Today, I want to share some easy ideas for relieving stress. Stress is always an unpleasant experience and chronic stress can cause depression, anxiety, panic attacks and all kinds of health problems, so it’s good to find ways to eliminate as much as you can and keep the rest under control.
10 Simple And Free Ways To Relieve Stress
So as I was writing this article about relieving and reducing stress, my daughter was laughing and saying, “Oh yeah, no stress around here!” With 5 kids, our own business, me being chronically ill and the fact that something major seems to always be happening around here (car wrecks, ER visits, sickness, court battles and one 3 day vacation in 20 years), it seems like the stress never ends, so I have developed some stress relieving ideas that work well for me.
Many of us spend our days a lot more stressed than we need to be. Of course, remove yourself from the stressful situations that you can control as much as you can. Some things are unavoidable, but if stress can reasonably be avoided entirely, avoid it.
These tips are for ways to relieve stress from things that you can’t eliminate from your life. Pick one and use it or come up with your own and share it in the comments below!
Listen To A Mountain Stream
Ok I will admit this is my absolute favorite way to relieve stress and I’ve been doing it for more than 26 years! I love listening to mountain streams because the sound of the water just makes my stress melt away!
I love it so much that I convinced my hubby who is a video producer to go out a shoot a couple of mountain streams for me here in our mountains of Colorado and now he’s started his own YouTube channel, Rocky Mountain Relaxation!
I often put one of the mountain streams on and then listen to it all night long. It really helps to “wash” away your worries (haha you get it? :-) and has a very relaxing ambient sound for sleeping and keeps your mind from racing at night.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be a stream. Some people like listening to the sound of rain, thunderstorms and other things, but the idea is to find something that works for you. :-)
Destress Bath
Try this recipe for an easy de-stressing bath!
handful of epsom salts
1/2 cup baking soda
10 drops lavender oil
Combine the ingredients in your bath and soak for 20 minutes at least once a week.
Laugh
Laughter really is the best medicine. I don’t know how many times Mike and I will be stressed and then we will watch something we KNOW will make us laugh no matter what the circumstances. A couple of our favorite commedians are Tim Hawkins or Chonda Pierce. Whenever we watch them, we have a good laugh and it seems to make everything better. Another of our favorite ways to relieve stress!
Read A Book
Really– It is ok to take time out and just read, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. Don’t read a self-help book either. Read something that is either relaxing like a novel or something that is inspiring. It really helps to get your mind off of life’s worries and just have some fun going on an adventure right in your own home. (And I personally find it more relaxing and enjoyable if it’s a real book rather than an electronic device.)
Go For A Walk (or any other kind of exercise).
Even if you can only get out for 10 minutes, that’s enough to get your blood circulating and get things moving again. Then your mind can get off of the negative track and back onto a positive one so you can see things in a new light. If you have the opportunity, go to a park or other beautiful outdoor place.
Pet Your Animal
What can I say. There is just something about petting our animals that almost instantly soothes us, so have a seat on the couch and let Fido cuddle up.
Take A Nap
A lot of stress is brought on by lack of sleep and being tired magnifies the stress. Give yourself permission to lay down even for 20 minutes and take a cat nap. You may think you’ll be losing 20 minutes, but if you feel better, you’ll more than make up for it the rest of the day!
And go to bed earlier so you aren’t so tired all the time! You might have persuaded yourself that it’s too difficult to go to bed earlier, but most people spend the last part of the day watching TV or playing on a computer or electronic device. If you REALLY want to de-stress, make sleep a priority!
If you go to bed earlier, then your mornings won’t be so stressful and your day will be less stressful. If you want some more ideas on how to reduce stress starting first thing in the morning, my friend Crystal has a great video course on how to makeover your mornings for a less stressful day.
Green Tea, Sleepytime or Chamomile Tea
So as I was writing this article, my daughter was laughing and saying, “Oh yeah, no stress around here!” With 5 kids, our own business, me being chronically ill and the fact that something major seems to always be happening around here (car wrecks, ER visits, sickness, court battles, one 3 day vacation in 20 years.), it seems like the stress never ends.
I always find that if I can drink some calming tea it really helps to “calm my nerves” It’s almost free and works in just minutes. Chamomile tea is relaxing any time and Sleepytime tea is a good choice for relaxing in the evening before bed.
Breathe Deeply
When you’re stressed, you start to breathe very shallow and then you aren’t getting enough air. That will stress you out a LOT! So stop, slow down and take 10 VERY deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling completely and slowly and that will instantly help calm you.
Get In The Garden
Did you know that gardening reduces depression and makes you happy? Yep, it’s true. Being a huge gardener, I can say that I wholeheartedly agree with this. So get out there, pull some weeds and plant some flowers!
You may say, “Yes, I’ve heard all that before,” but how often do you do it? Often, we hear ideas about how to improve our lives, but we somehow think we’ll use the ideas later. Just like anything else, thinking about relaxing or de-stressing isn’t going to solve the problem! You have to just do it! ;-) Take a little time, pick one of the tips and try it TODAY and see if it helps relieve your stress! And if you have a favorite way of relieving stress, tell us in the comments below!
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One of my favorite ways to de stress or just relax is to watch the birds from my kitchen table! My hubby put up some bird feeders on some post near the trees in my back yard . My kitchen nook is facing s big window and it’s amazing just to watch these little birds! In the early spring what a blessing to see the mama birds feed their young!
I walk to my happy place which is a dock that extends into the river. I sit there and watch the trees sway, and the boats sail by. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Another thing that I like to do is watch my Siberian husky dog play at the door park. Seeing my 11 year old little old man run like a pup delights me. Of course I can’t do this at work, so I take a short break to look at husky pictures on line.
I take a drink out to the front porch,sit in my rocking chair and rock my stress away by reminding myself of all the blessings God has provided us with.
Have a little talk with Jesus tell Him all about your troubles He will hear your faintest cry, answer by and by! Find a little talk with Jesus makes it right! Still works :)
You mentioned petting an animal…..but for me, it has to be a cat. When I hear that purr and see those paws make that that kneading motion and their eyes half close while they look at you….that unconditional love eases my stress right away.
SAME!
I checked out the You Tube sites you mentioned. Great Idea.
Morning Bea, Thanks
Love this! Thank you so much for posting and sharing these nuggets. AND the links to go with some of the suggestions!
The sound of the ocean is a destresser for me! If I can’t get to the beach, I watch on YouTube. ?