Tips on How to Reduce Stress

Quick Health Scoop

• 75% of U.S. adults experience moderate to high stress levels⁷
• Stress can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term)
• Stress management tips include getting more exercise, practicing mindfulness and eating foods with beneficial nutrients
• Some nutritional supplements have been shown to help reduce stress

Occasional stress is a normal part of life. In fact, up to 75% of working-age Americans report experiencing moderate to high levels of stress. You can think of stress as the body’s in-built mechanism for dealing with situations that involve change or challenging circumstances. Although you may tend to associate stress with negative consequences, stress can also be positive (also called eustress) and can occur after an exciting life event, such as a promotion at work, getting married, or having a baby. The feelings of emotional or physical tension that accompany stress help you perform to meet the expectations of a new or challenging situation. Your body physically does this through the production of a certain stress hormone, like cortisol and epinephrine.

What can you do to release some of this tension and bring balance into your life? Simply put, how do you reduce stress? First, identifying what causes stress, or the ‘stressor,’ is important. Is it your job, your relationship, or perhaps a health problem that is causing you to feel stressed? Once you’ve pinpointed the reason for your stress, you can find ways to bring your stress levels down by implementing certain lifestyle changes. Here is a guide with tips on how to reduce stress levels on your own.

First, Identify Your Type of Stress

First, did you know that there are different types of stress and not all are negative? Stress can motivate us to prepare for a big presentation or prepare to be filmed on camera, for example.

While some stress can be useful, some stress can turn negative. When looking for ways to manage stress, you need to determine what type of stress it is. How do we do that? Here are some useful terms:

• Acute Stress: happening here and now. Like preparing for that big presentation, acute stress is of short duration and is not always negative.
• Chronic Stress: happening over time. Chronic stress, because it is ongoing, can negatively affect your body, whether it’s irritability, an inability to focus, headaches, or disrupted sleep.

If you’ve identified your stress as chronic stress, then it’s a good idea to take action to mitigate it. Please talk to your preferred healthcare provider for solutions.

Know the Difference Between Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are not the same, even though sometimes these words are used interchangeably. So, what’s the difference? Dr. Susan breaks it down:

• What is stress? Stress is external. Think of it as events that are happening to us. We feel stressed when we react to a stressor, whether that’s from work, family, or a barking dog disrupting our focus.
• What is anxiety? Anxiety is the anticipation of something happening, whether or not we know for sure it will happen. It is the act of worrying that affects our body from the inside out.

Both stress and anxiety can have a physical effect on our minds and body. But how we manage stress and anxiety may be different.

Once you’re able to understand the causes of your stress, then you can find effective ways to reduce it. Let’s dive into nine ways you can learn how to reduce stress and start your day off right.

1. Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to help relieve stress. Whether you prefer exercise in the form of walking, running, yoga, aerobic exercise, or group sports, all forms of physical activity are great stress-busters. It’s important to find the type of workout that you enjoy, as you’ll be more likely to stick with it and incorporate it into your regular exercise routine (always make sure to check in with your healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise regimen). There are many reasons why exercise works so well for reducing stress. First, aerobic exercise, like running, releases chemicals in the brain, called endorphins, that make you feel happy when you exercise. They also reduce the amount of cortisol, or stress hormones that are produced by the body, leading you to feel more relaxed overall. Additionally, exercise can help you sleep better, which is also an important factor for reducing stress on your body. If you don’t have time for a lengthy exercise regimen in your daily routine, try starting small with short 10-minute walks every day.

2. Practice Relaxation Techniques

Some of the major symptoms of mental stress are quickening of your heartbeat, breathing faster, headaches, and restlessness. You can engage in certain relaxation techniques to relieve these physical symptoms. Breathing exercises that focus on deep breathing can help you relax and slow down your heart rate. Deep breathing has also been shown to stimulate endorphin-release by the brain, thereby relieving stress and promoting positive feelings instead.[4] Mindfulness, or focusing on the present moment, while breathing deeply can help you cut out excess stress. Meditation and yoga are also practices that incorporate deep breathing exercises and can help you relax.

3. Know Your Limitations

For many people, it can be challenging to know when to draw the line on taking on extra responsibilities at your job or committing to a new social or family obligation that may not fit in with your current schedule. Although it can be hard, saying no in advance is part of a healthy lifestyle that can prevent unnecessary stress of trying to achieve something that is beyond your limitations. Set priorities for what you can and can’t manage in your daily life. Making lists of your tasks and checking them off as you complete them can be helpful in allowing you to keep track of everything you have going in your life. Making these lists can also help you find time for motivating and self-challenging activities that can help you grow.

4. Get Enough Sleep

Not getting enough sleep is the cause of many physical and mental health problems. Stress is no exception to this. Getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night can help to prevent many health problems, including being a great stress buster. According to a recent poll by the American Association for Anxiety and Depression, sleeping is one of the top ways people report helping them relieve stress. This may be the easiest way to reduce stress, so try giving yourself a good night’s sleep to see if that’s all you need to feel more relaxed and less stressed throughout the day. 

5. Listen to Music

Music as a form of stress relief therapy has been extensively studied. In short, listening to calming music can have positive benefits on both the physiological and psychological effects of stress on the body. Music can help to reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones and cortisol levels, as well as reduce symptoms of anxiety and restlessness that accompany stress.[1] This is an especially effective method of stress relief that can help you remain calm during stressful situations like being stuck in a traffic jam.

These effects are not limited to just music. You can also try listening to calming soundtracks of nature sounds. This approach can help you get better sleep too, leading to lower stress overall.

6. Socialize with Friends or Family

Support from friends or loved ones is a big factor in learning how to reduce stress on a regular basis. Research has shown that low social support is associated with symptoms of high stress response, including a faster heartbeat and high blood pressure.[2] Therefore, getting social support is an important component to support both physical and mental health.

You may be able to resolve a stressful situation or work through negative thoughts by talking it over with a friend or loved one who can offer good advice. Many people do not make time for social interactions throughout the work week, which can lead to elevated stress levels. Try to pencil in some social time every week to help you relax. Spending time with friends or family on a regular basis can also keep you from being over-worked by setting limitations to the amount of work stress you impose on your lifestyle.

7. Laugh More

Find more ways to help you laugh throughout the day. This can be through social interaction with friends and family, watching a funny TV show, reading a funny book or comic, and looking for the positive things in your life. Laughter helps to decrease stress hormones and promotes the release of endorphins that relieve stress. The American Institute for Stress recommends laughter for both short-term stress relief and long-term health benefits, such as improved mood and healthy immune system support.[3]

8. Cut Out Unhealthy Habits

High stress levels are directly linked to unhealthy dietary habits that include processed foods with high sugar content. Eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables can help to provide you with natural stress-fighting nutrients.

9. Talk to a Healthcare Provider

Importantly, know when it is time to talk to a healthcare provider. If you are experiencing stress lately, get a conversation going with your doctor. Recognizing when you need to get professional help for stress in your life can make a huge difference in helping you get the right solution for your stress problem. 

Pay attention to your body and mind. It's never too early to start taking measures towards living a balanced and stress-free life. Taking the necessary steps to relieve stress can help keep you stay healthy and balanced. 

This information is only for educational purposes and is not medical advice or intended as a recommendation of any specific products. Consult your health care provider for more information.

References

[1] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17437199.2019.1627897

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921311/

[3] https://www.stress.org/stress-relief-from-laughter-its-no-joke

[4] https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st

[5] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003211.htm

[6] https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/tools-resources/pdfs/WHRC-Mental-Health-and-Stress-in-the-Workplac-Issue-Brief-H.pdf

[7] American Psychological Association. Stress in America: Coping with Change, Part 1. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2017. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2016/coping-with-change.pdf