We’re all pretty busy, aren’t we? Life is hard, and it seems like there’s always something else being added to the pile to keep you down. But staying relaxed isn’t as difficult as it seems. In fact, most of the following methods are downright simple.
The next time you feel like you’ve had enough, check out this list of ways to stay calm even under the most drastic circumstances.
1. Drink Green Tea
Green tea is a go-to beverage when you just need some time for yourself. Not only does it offer a pleasant and calming smell, but it also contains L-Theanine, which has proven to reduce feelings of anger. Instead of chugging your fifth cup of coffee for the day, consider trying some green tea when things get hectic at the office.
2. Chew Gum
Aside from the fact that it keeps your breath fresh when you’re stuck at work and can’t brush your teeth, chewing gum is also a way to reduce your stress levels. If you’ve ever seen somebody chewing gum and thought to yourself “Man, he looks calm as could be,” it’s because he is. Chewing gum reduces anxiety, and it lowers cortisol – the stress causing hormone – as well.
3. Give Yourself a Hand Massage
Believe it or not, simply rubbing your hands together firmly can alleviate stress and bring on a sense of calm. Place one thumb in-between your opposite hand’s thumb and fingers, and gently massage the pad below your thumb. For added effect, use lotion with a calming scent like lavender.
4. Meditate
Those who know how to meditate truly know how to relax. When you think of meditation, you probably picture sitting in a quiet room for a long period of time without moving a muscle. While there’s nothing wrong with elongated periods of meditation, five minutes of peace and quiet is really all you need to let your stress levels fall and get back to baseline. Habitual meditation allows you to be more mindful, and can also alleviate feelings of depression.
5. Use a Stress Ball
Those stress balls you see in novelty shops do actually work. Squeezing one of these is a form of progressive relaxation, in which tenseness in your muscles is worked out ever so slightly. Combine the use of a stress ball with meditation, and feel the negative energy transfer from your body to the inanimate object between your hands.
6. Visualize Calm
We all do it from time to time. You’ve been working feverishly for hours on end, and suddenly you fade into thoughts of lying on the beach, listening to the waves roll onto the shore. For those few moments, your earthly worries dissipate completely, and you feel at peace with the world. Visualization can help when you feel like you’re about to reach your breaking point – just make sure you calmly come back to reality soon enough.
7. Get Up and Out
Knowing how to relax often means knowing when to get out of a bad situation. If you can feel your blood boiling to the point that you’re going to start acting erratically and irrationally, you absolutely need to move away from the stimulus that’s causing your stress levels to skyrocket. Go for a quick walk outside, collect your thoughts, and come back with a fresh mindset.
8. Get Organized
If you’re feeling stressed out, take a look at your workplace and living area. If it’s a complete mess, do something about it. Decluttering your physical surroundings and making them sparkle will drastically improve your mood, and allow you to be much more productive in the process.
9. Exercise
Humans weren’t meant to sit still all day. When you feel bogged down from all the stressful work you’ve had to do over the week, hit the gym or go for a run. You’ll feel physically less cramped, and your body will release endorphins which will improve your mood, as well. Plus, when you exercise, you keep your body healthy and fit.
10. Enjoy Some Recreation
The entire reason we go through so much stress is so we can enjoy life, right? Whenever the opportunity to do something fun arises, don’t waste it. Play a round of golf, see a movie, play some guitar…do whatever it is that makes you happy, so you can at least know what all the hard work is for.
