6) Relax – There are a few other great things you can do to relax and reduce your stress. Taking a nice warm bath or shower can help relax both your body (muscles) and mind. You can also use a nice relaxing and calming scent (like lavender or wild orange) from bath salts, a candle, or diffusing essential oils. Or, just a few minutes of meditation can calm the stress response in your body and mind. Another option is using a sounds machine to induce some relaxation, using sounds of nature, or relaxing music or tones. Or, you can get into your favourite relaxing or calming yoga pose, or if you are unsure, just google “yoga poses for stress” and have a look at the top 1-5 and pick one to try.
7) Engage in pampering touch – Do something which involves comforting or loving touch, which may include things such as massage, sex, manicure/pedicure, or cuddling with a partner, child, or pet.
8) Listen to Music – Put on some music which makes you feel good (energetic, inspired, uplifted, or relaxed).
9) Call a friend or family member to vent or ask for help or advice.
Sometimes just voicing your frustrations to someone else who cares about you can help relieve your stress.
And even better, sometimes they can offer a different perspective, a helpful idea, or kind words to reassure you and diffuse the situation, or they may even offer to help out with something, or just meet up for a coffee/tea to connect (bonus!).
10) Create some fun/laughter – Put a funny movie or comedy show on the TV, and have a laugh. Laughter and fun are great ways to relieve stress. Have some fun and laughter with your children or pets, playing at a local park, beach, swim centre, or at home. Something as simple as making “funny faces” can bring some quick silliness and laughter into your home.
Most importantly, do not stress yourself out by trying to do every single thing in this list of tips! That is definitely not the intention. Effective change happens by picking one or two small things that you can realistically implement, then once you are successful with those, pick another one to add to your routine and toolkit. This is known as “habit stacking”, which is one of the most effective ways to implement effective and lasting results.
If you want to be proactive about trying to stop stress before it starts and best prepare yourself to handle unexpected or demanding situations, please see my Top 10 Tips for Proactively Preventing Stress – The Natural Parent Magazine. Both articles are also published here on my blog.
Steph Sullivan is a dual certified Life and Health Coach and founder of Elevate Your Life Coaching PTY LTD. After 23 years in demanding, high-stress corporate roles as a business consultant, then a corporate executive, now Steph’s purpose is helping people to reduce stress and increase energy to achieve their personal goals and life ambitions. You can find her on Facebook and LinkedIn and contact her at steph@elevateyourlifecoaching.com.au.
