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April 3, 2020

6 Ways to Reduce Stress

Have you been looking for ways to reduce stress?

I spoke to a friend a few weeks ago about managing stress. She explained that she was really feeling the stress from work and despite regular exercise, her stress levels were still high and she didn’t know what else she should do to reduce stress. Sound familiar?

With the impending doom felt by the coronavirus, I thought now might be a good time to share some of my favourite ways to de-stress and relax.

Exercise

Exercise is known as one of the best stress busters. Swimming, running, lifting weights… Do whatever lights you up and do it often. If you’re stuck at home with no equipment, try some body weight exercises or look to YouTube for online classes you can take from the comfort of your living room.

Exercise. Woman lifting weights for stress relief.

Meditation

This is a scary one for some people. If you’ve never meditated before, you might imagine it is only for wise old men wrapped in white cloth on the path to enlightenment. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

There are many different types of meditation, each with their benefits. I recommend that beginners start with guided meditations. That’s how I started and I think it’s the most accessible way. There are tonnes of free apps (+ paid apps) out there that you can try, like Headspace or Calm.

You could also search for guided meditations on YouTube. Don’t be put off if you don’t love the first one. Nothing worth it is easy. There are tonnes of different teachers out there, you are bound to find one who resonates with you.

Woman using meditation to reduce stress levels.

Breathing Exercises

As a swimmer, a yogi and an aspiring free diver, breathing exercises / breath work is an important daily practice for me. If you’re not involved in a sport or hobby that really focuses on breath, you may never have thought much about it.

Free diver uses breath hold to float under the surface.

Breathing is something we do passively every day. It is our first action in life and our last action in death. It amazes me that more people don’t pay attention to it. You can start by just taking one deep breath.

Take one deep breath.

Did you breathe into your chest or your belly?

Do you know the difference?

One of the things I love teaching is belly breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing this way allows you to take really deep breaths, making you feel relaxed and calm. Chest breathing is also referred to as shallow breathing and doesn’t have the same stress relieving benefits.

And breathe sign. A great way to reduce stress.

Belly Breathing to Reduce Stress

  1. Sit or lie down, however you feel comfortable.
  2. Start to become aware of your breath. Focus on the natural rhythm of your breathing.
  3. Bring one hand to rest on your chest and allow the other hand to rest on your belly.
  4. As you take a deep breath in through your nose, focus on pushing your belly out. The hand on your chest should stay relatively still, while you feel your other hand rise with your belly.
  5. Keep your lips close together, as you exhale through the mouth. Let your belly relax and feel your hand fall with it.
  6. Repeat 5-10 times.
  7. How do you feel?

Don’t worry if you didn’t get it the first time. It might take a few tries to get used to it.

As you focus on the rise and fall of your belly, what you’re really doing is contracting and relaxing your diaphragm. This in turn allows your lungs to fully expand with every inhale, meaning you get to take a nice deep breath.

This kind of deep breathing is incredibly relaxing. It can reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, relax your muscles and decrease your heart rate. Once you are used to the technique, you can try taking 3 deep breaths any time you are feeling stressed or anxious.

Yoga

Yoga combines movement, breathing and meditation. Right now, while brick and mortar studios are closed, many have moved their classes online. If you don’t have time for a 60-90 minute class, don’t stress. There are many shorter classes available too.

All you need is your yoga mat and yourself. Give yourself a studio experience by adjusting the lights, playing some nice music, lighting some incense and brewing yourself a nice cup of chai afterwards.

Woman practicing yoga to reduce stress.

Journalling

Journalling is a great way to reduce stress. I have an almost daily journalling practice that I could not live without. It helps me to practice gratitude, to recognise negative thought patterns I’ve been having, plan my days and keep my ideas in one place.

I would love to tell you I keep a beautiful bullet journal with pretty pictures, neat writing and organised thoughts. The reality is that mine reflects the chaos of daily thoughts, but you can organise yours any way you wish.

Pretty journal.

I would also like to tell you that I took to journalling on my first attempt. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that I was given my first journal when I started my yoga teacher training. My immediate thought was “Cute book, but I am never going to use that.” We were told to write in it every day and honestly I had no idea what to write.

My first ever entry read ….

“Today is day 2. I’m finding silence so weird. I’m also starving and can’t help but laugh at the size of these tiny bananas… “

Not so enlightened, huh? But I sat with it each day. That journal became one of my most treasured gifts from my time in India. I have carried it with me all over the world. On a particularly bad day, I can open up those first few pages and laugh about how far I’ve come.

Woman journalling on bed.

How to start your own Journal

Easy peasy. The hardest part will be finding yourself a nice notebook.

  1. Get yourself a nice notebook.
  2. Set aside a few minutes daily for writing.
  3. If you’re feeling stuck, write down 3 things you’re grateful for or check out some journalling prompts for more inspiration.

Do Something Creative

What lights you up creatively? Drawing, writing, singing?

Did you ever get up from doing something creative and find that an hour or two has passed and you didn’t even realise because you were so absorbed in what you were doing?

When we are absorbed in activities we enjoy, there is no time to feel stressed.

A woman dips a paintbrush into a can of paint.

What are your favourite ways to reduce stress?

One Comment on “6 Ways to Reduce Stress

[…] is known to reduce stress. It also helps you to clarify thoughts and feelings, resolve problems and disagreements, and boost […]

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