20 Ways to Deal with Stress: Stress Less, Live More

Dealing with stress may be a normal part of life but you shouldn’t normalize living with it.

Simply put, stress is what we feel when we feel pressured, threatened, or overwhelmed with something. We also feel it when we are put in a situation that we can’t control. Everybody and anybody can experience stress. In fact, babies also get stressed as early as three to five months old. 35% of the worldwide population feels stress and you may form part of it.

The good news is, you can deal with stress in many ways. Remember that you deserve to stress less and definitely live more.

Deal with Stress: Causes of Stress

There can be one or even many causes of stress. As our lives go on, we are exposed to different situations that could be beyond our control, causing stress among other problems.

Responsibilities
Constantly worrying
Noise
Heavy workload or working long hours
Intense school work
Personal relationships
Illnesses
Parenting
Financial problems
Uncertainty
Emotional conditions
Big changes in your life
Traumatic event
Bereavement
Social media

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Take a moment to assess your life and see which areas cause you stress. Knowing what stresses you out can help you cope and address them to free yourself from a troublesome situation.

Deal with Stress: Signs and Symptoms of Stress

Sometimes, you are stressed without even knowing it. Hence, it is important to know the symptoms of stress. Keep an eye out for these signs of stress:

Exhaustion
Unable to feel happy
Feeling irritable and angry
Nausea
Weight gain or weight loss
Inability to focus
Anxiety
Loss of interest in life
Chest pains
Depression
Changes in menstrual cycle
Lack of energy
Difficulty sleeping
High blood pressure
Indigestion
Overwhelming thoughts
Loss of sex drive
Headaches
Weak immunity
Memory lapses
Fatigue
Muscle tension
Pessimism
Panic attacks

List down the ones that you frequently feel or experience. You need to be aware of your body, mind, and emotions to better manage your stress. Knowing that you’re stressed can save you from its short-term or long-term effects.

Best Ways to Deal with Stress

You may not have control over the stress factors but what you can control is how you respond to them.

1. Meditate

Try to keep your body and mind calm with the help of meditation. Even a few minutes of deep breaths and simple meditation practices can make you feel calm and peaceful inside.

It’s alright to do your favorite meditation exercises or follow a guided meditation. You can also do the mantra meditation for your favorite words of affirmation every day!

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2. Give yourself time

Sometimes, life can get overwhelming and you might not even know how and when to start. It’s okay to give yourself time to process everything and to figure out what you want to do and how you want to do it.

You may also need time to acknowledge that you are in stress. It’s a normal part of life and you have nothing to be afraid of as long as you address it properly.

3. Eat healthy

Having a healthy diet plays an important part in relieving yourself of stress. Eating can help with stress but the food that you eat always matters.

After all, you are what you eat, right? Some of the best foods that can help you destress are oatmeal, salmon, berries, dark chocolate, chamomile tea, milk, fruits, and of course, vegetables.

4. Sniff essential oils

You might be surprised at how helpful essential oils can be. They come in small bottles but they can make big changes in how you feel.

Go for essential oils like lavender, chamomile, lemon, bergamot, jasmine, clary sage, and ylang-ylang. These are perfect for relaxing, meditating, sleeping, anxiety, and so much more.

5. Rebalance your home and work life

Achieving a work-life balance can be challenging but doing it step-by-step can reduce your stress. Recalibrate your priorities and time to get a good grasp of what happens in your life.

Make yourself more efficient and work while managing your time and tasks. Get off work at the right time and be sure to take your breaks. You deserve a life outside of work and a job that keeps you on your toes.

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6. Be kind to yourself

Believe it or not, there are times that we can ourselves stress. You push yourself to your limits because of the expectations of the people around you and in turn, it puts you in stressful situations. It always helps to be kind to yourself and to cut yourself some slack. Notice the best things about yourself and celebrate the small wins. Treat yourself to good food, a spa day, or whatever that makes you feel good!

7. Keep a positive attitude

Even if it’s hard to feel good when things are out of control, you can still maintain a positive attitude. There’s a brighter side to look at and it may remind you of the best things in your life. Your positive attitude and mindset lead to positive actions and these positive actions can lead to positive results. Let go of what worries you and focus on the better things ahead.

8. Cuddle

Can you believe that cuddling can reduce your stress? Cuddling helps your body release oxytocin which keeps you calm and happy.

You can cuddle with your partner, pet, or whatever makes you feel at ease. It also reduces your cortisol levels to help with the physical and mental effects that come with stress.

9. Enjoy your favorite activities

Don’t ever be too busy to do your favorite activities. Take a step away from what stresses you and make time for your hobbies.

Aside from doing things that you love, you can try activities that you have always wanted to do. Play an instrument, draw, paint, cook, knit, read, bake, play, camp, literally whatever you want!

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10. Exercise

Working out and doing sports is great for your body and mind. Even if you sweat a little or feel a soreness in your muscles, it’s truly worth it. Exercising can trigger your body to release endorphins or your happy hormones. It’s almost like meditation but you just need to move more. You can feel relaxed, calm, and happy!

11. Go outdoors

It’s surprising how spending time in the outdoors can relieve your stress. Go out of your room or your office and bask in the ambiance of everything in nature. You can go for a hike, camp out, have a bonfire, get a tan at the beach, swim at the pool, or just relax at the park. Inhale the refreshing air and exhale your stress away.

12. Accept the things you can’t change

Whenever you’re in a situation where you feel like it’s out of your hands, think about the things that you can manage and control. Once you know how to accept the things you can’t change, you can focus on the things that you can change and work towards those. Only then can you address the stressors effectively.

13. Practice self-care

With the many things that you do every day, you may forget to practice self-care. It’s about keeping yourself healthy so you can function and live well every day.

For self-care, you can exercise, eat good food, sleep, and just do things that you usually enjoy. You need to remind yourself that your body, mind, and soul are extremely important for fighting stress.

“People deal with stress in different ways and you can always make a solution of your own.”

14. Work smart

Your job can be one of the top stressors in your life. Perhaps you work overtime, work long hours, or have too many responsibilities to do. Working smart means learning how to prioritize, managing your time better, resting when you’re burnt out, taking breaks, and even bonding with your colleagues!

15. Talk to other people

Spending time to talk with your family and friends can lower your stress levels. When you speak to other people, it can lighten what you’re feeling and lift your spirits. You can talk to them about what causes you stress or even about anything for a laugh. They can even share their steps for managing their own stress.

While using social media is not directly related to stress, there are times that it can be a stressor. Some interactions on social media can make you feel anxious, angry, and stressed. Pause your social media use and you can take time to read or go out instead. Instead of recharging your phone to use for social media, recharge yourself and your mood.

17. Sleep

Lack of sleep can affect your health and life in many ways. With less sleep, your mood, actions, and mind are more likely to cause stress. It’s also not simply about sleeping but quality sleep. You should fall into a deep sleep for at least seven hours to feel the energy when you wake up. Make it a habit to sleep well every night to get rid of stress.

18. Write your stress away

Whenever you don’t feel like exercising, going outdoors, or doing other physical activities, you can sit down with a notebook and just write all of your worries away. As you write, you are casting down the stress decluttering your mind from your thoughts. You can start a stress journal and sooner or later, you’re going to feel your mind at ease.

19. Listen to music

Don’t let your thoughts consume you and try to listen to music instead. There are many upbeat songs that you can dance to or just boost your mood. Play music before your sleep to get better sleep quality at night. It can also lift up your mood, especially when you listen to happy songs. No matter what music you like, have a listen and destress!

20. Try to eliminate the stressors

Getting rid of the things that give you stress can take time. Start with the stressors that you can control and handle on your own.

Everything is a process and eliminating your stressors is not an exception. Work your way through the things that cause you stress until they no longer cause you any stress. People deal with stress in different ways and you can always make a solution of your own. Now, you have twenty ways you deal with stress!

Summary: 20 Ways to Deal with Stress

Don’t “stress” over what stresses you out, instead, learn to deal with the stress in the ways that best work for you. Once you figure out how to manage your stress, you can stress less, and live more!

NADINE ALMAZAN

Nadine is a freelance writer and graphic designer with skills in social media management, and customer service. Always eager to learn and ready to work!