Got Stress? 5 Way to Feel Calmer Instantly

This time of year can be stressful, with the holidays and all this brings – shopping, baking, parties (which are back again), decorating, while worrying about how to pay for it all.

Along with this means juggling work and life responsibilities, which can leave you feeling panicked and over-worked. Actually, this describes pretty much the majority of the population these days.

Unfortunately, being stressed and burned-out is rapidly becoming the ‘new normal’ in a world where we have too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Adding extra stressors don’t help.

Managing your stress will leave you feeling in control and focused on the tasks at hand. The good news is that with the pervasiveness of this issue, there is also a large array of options when it comes to treating and dealing with your stress.

Here are five ways you can feel better almost instantly:

Tidy Up

The saying, “what you feel on the outside, you will feel on the inside” is true; when the environment you live in feels cluttered or chaotic, your stress and anxiety goes up.

Try going Marie Kondo on your home or work area or do a little spring cleaning. Whichever you choose, you’ll find that having a more organized space can instantly help you to feel better about your current predicament.

If you only have five minutes, then just clear your immediate area. It’s often enough to feel back in control and calmer.

Eat

If you’re feeling very anxious, it might well be because you have allowed your blood sugar to drop. Something as simply as eating a meal can help to boost it back up and significantly improve your mood again.

Our moods are tied closely to what we eat, due to the link between our blood sugar and the release of cortisol and serotonin (the stress and feel good hormones, respectively). Sugar and carbohydrates can drop blood sugar, leaving you feeling lethargic and unmotivated. Eating healthier foods will elevate your mood and help you deal with your stressors.

Go for A Walk

Walking helps to engage the ‘default mode network’ – the network of brain regions that spring into action whenever we’re not doing something highly active. The result is that your mind wanders, and you feel calm and creative.

Fresh air and scenic views will do the rest. A five- minute spin around the block is all it takes. If at work, take a walk around the building or to the cafeteria; being I a new environment helps.

Meditate

Just five minutes of meditation can be more than enough to help boost your mood and help you to feel better. The aim of meditation is to calm your brain by focussing on something other than the negative thoughts you’re currently experiencing and without judgement.

Your thoughts will be there but you don’t have to do anything about them. With mediation, you train your brain to not be sensitive to what is going on exteriorly.

Just set a timer for five minutes – start with two and work you way up – and make an effort to focus on the sound of your breathing, as this will calm your brain and your body.

Exercise

Another way that you can overcome stress and anxiety is to exercise. This stimulates the release of serotonin, not to mention being extremely good for your health.

Again, five minutes might well be enough. Just take a moment out and do 30 push ups or squats. You’ll get the blood circulating and feel better in no time as endorphins are released, which act as pain-killers and enhance mood and well-being.

Doing any of these activities in smaller increments will help you start and maintain good practices so that any time you feel stressed, you have ways to bring calm into your life. The more you do them, the more automatic they become. You will sail through the holidays, ‘jingling all the way.’

If you’re feeling stressed and want to learn ways to manage it, reach out for help and to get started. You can live a less-stressed life.