How to reduce mental stress quickly (and naturally)

We all experience stress sometimes a lot and sometimes not so much. Stress, your bodys reaction to change, can be related to positive changes like starting a new job or having a baby. But usually, when we talk about stress, we mean distress. This type of stress overwhelms your ability to cope and when its chronic or intense it can negatively affect your health, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Recognize the signs of stress

Stress, like many things, is easier to deal with when we catch it early. So, being aware of how stress shows up in your body and mind means you can use stress-relieving strategies before your stress gets out of control.

Common symptoms of stress include:

• Irritability or anger
• Headaches
• Gastrointestinal issues (stomach aches, constipation or diarrhea, etc.)
• Insomnia or trouble staying asleep
• Excessive worrying
• High blood pressure
• Rapid heart rate
• Grinding your teeth
• Muscle tension (stiff/sore back and neck are common)
• Lack of sex drive
• Pessimistic thoughts
• Fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling overwhelmed

You may also find it helpful to identify situations that you regularly find stressful (such as meeting with your boss) and behaviors that you engage in when youre stressed (such as overeating or biting your nails).

Ways to relieve stress in 10 minutes or less

Below, youll find a list of simple and quick ways to relieve stress. These are particularly helpful for acute stress and arent intended to be the solution to chronic or intense stress.

1. Listen to your favorite music
2. Get some fresh air
3. Stretch or do some yoga poses
4. Do a grounding exercise
5. Disconnect from technology
6. Talk to someone supportive
7. Meditate
8. Look at photos that make you smile
9. Squeeze a stress ball
10. Read for pleasure
11. Walk, bike, or skateboard around the block
12. Count to 10 slowly and repeat
13. Dance
14. Journal
15. Write down 10 things youre grateful for
16. Doodle, draw, color, or Zentangle
17. Chew a piece of gum
18. Watch a funny video on YouTube
19. Punch a pillow
20. Slow, deep breathing (I like the breathe bubble on the Calm app.)
21. Read an inspirational quote
22. Spend time with your pets
23. Do 20 jumping jacks
24. Do something nice for someone else
25. Sit in the sun
26. Visualize a safe, comforting place
27. Pick some flowers (or pinecones or leaves or seashells or rocks)
28. Give yourself a neck massage
29. Take a shower
30. Kick a soccer ball
31. Diffuse essential oilsor use scented lotions or candles (Bergamot, lavender, and yuzu are a few to try.)
32. Tend your garden; water and talk to your plants
33. Hug a loved one
34. Knit
35. Savor a cup of decaffeinated tea or coffee
36. Repeat a mantra
37. Do a progressive relaxation exercise
38. Make a list of your worries and identify which you can do something about

Make your own list of ways to relieve stress

When youre feeling stressed or anxious, it can be hard to think of effective, healthy coping strategies. Having a list of stress-relieving activities at hand can be very helpful. This way, youre ready whenever your stress level spikes.

I find it’s helpful to have a variety of stress management strategies. You will need to use different strategies when you are at work, school, or home. Sometimes you have more time and other times you are limited. And, of course, we have personal preferences and all find different strategies more or less helpful.

To get started, you can choose a few of your favorite ideas from the list above, write them down, and add or subtract ideas as you try them.

You can also print a PDF of my 38 ways to de-stress quickly and hang it on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. You want to have healthy coping strategies readily available, so you don’t have to think too much about it when stress is at hand. The more you practice them, the more automatic they will become.

This PDF is available as part of my free resource library. To access 30 free emotional wellness worksheets, tips, and articles, just sign-up HERE for my weekly updates and free resources.

Everyone can experience stress and anxiety every now and then. Some people experience it more often than others. When anxiety and stress start to make our days harder, it’s important to have healthy and appropriate coping mechanisms to deal with the feelings that well up.

“We live in times of high stress. Messages that are simple, messages that are inspiring, messages that are life-affirming, are a welcome break from our real lives.” – Simon Sinek

Knowing how to quickly de-stress will make going about your day-to-day life easier, especially if stress and anxiety is a recurring problem in your life. Sometimes, you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to yoga or exercise. For those on the go, trying to de-stress can sometimes be even more stressful! Luckily, experts have come together to point out the best ways to deal with stress and reduce anxiety.

Here Are 5 Important And Effective Ways To Reduce Stress And Anxiety

1. Practice deep breathing exercises

This is a classic method that helps reduce anxiety within minutes. According to Robert Cooper, Ph.D., “Breathing from your diaphragm oxygenates your blood, which helps you relax almost instantly.” Perfecting controlled breathing exercises lower blood pressure and allow our bodies to feel calm and relaxed, which can immediately help us de-stress.

The best way to do this is with an exercise known as “Equal Breathing”. When the feeling of anxiety starts to get too much, try inhaling for a count of 4, then exhaling for a count of 4. Do so through your nose, and it’ll help control your breathing and reduce the feelings of anxiety. Continue doing this exercise until you can reach a count of 6 or 8, both inhale and exhale.

2. Just lie down on the floor

While this probably isn’t the best technique for when you’re out and about, this is a good one for when the anxiety and stress trikes while you’re at home. Laying down on the floor allows the body to stretch out and feel grounded. During this time, you can also perform a mental “body scan”, by focusing on each part of your body individually, starting with your feet and working upwards towards your head. Focusing on self-awareness can help reduce the amount of stress and anxiety that you’re feeling and help you focus on overcoming the overwhelming feelings.

3. Focus on an object to help calm your breathing

Quite similar to breathing exercises, focusing on staring at a single object can help calm your breathing, lower your blood pressure and reduce the amount of anxiety and stress that you’re feeling. It doesn’t have to be anything special!

According to Scott McGreal, MSc., “When experiencing day-to-day stress I find it helpful to focus my attention on my immediate surroundings. For example, I may focus on the particular colors and shapes of objects in my environment. Doing this can help shift attention away from “hot” thoughts to “cool” (emotionally neutral) thoughts, to induce a calmer mental state.”

Any old object will do, as long as you’re able to look at it without scanning your eyes up and down. Focusing on the object can help you meditate and calm down your mind and body. You can also pair object focus with equal breathing to really get your body relaxed.

4. Take a break and listen to some music

According to Art Markman, Ph.D., “Music is a great tool for stress relief. Pop in your headphones and listen to something that will transport you somewhere else. And if you can, learn to play a musical instrument and use that as part of your own personal therapy program.”

Listening to music can boost your mood and give you a hit of dopamine. It also works as a great distraction from whatever the current environmental or emotional stressor may be. Listening to music that you enjoy can break your concentration from the stressful situation and allow you time to relax and decompress. You can also pair listening to music with any of the other techniques on the list to get a double hit of relaxation!

5. Smile even when you don’t feel like smiling

Forcing yourself to smile has been proven to reduce the amount of stress that you’re feeling more quickly than if you don’t smile. Not only does smiling automatically release serotonin, it can immediately help with calming you down, reducing your anxiety, and assisting in a de-stressing exercise. It’s also easy, and you can do it anywhere and at any time! No need to set aside a time of day to smile; you can do it whenever you feel the need arise.

Anxiety can sometimes get the better of us, but there’s no reason to let it rule your life. When you find yourself dealing with anxiety and stress, remind yourself of these techniques. Most of them can be done anywhere for a few minutes at a time, so that you can destress and keep moving forward whenever you need to. These techniques will help shift your mood, focus your attention onto your body, and allow you to become more self-aware than you were before. Beating the anxiety can be tough, but it’s easier once you have the tools in your back pocket, ready to use!

One of the quickest ways to reduce anxiety is to refocus your attention. Meditation is a great tool for this.

Reduce Anxiety and Find Peace

Your heart starts racing and you can feel your muscles tense. Even though your hands feel cold, they start to sweat. Your body starts tingling or going numb. At best, a sense of uneasiness washes over you. At worst – sheer panic and feeling like you are going to die.

Anxiety can be difficult to deal with, but luckily there are ways to bring it down to a manageable level. Everyday lifestyle changes like eating balanced meals, exercise, and getting enough sleep can help you develop a relaxed and healthy state of mind.

But what are you to do when your anxiety is going past that point where you know it’s too much? How do you reduce anxiety?

7 Ways to Reduce Anxiety and Find Peace

1. Identify the Meaning

One of the beautiful things about being human is experiencing emotion and using our brains to understand why we feel the way we do. Understanding emotion not only helps us evolve as individuals, it also helps in developing compassion for others and what they are experiencing.

Emotions are signals for us to listen. Anxiety doesn’t feel useful when it is happening, but it can help us realize something in our life isn’t right.

If there isn’t an immediate threat, it can be more challenging to determine why anxiety is popping up. Are you holding on to a value, belief, or relationship that no longer serves you in your personal growth? This can be a lot to unravel and understand, so write down your thoughts and feelings to see if there is a pattern.

2. Meditation

One of the quickest ways to reduce anxiety is to refocus your attention. Meditation is a great tool for this.

The next time you experience anxiety, try this exercise:

• Lie down and get comfortable. Take a few deep breaths.
• In your head, count every inhalation and exhalation. So for ‘1’, breathe in and out. For ‘2’, breathe in and out, and so on.
• Do this until you count to 10, and start counting back down.
• If your mind starts to wander, start from where you remember leaving off or start again from 1.

If you are having a hard time focusing, there are many guided meditations available online.

3. Talk to Yourself like a 5-Year-Old

If a child came to you because they were anxious, would you say “get over it!”, “You’re being silly/oversensitive”, or “it’s all in your head”? I sure hope not.

Why are you not giving yourself the same compassion? You were 5 years old once. Image your adult self-comforting your 5-year-old self. Tell him or her that you can overcome the stress. You’re not being silly, you just need time to process your emotions. You are just as worthy as anyone else to receive understanding.

4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is when you focus on your muscles one at a time and relax. You can do this by saying in your head, “my toes are now relaxed”. Once you relax your toes, move on to your next body part.

Another form of progressive muscle relaxation is to tense a specific muscle and then release. Taking the toe example again, curl your toes and count to 5. Release, and take note of the relaxed sensation. Keep moving to different regions of your body until your whole body is relaxed.

5. Visualization

Visualization can be a great tool for distracting your mind from negative thoughts and calm an anxious mind. Here is a practice that a therapist gave me once:

• Picture the last time you felt relaxed and at ease. Describe the scene in your head. What were the sights? Was there anything that stood out to you?
• Think of the weather and how it felt on your skin. Were there pleasant smells?
• What were the sounds that were present? Listen to them.
• Note the textures. Did you touch anything? What did it feel like?

Mentally walk through that scene, and remember how relaxed and at peace you were.

6. Massage

Massage therapy is great for when you are feeling anxious. Deep tissue massage (or Swedish massage if don’t want a ‘work the knots out’ type of massage) will relax your body. Just as a tense mind can cause a tense body, a relaxed body can signal your mind to relax too.

7. Don’t Fight It

When you are having an elevated bout of anxiety, it is only natural to want the uncomfortable sensations to go away.

The more you ignore it, though, the more it tries to get your attention.

Try leaning into it. Describe your symptoms to yourself and focus on them. If your heart is beating fast, put your hand on your chest and breathe deeply. Feel it slow down. If your muscles are tense, try progressive muscle relaxation.

Remember to be gentle with yourself. You’ve felt anxiety before, but you’ve also been at peace before. So, you can find peace once again.

Stress is not a disorder but a lifestyle problem. Every age group from teens to old has their own stress in life. Nowadays even kids fall in this category for their changing education pattern and peer pressures. The stress when left unnoticed can lead to depression, anxiety, agitation, and chest pain. Now due to this pandemic, everyone has to shut themselves at home. Problems may arise in different dimensions leading to stress. How do we get rid of this? Of course, there are many natural ways to attain a stress-free life.

Revive your hobbies – Hobbies are the activity done in leisure time for pleasure. After a long stressful day, engage yourself in any favorite activity to keep away stress. It works both psychologically and physically. Research says that it can lower depression, negative effects, and blood pressure. It gives the feeling of not just sitting idle but doing something productive.

Regular Exercise – Exercise keeps our body fit physically and mentally. When you indulge in any physical activity a chemical called Endorphins is secreted which reduces stress, acts as a natural pain killer for the brain, and improves your sleeping time. Yoga postures also work out well for stress as it can bring our mind in control and releases physical tension. Other forms to get rid of stress are acupuncture, meditation, and massage therapy.

Follow A Healthy Diet – Eating a healthy diet can help you release the negative effects of your body. Dark Chocolate, less spicy food, Whole-Grain Carbohydrates, milk, and nuts can increase serotonin production in the brain to reduce the stress level.

Plan your day – If we fail to plan our day it ends up in mess. Time management is very important that can help schedule our commitments. This also, in turn, can help people to focus on one task at a time. It keeps your mind calm and helps to crack major tasks into simpler ones. Do not rush and stress your mind. To make the way simpler keep reminders or maintain a planner to live stress life.

Ways to Release Stress – Listen to music, spend time with friends, any outdoor activities, have a healthy conversation with loved ones, take a stroll in a peaceful place, share your emotions or feelings with trusted people, visit places with positive vibes.

We all experience stress sometimes a lot and sometimes not so much. Stress, your bodys reaction to change, can be related to positive changes like starting a new job or having a baby. But usually, when we talk about stress, we mean distress. This type of stress overwhelms your ability to cope and when its chronic or intense it can negatively affect your health, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Recognize the signs of stress

Stress, like many things, is easier to deal with when we catch it early. So, being aware of how stress shows up in your body and mind means you can use stress-relieving strategies before your stress gets out of control.

Common symptoms of stress include:

• Irritability or anger
• Headaches
• Gastrointestinal issues (stomach aches, constipation or diarrhea, etc.)
• Insomnia or trouble staying asleep
• Excessive worrying
• High blood pressure
• Rapid heart rate
• Grinding your teeth
• Muscle tension (stiff/sore back and neck are common)
• Lack of sex drive
• Pessimistic thoughts
• Fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling overwhelmed

You may also find it helpful to identify situations that you regularly find stressful (such as meeting with your boss) and behaviors that you engage in when youre stressed (such as overeating or biting your nails).

Ways to relieve stress in 10 minutes or less

Below, youll find a list of simple and quick ways to relieve stress. These are particularly helpful for acute stress and arent intended to be the solution to chronic or intense stress.

1. Listen to your favorite music
2. Get some fresh air
3. Stretch or do some yoga poses
4. Do a grounding exercise
5. Disconnect from technology
6. Talk to someone supportive
7. Meditate
8. Look at photos that make you smile
9. Squeeze a stress ball
10. Read for pleasure
11. Walk, bike, or skateboard around the block
12. Count to 10 slowly and repeat
13. Dance
14. Journal
15. Write down 10 things youre grateful for
16. Doodle, draw, color, or Zentangle
17. Chew a piece of gum
18. Watch a funny video on YouTube
19. Punch a pillow
20. Slow, deep breathing (I like the breathe bubble on the Calm app.)
21. Read an inspirational quote
22. Spend time with your pets
23. Do 20 jumping jacks
24. Do something nice for someone else
25. Sit in the sun
26. Visualize a safe, comforting place
27. Pick some flowers (or pinecones or leaves or seashells or rocks)
28. Give yourself a neck massage
29. Take a shower
30. Kick a soccer ball
31. Diffuse essential oilsor use scented lotions or candles (Bergamot, lavender, and yuzu are a few to try.)
32. Tend your garden; water and talk to your plants
33. Hug a loved one
34. Knit
35. Savor a cup of decaffeinated tea or coffee
36. Repeat a mantra
37. Do a progressive relaxation exercise
38. Make a list of your worries and identify which you can do something about

Make your own list of ways to relieve stress

When youre feeling stressed or anxious, it can be hard to think of effective, healthy coping strategies. Having a list of stress-relieving activities at hand can be very helpful. This way, youre ready whenever your stress level spikes.

I find it’s helpful to have a variety of stress management strategies. You will need to use different strategies when you are at work, school, or home. Sometimes you have more time and other times you are limited. And, of course, we have personal preferences and all find different strategies more or less helpful.

To get started, you can choose a few of your favorite ideas from the list above, write them down, and add or subtract ideas as you try them.

You can also print a PDF of my 38 ways to de-stress quickly and hang it on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. You want to have healthy coping strategies readily available, so you don’t have to think too much about it when stress is at hand. The more you practice them, the more automatic they will become.

This PDF is available as part of my free resource library. To access 30 free emotional wellness worksheets, tips, and articles, just sign-up HERE for my weekly updates and free resources.

Beat burnout and get closer to your goals with these quick pick-you-ups.

THE BASICS

• What Is Stress?
• Find a therapist to overcome stress

I was inspired to write this blog post when my friend sent me an article from KevinMD.com called “Confessions of a Burnt-Out Physician.” Having experienced burnout myself, I’m keenly aware of the toll it takes on people who are trying to do good work in the world.

Her story has stayed with me as I’ve gone on to work with other clients and companies that are having burnout concerns. Most recently, my cousin, who is a critical care nurse, told me that she didn’t have time to go to the bathroom in her entire 12-hour shift. My shock quickly faded once I realized that I had done the same thing as a busy attorney. There were many days when I didn’t eat, ate late in the day, or ignored my own personal needs in favor of billing more hours.

The way we work is broken when scores of talented people can’t attend to their basic human needs. Until larger systemic issues are fixed, these and other stories continue to push me to create stress-relief strategies that can actually be incorporated in one’s super-hectic day.

Here are 10 such strategies to try when you have 5 minutes or less:

1. Change your passwords. I recently read about a guy who used this specific password technique to process his anger after his divorce. He changed his password to [email protected], and it worked. His next password was [email protected], and it helped him quit smoking. Think about how many times you enter a password during your day. Make it something that is going to help you create the environment you want.
2. Give someone a hug. Hugs are so important that they now have their own day—January 21 was actually Give Someone a Hug Day. Hugs are good stress relievers. Hugging someone causes you to release oxytocin, a hormone that promotes pro-social behaviors that can contribute to relaxation, trust, and compassion. If you feel weird about hugging your colleagues at work, save those hugs for friends and family.
3. Pet an animal. More and more companies and schools are recognizing the powerful impact that petting animals has on reducing stress. As I burned out, my panic attacks increased, and I stopped exercising because a hard-beating heart caused my anxiety-flooded brain to trigger panic. To help, I spent lots of time with our golden retriever, Sadie, and I firmly believe she saved me from a complete breakdown.
4. Try 4-7-8 breathing. Many busy professionals tell me they don’t have enough time to develop a full-blown meditation practice. This is the closest thing to meditation that I’ve been able to do, and it’s helped me relax in numerous situations. If you’ve been feeling less focused, more scattered, or having more knee-jerk reactions to stress-producing events, try this technique: Sit in your chair or on the floor with your back straight. Breathe in for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, then exhale for a count of 8. Repeat this for five minutes. The first few times I tried it, I was all over the place, but now I’ve got the hang of it.
5. Savor something. Savoring involves mindfully engaging in thoughts or behaviors that heighten the effect of positive events and positive emotions. There are three types of savoring: Anticipatorysavoring (looking forward to a positive event); Savoring the moment (intensifying and prolonging the enjoyment of a current experience); and Reminiscing (reviewing a past event to rekindle positive feelings). Did you have a win at work? Think about that and share it! Are you looking forward to dinner out with your significant other tonight? Take a few minutes and think about the delicious smells in the restaurant and what you will order.
6. Smile. I can’t tell you how many times I go to the store, the doctor’s office, a restaurant, or other public place and the people I interact with look so cranky. Emotions are contagious. You may be pissed off, hung over, unhappy at work, or going through a tough time, but simply smiling may not only make you feel better, it can signal others that you want to connect.
7. Do a brain dump. Counterproductive thoughts and emotions build up during the day. The anger you feel toward a friend, anxiety about missing an important work deadline, or frustration from being turned down for a promotion all need to be processed. Your worst-case-scenario thinking won’t get better until you get it all out of your head. It’s amazing how different a problem looks when it’s on paper.
8. “If-Then” a goal. Research has shown that if you add “if…then” statements to your goals, the likelihood of achieving that goal increases. This is how I use “if…then” statements with one of my health goals, which is exercising most days of the week: “If it’s Monday morning, then I’m going to the gym.” That becomes a habit, which puts my brain on autopilot. If it’s cold outside, I’m tired, or just don’t feel like going, it doesn’t matter because it’s Monday morning, and Monday morning = the gym.
9. Create your PERMA-H score. Dr. Martin Seligman’s theory of flourishing involves five elements known by the acronym PERMA. PERMA stands for Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement. I’ve added another factor, Health. Grab a piece of paper, and write the following: P____ E_____ R_____ M_____ A______ H______. Your PERMA-H score is you at your flourishing best—when you’re in the zone, kicking butt. What does that look like for you? If you have 30 points to divide among each PERMA-H element, what does your optimal score look like? (Each bucket must have a number greater than 0.) Mine looks like this: P – 2; E – 4; R – 5; M – 5; A – 8; H – 6. TOTAL: 30. When I’m having an off-day or am overly stressed out, I pull out my PERMA-H score and usually find that one of these areas isn’t getting enough attention.
10. Play a mental game. Our brains are hardwired to notice, seek out, and remember negative events and information. It’s called the negativity bias. If you’re having a stressful day, odds are that your brain will be replaying those stressful events long after the stress has passed. If you need to temporarily “change the channel” of your thinking so that you can focus and concentrate on the task at hand, play a mental game. Mental games are fun, easy activities to help you lessen distraction. You can count backwards by 7 starting at 1,000, recite upbeat song lyrics, or try my favorite one: Create a sentence where every word must begin with the same letter, starting with “A.” For example, “All aardvarks are awesome.” Then go onto “B.” “Big bananas buy boats.” I use this when I can’t sleep at night.

Pick the two or three strategies that resonate most with you and try incorporating them into your day. I’d love to hear from you: What are some stress-relief strategies you use when you have 5 minutes or less?

Halvorson, H.G. (2011). Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals. New York: Penguin Group.

Seligman, M.E.P. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being. New York: Free Press.

The mental games activity was part of the training curriculum developed by the University of Pennsylvania as part of its resilience training for soldiers.

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As a doctor, I get a lot of health questions both in my practice and in my email inbox. Today, I found one that I felt was particularly compelling, which I’d like to share with you.

Hi, Dr. Manny, can you please tell me some natural remedies for stress? – Shideh

Winter and the accompanying bad weather can be a stressful time for anybody, especially in today’s day and age, with all the problems Americans are facing in this difficult economy. More and more people are suffering from negative stress. Negative stress takes a toll on our daily lives and our health and can lead to high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, anxiety and depression, among other problems, so I feel this question is very appropriate.

Rest assured, there are many things you can do before you run out to get a pill. Here’s a list of some of the most effective natural stress reducers.

1. Passionflower

While passionflower has long been considered a “folk remedy” for anxiety and insomnia, a few studies have shown that the herb may actually be comparable in effectiveness to benzodiazepine drugs, which are used to treat stress. Though not proven, it is believed that passionflower works by increasing levels of a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This lowers the activity of some brain cells, making you feel more relaxed.

Passionflower is available in a variety of forms, including infusions, teas, liquid extracts and tinctures. It is not recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or nursing. Consult your doctor before adding it to your diet, especially if you are taking other medications.

This is kind of a no-brainer, right? Everybody loves a massage. But did you know that it’s been used as a stress reliever for thousands of years? Historically, the Chinese used massage to open blocked energy channels in order to improve health and Hippocrates, the “father of western medicine,” used friction for physical healing treatments. Today, we use massage to relax tense muscles, reduce pain and improve circulation, which can all do wonders for the mind.

3. Meditation

Meditation, or mindfulness, only takes 15 to 30 minutes a day, which is possible even in a packed schedule. It’s also incredibly affordable, considering the only tool you need is your own mind. Just give yourself some silent time to let your thoughts run free or just focus on your breathing. That small amount of peace in your day can help you deal with or even release stress.

Whether it’s yoga, Tai Chi or running, exercise works much in the same way as meditation because it gives you the time to be alone with your thoughts (or an opportunity to let them go). However, exercise also has the added benefit of releasing endorphins into the brain, which improves your mood. It also prevents obesity and other health problems, giving you less to be stressed about.

5. Organize your life

Organization offers a sense of control and peace of mind, and there’s a number of ways you can improve in this regard. If you’re the kind of person who’s always running around, it can help to make lists so that you remember everything. If you’re the kind of person who feels edgy in their own house, tidy up. Studies have shown the mere sight of clutter can put us on edge.

6. Eat healthy

It’s actually been proven that junk food can make us depressed (not to mention fat) so clean up your diet. Healthy foods like whole grains and protein can improve your mood and give you long-lasting energy to tackle everything that comes your way during the day. Foods that are especially effective for stress-busting include blueberries, salmon and almonds, according to scientists.

Also, put down that extra cup of coffee. While studies have shown that some coffee during the day can offer health benefits, too much caffeine will make you jittery and anxious, and eventually lead to a crash.

7. Limit Internet and cellphone use

Disconnect, disconnect, disconnect. Part of the problem with reducing stress in today’s world is that we are never truly able to shield ourselves from it. By turning away from the Internet and shutting off our cellphones, we can at least block some of the channels from which stress can reach us. Doing this also allows us to live in the moment and appreciate it.

It is particularly important to cut off electronic use before sleep, which can cut down on insomnia-related problems.

8. B Vitamins

B vitamins are known to promote proper functioning of the brain and nervous system, as well as help induce relaxation and fight fatigue. In fact, indicators of B deficiency include irritability, depression and apathy, so to stave off those symptoms, increase your intake of foods rich in B vitamins. B vitamins are typically found in the germ and bran of cereal grains, as well as beans, peas, nuts, liver, eggs and dairy products.

In some cases, inhaling certain scents has been shown to have immediate stress relief effects by raising mood, reducing anxiety and aiding focus and concentration. Experts say it’s because the smells can stimulate the limbic system, which in turn releases chemicals that affect the brain, promoting feelings of relaxation, calmness, love and excitement. Popular oils for stress relief and mental fatigue include lavender, cypress and rosemary.

Sleep is the most important natural stress reducer of them all. Too little sleep leaves us cranky, irritable and on edge. Too much sleep can leave us sluggish and depressed. Try to find the right balance that allows you to feel well-rested and ready for the day. Promote better sleep by establishing bedtime rituals that signal to your brain that it’s time to fall asleep, avoid exercise in the three hours before sleep or take a warm bath. Certain foods can also promote sleep, such as carbohydrates, bananas, peanuts, figs, dairy and – of course, a certain holiday favorite – turkey. These foods all contain tryptophans, a precursor for creating melatonin. However, avoid having a large meal close to bedtime, because it may result in indigestion, reflux or heartburn.

Understanding activity in the brain to help with sleep, stress and focus.

Between studying for finals and trying to get Christmas shopping done, it’s a stressful time of the year. What if there was a way to get at the source of our emotions and thoughts – the brain – and control it so you could achieve a mental state you desired or reduce stress? Mind control sounds a bit more like Stranger Things than real life, but we’re actually getting closer to monitoring brain activity, and in some cases changing or strengthening desirable brain wave patterns.

So what are brain waves and how do we measure them? The brain is made up of billions of specialized cells, some of which are called neurons. Neurons are constantly talking to each other and the electrical activity that emanates from that communication can be detected using a technique called electroencephalography, or EEG, with sensors attached to the scalp that tune into those bursts of energy and record them as waves. The shape of the wave is different at rest than it is when someone is using all of their focus and attention.

Explore our infographic below to learn about the five types of brain waves, and the mental state linked to each one.

What about those times when we feel too focused or vigilant, and would desperately prefer for those flatter brain waves of sleep and rest – is it possible to nudge our waves in one direction or another? Life as a student can be stressful, demanding, and fast-paced. The pressures of school can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being, as evidenced by the alarming increase in burnout among student populations. Controlling our brain waves could help optimize relaxation and productivity.

Read about three ways that you can change your brain waves to get closer to the state you want.

Wearables

If you want to go super high-tech, there are actually a number of wearables or devices that use neurofeedback. Feedback is like the speedometers on the highway that record how fast you’re going and flash if you’re over the speed limit. This signal feeds back information about your behavior and alerts you to change it, that is, to stop speeding. In a similar way, neurofeedback measures your brain waves and feeds that information back to you in order to reinforce certain patterns of waves and subsequently mental states. These devices are essentially headbands that you can wear while performing a task and they read out your brainwaves so that you can see how active your brain is. So say you’re meditating and the device records relaxing alpha waves. Some devices will playback that information to you in the form of music at the same frequency, while others deliver the actual waveform back to your brain.

These wearables aren’t exactly budget-friendly for an average consumer, let alone a student. Fortunately, there are things you can do from the comfort of your own home to strengthen desirable brain waves and help with stress, sleep, and productivity.

Meditation or Exercise

Regular meditation has been shown to increase alpha waves – your relaxation brain waves — and reduce beta waves – the brain waves of active thought and learning. That’s why it’s most commonly recommended for reducing stress. Deep breathing and closed-eye visualization – techniques that mindfulness meditation usually employs – also boost alpha waves.

Besides relaxation, alpha waves may also help boost creativity and thereby act as a natural anti-depressant by promoting the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Another way to boost your alphas, surprisingly, is to do high-intensity workouts. Not only do they release endorphins that give that exercise “high”, but they also promote alpha waves as you rest.

Binaural Beats and Music:

There are also techniques that use the concept of brain wave entrainment, whereby your brainwaves begin to match or synchronize with the frequency of an external stimulus, like a pulsing sound or a light. You can use this concept to train your brain waves to a particular frequency during a specific task. For example, you may want beta waves while you’re preparing for a test, or alpha or delta waves to help you sleep.

To get our brain on the right wavelength, you can listen to binaural beats, which are basically two different sound frequencies played in each ear. You can easily find these beats by searching for Delta Binaural Beats or Alpha Binaural Beats on YouTube. If you find binaural beats to be a bit boring or repetitive, there are also services that play music designed to enhance certain brainwaves.

Brainwaves aren’t just responsible for changing your mood. Physicians and researchers examine brain waves to understand how we learn and remember, and also to help diagnose disorders of the brain. Michael Sperling, MD at Thomas Jefferson University studies complex brain wave patterns and when they occur during learning and memory. He recently contributed to research that studied how theta waves are involved in creating “cognitive maps” that are important for remembering places and events. You can read more here.

The next time you’re stressed or relaxed, motivated or depressed, think about what your brain is doing and how you can help it calm down or get energized. Mind over matter!

If you’re stressed, whether by your job or something more personal, the first step to feeling better is to identify the cause.

The most unhelpful thing you can do is turn to something unhealthy to help you cope, such as smoking or drinking.

“In life, there’s always a solution to a problem,” says Professor Cary Cooper, an occupational health expert at the University of Lancaster.

“Not taking control of the situation and doing nothing will only make your problems worse.”

He says the keys to good stress management are building emotional strength, being in control of your situation, having a good social network, and adopting a positive outlook.

Check out our selection of stress-busting apps in the NHS Apps Library.

What you can do to address stress

These are Professor Cooper’s top 10 stress-busting suggestions:

Be active

Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts and letting you deal with your problems more calmly.

Take control

There’s a solution to any problem. “If you remain passive, thinking, ‘I can’t do anything about my problem’, your stress will get worse,” says Professor Cooper.

“That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing.”

The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it’s a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else.

Connect with people

A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.

“If you don’t connect with people, you won’t have support to turn to when you need help,” says Professor Cooper.

The activities we do with friends help us relax. We often have a good laugh with them, which is an excellent stress reliever.

“Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems,” says Professor Cooper.

Have some ‘me time’

Here in the UK, we work the longest hours in Europe, meaning we often don’t spend enough time doing things we really enjoy.

“We all need to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise,” says Professor Cooper.

He recommends setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality “me time” away from work.

“By earmarking those 2 days, it means you won’t be tempted to work overtime,” he says.

Challenge yourself

Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps build confidence. This will help you deal with stress.

“By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person,” says Professor Cooper.

“It arms you with knowledge and makes you want to do things rather than be passive, such as watching TV all the time.”

Avoid unhealthy habits

Don’t rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping.

“Men more than women are likely to do this. We call this avoidance behaviour,” says Professor Cooper. “Women are better at seeking support from their social circle.”

In the long term, these crutches won’t solve your problems. They’ll just create new ones.

“It’s like putting your head in the sand,” says Professor Cooper. “It might provide temporary relief, but it won’t make the problems disappear. You need to tackle the cause of your stress.”

Help other people

Professor Cooper says evidence shows that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, become more resilient.

“Helping people who are often in situations worse than yours will help you put your problems into perspective,” says Professor Cooper. “The more you give, the more resilient and happy you feel.”

If you don’t have time to volunteer, try to do someone a favour every day. It can be something as small as helping someone cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues.

Work smarter, not harder

Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that’ll make a real difference.

“Leave the least important tasks to last,” says Cooper. “Accept that your in-tray will always be full. Don’t expect it to be empty at the end of the day.”

Try to be positive

Look for the positives in life, and things for which you’re grateful.

“People don’t always appreciate what they have,” says Professor Cooper. “Try to be glass half full instead of glass half empty,” he says.

Try writing down 3 things that went well, or for which you’re grateful, at the end of every day.

Audio: unhelpful thinking

In this audio guide, a doctor helps you to replace negative thoughts with more positive thinking.

Accept the things you can’t change

Changing a difficult situation isn’t always possible. Try to concentrate on the things you do have control over.

“If your company is going under and is making redundancies, for example, there’s nothing you can do about it,” says Professor Cooper.

“In a situation like that, you need to focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job.”

Audio: sleep problems

In this audio guide, a doctor explains what you can do to give yourself the best chance of a good night’s sleep.

More in Guides, tools and activities

Page last reviewed: 20 November 2018
Next review due: 20 November 2021