Let’s not lie to ourselves. We all experience some level of stress in our daily life; whether it’s self-induced, appears in social events, or is specific to a current situation occurring. Stress is unavoidable for the average human and it affects us all differently. Not only does it impact individuals extremely differently, but some people have perfected their routine to reduce stress in their day-to-day lifestyle.
It alters depending on the individual, but there are a plethora of ways to reduce stress by picking up new habits in your daily routine. These habits range from meditation to deep breathing to changing your diet and can allow a person to feel more intentional and mindful each day.
So let’s not hesitate and dive right into the top 10 stress-reducing habits you NEED in your life today.
1. Exercise
Exercise is a given. Our bodies need to move, release endorphins, and practice mental and physical connection daily to promote overall health. The greatest thing about exercise is there are SO many types of ways to get your body moving that can be selected specifically to your likings and desires. Additionally, exercise can be individualized with your schedule depending on the type of exercise you chose to persist. For example, if you are a generally pretty busy person, it would be beneficial to select a modality like HIIT or cycle classes.
Not only can exercise be specific to your desires and time frame, but it kills two birds with one stone in another way. How? Exercise allows one’s physical health to improve by burning calories, reducing fat, and increasing metabolism. At the same time, exercising on pemf mat creates a release of endorphins in your body that allow your mental health to improve each time.
The physical endurance you experience while exercising can relieve any mental stress and additionally lowers stress hormones such as cortisol. If exercise is practiced regularly enough, it can improve your sleep quality, which leads to a reduction of stress.
Exercising is achieving mental and physical health, which is bound to decrease overall stress.
2. Meditation
Now I feel like people throw this term out a lot when it comes to improving mental health. But why is it so important? What actually IS meditation?
Meditation can be many things and can be practiced very differently depending on the person. Generally speaking, meditation is the practice of releasing all tension, stressors, or anxious thoughts and focusing on one’s breath and mind connection.
You can repeat a specific mantra in your head, visualize positive scenes or patterns, or just silence your thoughts to relaxing music. No matter which form you chose, Meditating will ultimately reduce stress by helping you to focus on the “here and now”.
3. Walking
Walking is probably the most underrated stress-reducing habit there is! Walking helps change up the scenery when feeling stressed, anxious, or emotional. It can aid in bringing you back into reality by physically grounding you to the Earth through your feet being placed on the ground repeatedly.
The best part about walking is you can usually do it wherever you are and it does not have to be super long. If you are out of town, at a friend or family member’s house, at your house, etc, you can pretty much always find somewhere to walk. These walks can be quick in length and range from as little as 5 minutes or up to an hour! Whatever your heart desires and whatever length best helps you release all of life’s stressors.
4. Journaling
Journal is something everyone should get in the habit of doing. It not only allows one to express their feelings and emotions into words, but it also allows one to release those words once they are placed on that piece of paper.
Journaling should be personal. Buy a journal that brings you joy and write either every morning or whenever you are starting to feel stressed out. If you are a more generally stressed person, finding a smaller journal to carry with you would be extremely beneficial.
Once you have this journal and are ready to write, you can choose to nofollow guided prompts or let the words flow out however you desire. If you are feeling stuck and cannot seem to find the right words to express how you are feeling, try nofollowing guided questions or prompts to get your ideas actively in your mind. Here are some example prompts:
- What is one emotion you are feeling right now?
- What is something good that happened to you today?
- What is something you are looking forward to this week?
- What is one goal you have for yourself currently?
- What are your daily tasks?
These prompts are simple, open-ended, and can allow one to turn inward and connect with their mind and body.
5. Stretching
I know…sounds too good to be true, right? Stretching, whether this is right in the morning, after a workout, before bed, or all of the above, can be extremely beneficial in reducing overall stress.
You do not need a yoga mat for this or even be remotely flexible! Minimal stretching allows your muscles to relax and reduces long-term pain and soreness. Sometimes, without even knowing it, individuals can hold tension in certain areas of their bodies. By stretching, one is reconnecting with their body and releasing any of those areas of tension that they were unaware of.
These 5 tips can be easily integrated into any daily routine and take no more than 15 minutes. Incorporating these stress-reducing habits is a game-changer for overall wellbeing and mental health, so don’t miss out!
To explore more habits you can incorporate into your daily routine to reduce stress, click here.
Author Bio:
Bella Knuth is an experienced blog writer for companies such as Mirra Skincare, Neoreach, and her own personal blog, The Bizy Bee Lifestyle. She loves writing about business, marketing, overall wellness, and all things lifestyle.
In the Mirra Blog Post Referenced:
https://inthemirra.com/blogs/news/stress-reducing-techniques?_pos=5&_sid=c659b2071&_ss=r#C5
Sources:
https://www.stress.org/15-stress-reducing-activities-you-can-do-at-home-according-to-experts
https://www.self.com/story/what-is-high-intensity-interval-training-benefits
