Five Tips to Tame Your Stress
Whether finals are coming up or you’re just frazzled about what’s going on in your life right now, feeling stressed is not fun. Carrying a heavy weight on your shoulders is not comfortable, but with these tips and tricks, you’ll be feeling cool, calm, and collected in no time!
Tip #1: Focus on deep breathing.
Now, I know what you might be thinking. Ugh, this is so annoying. I breathe anyway, so why do I need to focus on it? Well, I promise you that if you take some time to take deep breaths, you will feel better. Taking slow, controlled deep breaths lowers blood pressure and releases endorphins throughout the body. Endorphins are a feel-good, natural painkiller that your own body makes. The upward and downward movements by your diaphragm when you take these deep breaths helps remove harmful toxins from your organs, which also helps blood flow better in your body. Not only can these deep breaths provide you a moment of quiet and help to relax your mind, but they can also help you sleep better at night.
Tip #2: Listen to music.
This is something that you probably do daily while hardly realizing what it does for your brain. Listening to music helps the brain focus on one thing, and one thing only. It might not be what you usually jam to in the car, but classical music is the most effective music to relax the brain. Among others, some benefits of listening to classical music include decreasing blood pressure, boosting memory, improving productivity, lifting levels of happiness, and overall reducing stress levels. Because the tempo of classical music is quite similar to that of the human heart, it eases anxiety. You do not have to listen to just classical to get these benefits, but doing so is highly suggested.
Tip #3: Call a friend.
Listening to a reassuring voice can put everything in perspective. Hearing someone tell you the smallest things, such as what they did that day, can clear your brain up. It can also help to talk out what you are going through and why you are feeling overwhelmed. Often, saying the problems you are dealing with out loud can make them seem a whole lot smaller and easier to tackle.
Tip #4: Eat some dark chocolate.
This is by far the yummiest tip. There has been a substantial amount of research on this, but the science is still being figured out. Supposedly, dark chocolate reduces the stress hormone cortisol and also reduces the “fight-or-flight” hormones called catecholamines. Dark chocolate also lowers your blood pressure a bit, which can make you more calm. Additionally, anxiety levels decrease after one has had a dark chocolate bar.
Tip #5: Exercise.
This does not mean you need to go out and run a marathon or go to the gym and do a huge workout. A simple walk can be just fine. The benefits of a walk on alleviating stress are incredible. Getting your blood moving releases endorphins and can boost your mood. In addition, walking boosts your energy and reduces fatigue. The act of simply walking into nature has tremendous effects on your body. Inhaling a fresh breath of outside air can calm the mind and relax you. Exercise is what you make it: it can be a run around the neighborhood, a quick go at the machines at the gym, or even a walk around your room.
Most of these tips are very easy to do, and very inexpensive. What you might want to consider from this article is that your body is the greatest gift you are given at birth. The body was made to heal itself and provide happiness. If you take care of your body and treat it well, it will give back to you and recover. Try to remember to be kind to yourself, take a deep breath, and smile.
Works Cited
Gregoire, Carolyn. “National Walking Day: 5 Ways Walking Helps To Relieve Stress.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 3 Apr. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/03/national-walking-day-stress-relief-tips_n_2992972.html.
Reese, Nathan. “10 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress.” Edited by Timothy J. Legg, Healthline, Healthline Media, 1 July 2016, www.healthline.com/health/10-ways-to-relieve-stress.