rises over North Shore Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. There are many places where you can watch the sunrise or sunset while practicing social distancing. Chris Zuppa (Penny Hoarder)

4. Spend time in nature

Sometimes, healing your illness is just outside your front door.

Researchers have found that spending time in nature can reduce anxiety, stress and depression. It seems to reduce cortisol, which is released under stress and is related to decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex-the brain area that is active when you engage in repetitive negative thinking.

Urban residents, we still have good news to tell you: Researchers have found that listening to calm outdoor sounds or observing trees and other green plants has the same effect as spending time in nature.

So open the playlist of sounds of the surrounding ocean, stare at some pictures of the forest, and feel your stress slowly disappearing.

5. Write down how you feel

Keeping a diary is one of the most common strategies for dealing with mental health challenges, and for good reason. Researchers say that writing down your feelings can help you understand them better. This feeling is no longer rushing around in a vortex of chaotic stimulation, but becomes understandable, clearer, and easier to manage.

Want to try this but don’t know where to start?this is Seven good tips worth trying.

6. Meditation

In recent years, meditation has received a lot of media attention as a universal solution, from inattention to anxiety, to improving work efficiency.

The reason meditation is so effective is that it can help you develop awareness of your own thoughts, which is the first step in being able to manage them more effectively. If you can find yourself being taken away by anxious thoughts, then you can better redirect them in a more productive way.

So you want to try meditation, but you don’t know where to start?Try one of them Seven cheap or free meditation apps. Try to meditate at least once a day for a few days.

7. Drink some water

Feeling anxious? Stop what you are doing, pour yourself a glass of water, and drink it.

Researchers have found that drinking water can reduce a person’s stress and anxiety levels. Our body is mainly composed of water. When we are dehydrated, we cannot function normally.

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8. Learn a new skill

Learning a new skill can occupy your brain so much that there is almost no room for contemplation, which can lead to anxiety and stress.

Researchers have found that learning a new skill can relieve work pressure well, and this is also true in our daily lives.

Therefore, by devoting yourself to learning how to play a new instrument, woodworking or weaving, you will also promote your mental health. This is definitely a win-win!

9. Contact friends and family

Close social relationships—and the subsequent cooperation and resource sharing—is how we have survived as a species for so long.

The health risks of loneliness are well-known on this point: isolation can suppress your immunity, cause more serious inflammation of your internal organs, and make you vulnerable when facing crises and needing help.

Thanks to technology, we have many ways to stay in touch. Set up group chats with a group of friends and exchange funny memes. Schedule video chats with friends and family.

Or you can just pick up the phone.

10. Exercise

Exercise fills your body with endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good.

You don’t have to go to the gym to exercise. You only need a little space to exercise your body weight. You can do yoga or even go for a walk, which is probably the most underrated form of exercise.

Find something you like to do and do it at least three or four times a week. What you end up doing is not as important as being consistent.

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11. Organize your house

It doesn’t matter whether you are KonMari-ing or Sweden’s death cleansing-the mental health benefits of tidying up are well documented. It’s hard to feel peaceful and at ease in a chaotic house.

Begin to spend some time every day to deal with the chaos. This may mean building a new organization system or stuffing a pile of garbage into a box in the garage until you want to deal with it.

As the clutter disappears from sight, your home will become more peaceful and peaceful.

12. Create a timetable

Building a daily routine will help you prioritize the things you need to take care of without having to make decisions from scratch. (Decision fatigue is real.)

Take some time to set a schedule for yourself and your family, and then try to stick to it.

13. Get enough sleep

Sleep is closely related to stress. If you are too stressed, you can’t sleep. If you cannot fall asleep, you will be more likely to feel over-stressed because your coping capacity has been exhausted. This is a vicious circle that is difficult to break.

If you have trouble falling asleep at night, try the following tips:

  • Do not watch the screen an hour before going to bed.
  • Limit your caffeine intake earlier in the day.
  • Don’t drink alcohol before going to bed.
  • Exercise during the day.
  • Write down the things that bother you.

Still waking up in the dark?Try one of them Free or cheap apps can help you fall asleep.

Caitlin Constantine is the former editor of The Penny Hoarder.




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