Stress hits us all differently. It can come in waves, make us jittery, induce emotions of sadness or anger, even make our bodies feel out of sorts. Stress, rightfully known as the silent killer, is never something to take lightly. Unaddressed stress can lead to serious physical and mental illnesses so its best to get it under control as you feel it coming on. There are dozens of ways that you can reduce stress, but the following ways tend to be the most beneficial to those who take part in them!

Meditate

Mediation is a highly beneficial form of stress release as its sole purpose is to teach you to calm your mind and silence your thoughts. Learning to meditate takes time, it often does not come naturally so you will have to be patient with yourself. In the long run, mediation has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety overall as well assist people with stress and anxiety disorders in reduces these feelings in the moment through the power of breath!

Breathe

Sounds cliché and “too simple”, I know, but I don’t simply mean breathe like you are right now. I mean breathe. When you start to feel those jitters or tensing muscles, step away from whatever is making you feel stressed for a minute. You only need a minute. Go somewhere you cannot be bothered (bathrooms are usually a safe bet), close your eyes, and take deep slow inhales for 4 seconds and then exhale for 8 seconds. Do this at least 4 times and you’ll start to feel your body and mind settle.

If you cannot get away from your trigger, then take these deep breaths right there! You don’t have to close your eyes, and nobody will know that you’re doing it except you.

Essential oils

Some people find that certain smells help them feel more relaxed and essential oils are a fantastic option for you if you are one of them! There are several ways you can add essential oils into your life. You could use an essential oil diffuser to push heavy amounts of the oil into the air, put a few drops on your wrist so you smell it throughout the day, or add it to a warm bath for some spa-like feelings!

Workout

Sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true! When you feel stressed, that’s often our bodies way of trying to employ the “flight” sense within us. Meaning, our bodies need us to move. Your body doesn’t know the difference between running away from something and running on a treadmill, it just knows you’re moving. Working out when you’re stressed is almost guaranteed to help you destress because you’re attending to that flight response but you’re also forcing your mind to focus on something else in that moment!