De-stress Yourself: Five Time Proven Ways to Loosen Up

Victoria Lim - 29 May 18

Nowadays, being stressed has become a normal part of our fast-paced, everyday life. At work, at home, at the supermarket, at school, on the street, at the bank, there are always little problems that stress us out. We get stressed over any little thing because we are just used to it. We take too much care of other people opinions and it stresses us, even media and trends can cause a great deal of stress every single day since the constant pressure is too much to handle. Stress is the worst enemy for both our body and mind and can cause more them few health problems from anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches to hypertension, asthma and so much more. Even though experiencing stress is almost inevitable, there are many active and passive ways to control it or overcome it and here are some of the proven methods to loosen up and get your mind off any stressful situation you may encounter with:

ACTIVE:

See Your BFF and talk it out

Friends are not just to have fun, your best friend will always be there to listen to you and you will feel much better after that and surely less stressed. Speaking to a dear friend and opening up about your problems is proven to reduce the production of cortisol. Go for a cup of coffee at your favorite cafe and enjoy a lovely conversation with your friend and turn your stress into laughter.

Take a walk or go for a bike ride

Taking a short or a long walk will definitely help you to clear your mind and reduce stress hormones. Take that walk in a park or next to water since it will help you out to put your body and mind in a state of meditation and get to relax. Also, going for a bike ride will make your body release mood-boosting chemicals (endorphins) and it will melt the stress way while protecting your heart from high blood pressure at the same time. People who live in the apartments usually have the excuse that they can not have a bike since they have no place to keep it, but you can always get a folding bike that is easy for disposal and not as heavy. Besides taking your mind off problems, taking a walk or riding a bike will keep your body healthy as well.

Dance Your Troubles Away

There is nothing better to reduce stress like dancing to your favorite music. Dancing will leave you tired but also very exhilarated. Turn up the volume of the speakers, play your favorite songs and just dance for as long as you like and don’t look at the time. You can do it any time of the day you’d like, right after work to shake off all that stress you brought come from the office or early in the morning to get pumped with energy for the day.

PASSIVE:

Listen to music

It has been proven many, many times that listening to music has a very positive effect on our mood and it definitely can help us reduce stress. Classical music with slow tempo can give us a peaceful state of mind, relax muscles and lower the blood pressure and heart rate. But of course it doesn’t have to classical music, you can and should play the music that you love the most since your favorite songs will release dopamine that is responsible for good feelings. You can listen to music at any time, at home, in the car, while you walk etc. , just get a set of headphones and you can take your music with you anywhere you go.

Take deep breaths

Breathing is very important when it comes to nourishing our bodies. Different breathing exercises can help us relax since our body will be tricked into feeling like we are already relaxed. Taking a few deep breaths can reduce tension and stress and make you calm down due to the extra boost of oxygen while shallow breathing is a clear marker of stress. Moreover, clinical researchers showed that breathing exercises also help some of organs and systems in our body to recover after being damaged by stress by reducing blood pressure and even changing the expression of some genes.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Getting enough sleep plays a crucial role in reducing stress and what even happens you should not sacrifice your eight hours of sleep per night that both your body and brain needs. Sleep deprivations will make you tense, stressed out and you are more likely to make mistakes and lose your temper. And yes, it’s not easy falling asleep when you are under stress, but listening to some nice, calming music before the bedtime can help a lot.

How to De-Stress: The Bottom Line

There are many proven ways to unwind and de-stress, from meditation, getting away from your computer and phone to listening to music, dancing, spending some time with your friends, getting enough sleep and going for a walk or a bike ride. I can not tell you what is the best method for you, it depends from person to person, but doing what you love and how you like it is the key to getting in a peaceful state of mind.

Victoria Lim

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