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Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress

Relaxation techniques can reduce stress symptoms and help you enjoy a better quality of life, especially if you have an illness. Explore relaxation techniques you can do by yourself.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
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Relaxation techniques are a great way to help with stress management. Relaxation isn't only about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby. It's a process that decreases the stress effects on your mind and body. Relaxation techniques can help you cope with everyday stress. And these techniques can help with long-term stress or stress related to various health problems, such as heart disease and pain.

Whether your stress is spiraling out of control or you've already got it tamed, you can benefit from learning relaxation techniques. Learning basic relaxation techniques is easy. Relaxation techniques are often free or low cost, pose little risk, and can be done nearly anywhere.

Explore simple relaxation techniques and get started on de-stressing your life and improving your health and overall well-being.

The benefits of relaxation techniques

When faced with many responsibilities and tasks or the demands of an illness, relaxation techniques may not be a priority in your life. But that means you might miss out on the health benefits of relaxation.

Practicing relaxation techniques can have many benefits, such as:

Slowing heart rate

Lowering blood pressure

Slowing breathing rate

Improving digestion

Controlling blood sugar levels

Reducing activity of stress hormones

Increasing blood flow to major muscles

Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain

Improving focus and mood

Improving sleep quality

Lowering fatigue

Reducing anger and frustration

Boosting confidence to handle problems

To get the most benefit, use relaxation techniques along with other positive coping methods, such as:

Thinking positively

Finding humor

Problem-solving

Managing time and priorities

Exercising regularly

Eating a healthy diet

Getting enough sleep

Spending time outside

Reaching out to supportive family and friends

Types of relaxation techniques

Health care providers such as complementary and integrative health specialists and mental health providers can teach many relaxation techniques. But you can also learn some relaxation techniques on your own.

In general, relaxation techniques involve refocusing your attention on something calming and increasing awareness of your body. It doesn't matter which relaxation technique you choose. What matters is that you try to practice relaxation regularly to reap its benefits.

Types of relaxation techniques include:

Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this relaxation technique, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress.

You repeat words or suggestions in your mind that may help you relax and reduce muscle tension. For example, you may imagine a peaceful setting. Then you can focus on relaxing your breathing, slowing your heart rate, or feeling different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one.

Progressive muscle relaxation. In this relaxation technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group.

This can help you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. You can become more aware of physical sensations.

In one method of progressive muscle relaxation, you start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. This is best done in a quiet area without interruptions. You can also start with your head and neck and work down to your toes. Tense your muscles for about five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

Visualization. In this relaxation technique, you may form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation.

To relax using visualization, try to include as many senses as you can, such as smell, sight, sound and touch. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, for instance, think about the smell of salt water, the sound of crashing waves and the warmth of the sun on your body.

You may want to close your eyes, sit in a quiet spot, loosen any tight clothing, and focus on your breathing. Aim to focus on the present and think positive thoughts.

Other relaxation techniques may include:

Relaxation techniques take practice

As you learn relaxation techniques, you can become more aware of muscle tension and other physical sensations of stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can make a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique the moment you start to feel stress symptoms. This can prevent stress from spiraling out of control and decreasing your quality of life.

Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. As with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice. Be patient with yourself. Don't let your effort to practice relaxation techniques become yet another stressor.

If one relaxation technique doesn't work for you, try another technique. If none of your efforts at stress reduction seems to work, talk to your health care provider about other options.

Also, keep in mind that some people, especially those with serious mental health issues and a history of abuse, may experience feelings of emotional discomfort during some relaxation techniques. Although this is rare, if you experience emotional discomfort during relaxation techniques, stop what you're doing. Consider talking to your health care provider or mental health provider.

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Show references

1. Complementary, alternative, or integrative health: What's in a name? National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/integrative-health. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.

2. Relaxation techniques for health. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.

3. Pizzorno JE, et al., eds. Stress management. In: Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2021. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.

4. Seaward BL. Essentials of Managing Stress. 5th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2021.

5. Seaward BL. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. 9th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2018.

6. AskMayoExpert. Stress management and resiliency (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2021.

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Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress

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Learn how to use relaxation techniques to reduce stress and bring more calm into your life.

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Taking care of your long-term mental and physical health is an important part of stress management. However, there isn't always time to take a nap, hike a fourteener, or read a novel. Thus, here are 25 ways to reduce stress in five minutes or less. From eating chocolate to meditating, there is a quick stress-relieving tactic for everyone.

1. Breathe
Slow, deep breaths can help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Try pranayama breathing, a yogic method that involves breathing through one nostril at a time to relieve anxiety. The technique is supposed to work the same way as acupuncture, balancing the mind and body.

5. Give Yourself a Hand Massage
When there's no professional masseuse in sight, try DIYing a hand massage for instant relaxation that calms a pounding heart. Hands in general can carry a lot of tension. Apply some lotion and start kneading the base of the muscle under the thumb to relieve stress in the shoulders, neck, and scalp.

11. Try Progressive Relaxation
Anxious? Just squeeze, release, and repeat. Progressive relaxation involves tensing the muscles in one body part at a time to achieve a state of calm. The method ( also used by actors) is a great way to help fall asleep.

15. Eat Some Chocolate
Just a square (about 1.4 ounces) of the sweet stuff can calm your nerves. Dark chocolate regulates levels of the stress hormone cortisol and stabilizes metabolism.

16. Meditate
Five minutes of peace is all it takes to reap the benefits of meditation. There's evidence that just two quick bouts of silent meditation per day can relieve stress and depression. Find a comfortable spot in a quiet place, focus on your breath, and feel those anxieties start to disappear.

20. Laugh
Laughter is one of the sillier ways to beat stress, but there's science behind it. A fit of hysterics can increase blood flow and boost immunity. Check out a hilarious YouTube video (maybe a piano-playing pug?) for a quick pick-me-up.

24. Slurp Some Honey
Drown that stress in sweetness with a spoonful of honey. Besides being a natural skin moisturizer and antibiotic, honey also provides compounds that reduce inflammation in the brain, meaning it fights depression and anxiety.

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Taking care of your long-term mental and physical

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What Are Fidget Toys?

Typically advertised towards children, fidget toys are handheld tools made to help users focus and decrease stress. The toys are also believed to improve learning ability. While there isn't enough scientific research to support their benefits, they are commonly utilized and recommended by researchers. Fidget toys come in many different forms, such as fidget spinners, fidget cubes and rubber band balls.

How Do Fidget Toys Help With Anxiety?

Individuals with anxiety may fidget or make small movements when they are feeling anxious, restless, impatient or nervous. Fidget toys give these movements an outlet, which can help calm a person's nerves, relieve stress and serve as a distraction in an overstimulating environment. The toy pulls the user away from any particular stressful thought or situation and provides a temporary form of relief.

"It gives people a place to park their mental worries," says Sue Varma, M.D,. a board certified psychiatrist in New York City. "The rhythmic sensation of any motion is a form of self soothing-like tapping your feet or shaking your leg."

Some toys, when used by adults, can also provide time for a break, she adds. However in some cases with children, certain toys, such as fidget spinners, can become a distraction.

Types of Fidget Toys for Anxiety

There are a large assortment of fidget toys available in a variety of shapes and sizes to meet your personal preference and needs. "Different people will consider different toys more helpful-and luckily they are affordable enough where you can try more than one," says Dr. Varma.

Fidget Spinners

Fidget spinners, usually made from plastic or metal, are a three-pronged tool that fits in your hand and is meant to be spun. These can be helpful for people who struggle with hand fidgeting, however, in the wrong use case, they have been noted to be distracting.
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Stress Balls

Stress balls vary in size, shape and material and can be an aid in expelling energy and to calm the nerves. These fidget toys have also been shown to signal relaxation, relieve arthritis and strengthen muscles in the wrists and hands. "The squeezing motion of a ball or even just clenching our fist and releasing it is part of a relaxation exercise called 'progressive muscle relaxation,'" says Dr. Varma. Some stress balls have special features such as added scent to aid in stress relief or resistance options for strength training in physical therapy. Some even have positive affirmations written on them to provide extra motivation and relief.
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Putty

While putty is a common household and classroom item, can also be a sensory fidget toy. Similar to a stress ball, putty or play doh releases tension and stress. Putty comes in a variety of colors and is pocket-sized, but it's also a silent tool that can be less distracting than other toys, like a fidget spinner.

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Chewable Pendants and Mindful Breathing Straws

Sensory tools aren't limited to your hands. Chewable pendants are an oral sensory tool for anyone who tends to chew on their nails, hair, pencils, sleeves and more. When searching for chewable sensory toys, be sure to look for toys that are latex-free, BPA-free, lead-free, PVC-free and made with materials that are safe to put in your mouth. These are designed for all age groups, but adult supervision is required if purchasing this type of toy for a child.

Meanwhile, mindful breathing straws derive from the breathing practice called straw breathing-an anxiety-reducing practice that can be used with or without a straw. Straw breathing starts with inhaling normally and naturally through the nose, then exhaling by mouth through a straw, and repeating as necessary. The straw can be a tool to help individuals exhale fully, which helps decrease anxiety or panic and regain natural balance.
Buy Now: Available on Amazon.
Fidget Cubes

This six-sided toy is a bit more complex, bearing multiple options to keep your fingers busy. Typically made of plastic, each side of the cube includes various activities such as twisting, clicking, spinning or flipping, allowing the hands to stay occupied and the mind to focus elsewhere.
Buy Now: Available on Amazon.

What To Consider When Looking For a Fidget Toy

There are many options for fidget toys and knowing which fidget toy is right for you, your child or loved one will depend on a few factors. When selecting a fidget toy, the most important thing to recognize is your need, and to identify a toy that feels natural and will benefit you the most.

Need

The goal of using a fidget toy can be to manage anxiety or help with attention and focus, among other reasons. But, when dealing with anxiety, ADHD and other conditions, it's equally important to seek professional help when necessary. "Using a fidget toy does not replace therapy and it's best used in short-term situations," says Dr. Varma. "Along with meditation and deep breathing exercises, using a fidget toy for short-term situations can be helpful." If you find yourself particularly stressed, anxious or unable to focus in certain situations, consider a fidget toy to help you relax and redirect your focus and attention.

Environment

Environment can also be an important factor to consider when choosing a fidget toy. If in a classroom or office setting, something silent and small may be more suitable to prevent distractions for the user and anyone around them. In these cases, opt for something that can be operated discreetly or quietly, such as a fidget cube, stress ball or putty. These toys will allow you to engage in the situation around you while quietly relieving fidgeting tendencies, anxiety or stress.

Durability

Since these toys are often used in anxious and stressful times, they should be durable enough to withstand wear and tear. If you're looking to use your fidget toy for stress or anxiety relief, consider purchasing a toy made of a tougher material, such as plastic or metal.

Look and Feel

Choosing a toy that feels comfortable, satisfying and has your preferred texture and appearance is important to ensure continued use. "Choose a toy based on how it feels to you," says Dr. Varma. "Some people like something squishy, others like the feel of the cloth and some may want sound." Make sure you, your loved one or your child enjoy the sensory texture of the fidget toy and feel comfortable using it in public. Dr. Varma also recommends avoiding any toys that may be too small or present a choking hazard for children.

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6 Expert-Backed Ways To Manage Your Stress

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Coping with stress is inevitable. Here, experts share tips on how to manage stress better in the workplace-and in your daily life.

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We have all felt stress and its effects. After all, the experience of feeling threatened and unable to manage stress can significantly impact how we think, feel, and behave.

Short-term, manageable stress levels can help us grow our resilience to future challenges and motivate and energize us to act. And yet, chronic, ongoing stress can harm us physically and mentally, impacting our relationships with ourselves and those around us (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019).

This article explores stress, its impact, and the risk of burnout. We then explore techniques, exercises, and tips to help us reduce its harmful effects and reframe how we see pressure while regaining our sense of control.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Stress & Burnout Prevention Exercises (PDF) for free. These science-based exercises will equip you and those you work with, with tools to manage stress better and find a healthier balance in your life.

Understanding Stress Levels

While stress in small, infrequent doses may not be harmful, "prolonged stressful living can cause havoc on our physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing" (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019, p. 132).

Indeed, some day-to-day stress is normal, but it is essential to spot when stress levels are too high, too often. Better awareness can be helpful, including watching out for the following physical indicators (WebMD, 2020):

Tense or painful muscles
Possibly experienced in the shoulders, back, chest, stomach, or head.

Digestive issues
Including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation.

Sexual health and wellbeing
Lowered sex drive, impotence in men, and irregular periods in women.

Heart and blood pressure
Increased release of stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) putting us infight-or-flight mode can impact heart rate and blood pressure.

Each physical indicator can become part of our self-awareness and may suggest when stress is getting out of hand.

Some stress counselors use biofeedback technology to assess stress levels, potentially using (modified from Blackett, n.d.):

Resting heart rate
Heart rate taken at rest is often used to indicate overall fitness, but can suggest a change in stress levels.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
HRV is the shift in time between heartbeats. Changes in pattern may indicate the impact of stress levels on our underlying autonomic nervous system.

EEG or brainwaves
Electroencephalograms (EEG) record brain activity. Specific markers can indicate stress.

Breathing assessment
Feeling stressed can be associated with overbreathing (breathing more than is needed to meet the body's needs) or faster, chest-based breathing.

Adrenal assessment
Blood and urine samples can be taken to measure stress hormone levels, such as cortisol and adrenaline.

Skin conductance and skin temperature
Changes to the sympathetic nervous system can be measured in the skin.

Sleep tracking
Quality and quantity of sleep are often impacted by increased stress and are easily monitored through trackers.

Whatever form self-monitoring takes, noticing the early warning signs of burnout and stress can prove helpful in managing our self-care and wellbeing (Bush, 2015).

What is Stress and What is Burnout?

Small experiences of stressors can result in temporary stress, while helping us face future frustrations, challenges, disappointments, and angst.

And yet, while such 'stress inoculation' is associated with resilience, in excess or too frequent, stress can be damaging to both mind and body (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019).

Indeed, whether a single event or ongoing, stress can result in several 'thinking traps,' including (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019):

Jumping to conclusions
These are often unhelpful or unfounded.

Tunnel vision
Limiting our ability to problem solve and move forward.

Catastrophizing
Maximizing the negatives and minimizing the positives.

Casting blame
External or internal assignment of blame.

Overgeneralizing
Minor setbacks specific to one event are applied more widely.

Unhelpful emotional reasoning
We may become more upset than the situation suggests or demands, leaving us anxious and overwhelmed.

Research shows that work can be an extreme source of stress, particularly in high-pressure environments such as healthcare. A 2016 study exploring stress and coping in oncology, suggested that stress levels could be reduced in response to more support from management and better staffing levels (Ko & Kiser-Larson, 2016).

Preventing burnout within the workplace has received much more attention in recent years. And while a unified definition has proven challenging, in 2019, the World Health Organization categorized it as an occupational phenomenon that results from unsuccessfully managed chronic workplace stress (HBR guide to beating burnout, 2021).

Most importantly, they recognized the organization's role in causing it and their subsequent duty to protect their employees (HBR guide to beating burnout, 2021).

How To Reduce Psychological Stress

While resilience is often described as the ability to bounce back from difficult times, research suggests there may be more to it than that. Successfully coping with stress typically involves one, or a combination, of the following (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019):

Recovery
Our ability to return to and restore normal life at pre-stressor levels of functioning.

Resistance
When we show little or no impact in response to a stressor or stressful event.

Reconfiguration
A return to a new normal. A significant event may change who we are and how we live - positively or negatively.

Unlike recovery and resistance, reconfiguration suggests transformation; rather than returning to pre-stressor function, we travel beyond maintaining or sustaining our old lives.

Accepting a 'new normal' can help us reduce psychological stress and move forward.

Attempts to understand why we differ in our response to stress suggest that our sense of coherence (SOC) may also be important in lowering our suffering and experience of difficult emotions (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019).

Indeed, research suggests that the "extent to which one is confident that internal and external environments are predictable and that there is a high probability that life situations will work out as well as can be expected" is influenced by our (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019, p. 137):

Comprehensibility
Our degree of insight into our achievements and difficulties and our awareness of our resources.

Manageability
Our belief that things will work out as we expect and that our resources are adequate and appropriate.

Meaningfulness
Our motivation surrounding our wish to cope and move on.

Additionally, according to Martin Seligman, hope and optimism about future outcomes are vital factors in our overall wellbeing and ability to overcome life's difficulties. They belong to a "family of strengths that represent a positive stance toward the future." (Seligman, 2011, p. 260).

7 Effective Stress Management Techniques

Our ability to manage stress, and create more resilience in our lives, can be helped in several different ways, including:

Recognizing how we currently deal with stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety are a part of life. The difference between those that handle such unpleasant feelings well and those that don't may depend on how they make sense of them (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

Understanding how we react and behave when confronted by stressful situations and anxiety can help us recognize how to better manage stress going forward.

Existing stress responses

Ask your client to consider which of the following applies to them (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016):

Do you run away from or avoid stressful and anxiety-inducing situations?

Do you suppress or push out feelings that are upsetting?

Do you distract yourself from stress (keeping busy, eating, drinking alcohol)?

Do you replace 'bad' thoughts with 'good' thoughts?

Do you talk yourself out of feeling anxious, stressed, or worried?

Do you seek help (therapy, stress-relief books, chatting with friends)?

This list is not exhaustive or judgmental. It is simply a list of some ‌responses-positive and negative-people have to stress and anxiety.

Ask the client to consider which one's offer short-term relief and which provides long-term support.

Now ask them to consider what they may be missing out on in life. The answers will either lead them to accept that they are successfully managing stress or provide valuable insights for the changes needed.

Changing how we see stressful situations

We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can see them differently (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

Accept - Choose - Take action

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has proven valuable for clients learning to manage anxiety and stress; it encourages (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016):

Letting go of the struggles that keep them stuck

Cultivating peace of mind

Accepting what is, and doing what works

Rather than struggle to reduce stress and anxiety, the client accepts what they are already experiencing and then chooses the direction they would like their life to take. The third step is to take that action and realize their valued life goals (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

The following techniques should help the client see and make such changes:

Radical acceptance

Radical acceptance is often practiced within Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This worksheet teaches the client that they cannot control every aspect of their experience (Linehan, 2015).

Setting goals for radical acceptance helps the client understand how it will help them in their lives.

Challenging core beliefs

Our core beliefs can shape how we face up to the difficult times and how we react to stress (Beck, 2011).

The Core Beliefs Worksheet encourages the client to reflect on how they see themselves and what experiences shape the beliefs they hold. Interpreting stressful experiences through a new belief set can change how they impact the client.

Acceptance of our thoughts and feelings

The goal of ACT is to encourage clients to accept what lies beyond their control and commit to life-enhancing actions instead. The Thoughts and Feelings: Struggle or Acceptance? worksheet helps the client gain more insight into how much control they have over their feelings and thoughts (Harris, 2008).

How we manage our sense of calm

Grounding, meditation, and breathing exercises help manage our general anxiety and stress levels and prepare us for difficult situations (Williams & Penman, 2016; Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).

Meditation for acceptance

Meditation is a powerful tool for accepting stressful situations and difficult emotions. Leaves on a Stream uses a simple mental image to let go of such feelings, our need for control, and difficult issues from the past (Williams & Penman, 2016).

Grounding and centering

This grounding and centering technique helps regulate the body's responses and avert overriding the nervous system. Purposefully concentrating on self-soothing behaviors can induce comfort during stress and anxiety (Levine, 2008).

13 Skills & Tips to Manage Stress Better

It is essential to consider what skills and tips we can use to manage stress and ultimately improve our wellbeing inside and outside work:

Self-care tips

Life, and particularly work, can be stressful. Self-care is not a nice-to-have but essential to keep us functioning well and improving our overall wellbeing (Bush, 2015).

The following aspects of our health are vital to our wellbeing and crucial for managing stress better. Encourage clients to consider the following questions (Bush, 2015):

1. Without sleep, we cannot think clearly - are you getting sufficient sleep?

2. Exercise is one of the best cures for stress - are you prioritizing physical activity?

3. Our brain is maintained by the food we eat - are you eating a balanced and varied diet?

4. Healthy relationships are vital for our wellbeing - are you making time for the people you care about?

5. Self-expression enriches who we are and how we live - are you giving the focus you would like to the things you are passionate about?

6. Community and spirituality ground who we are and how we live - how can you make yourself more open to both?

Ask the client to consider their answers and reflect on whether their lives are in balance. Doing so will help them react and rebound from stress more positively (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019).

Managing stress in the workplace

Stress is a significant factor in many workplaces, resulting in countless hours lost due to time off or non-productive hours. The onus must be on workplaces to create environments that reduce stress and help their staff manage it better (HBR guide to beating burnout, 2021).

Putting in place each of the following will help (modified from HBR guide to beating burnout, 2021):

1. Increase psychological safety
Trust and collaboration will reduce the perception that the workplace is a threat.

2. Build regular break times
We cannot focus for beyond 120 minutes without appropriate rest breaks. Build them into the day and encourage people to use them.

3. Encourage the use of private workspaces
Open offices often have many distractions that can frustrate staff when unable to concentrate. Supply private workplaces where staff can focus without interruption.

4. Set boundaries around time outside of work
The borders between work and personal life are often blurred, especially if working remotely. Set clear expectations and stick to them.

5. Create flexible work policies
Juggling work and family life is not easy. Flexibility can remove or reduce that stress without feelings of guilt.

6. Make sure people are in the right roles
When staff are doing jobs they enjoy and are well supported they thrive and take challenges in their stride.

7. Encourage autonomy
Micromanaging is stressful for everyone. Give teams the autonomy to manage their own projects and staff their individual tasks.

3 Further Stress Relief Activities

Positive emotions such as joy, awe, hope, and optimism are essential to living the good life and are known stress-relief techniques.

And not only that, according to the broaden and build theory, they strengthen our psychological resources for overcoming tough, stressful times (Seligman, 2011).

Boosting positive emotions

Ask the client to Build An Emotions Portfolio to encourage positive emotions such as gratitude, joy, interest, and inspiration (Fredrickson, 2010).

Building hope

Hope is a positive, optimistic frame of mind in which we expect good events and scenarios to occur. The ability to remain hopeful can help you bounce back more effectively from life's difficulties when they crop up (Seligman, 2011).

Completing the What is Hope? worksheet will offer the client further insight into their relationship with hope and hopelessness (Fredrickson, 2010; Seligman, 2011).

Improving self-awareness

Mindful reflection can leave us grounded and better aware of ourselves and our situation. The Who Am I Beyond My Anxiety? activity helps clients focus on what is right with them rather than wrong.

Once centered by their breathing, ask them to consider (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016):

Mindful awareness will help those that struggle with their fears and are having a difficult time with stress.

Stress Management Worksheets from PositivePsychology.com

We have many resources available for helping individuals better manage their stress levels, regain their lives following stressful events, and remain in control at times of pressure.

Why not download our free stress and burnout prevention exercises pack and try out the powerful tools contained within, including:

Strengthening The Work-Private Life Barrier
This exercise helps clients identify the behaviors, beliefs, and conditions that create 'holes' in the barrier between work and private life.

The Stress-Related Growth Scale
The questionnaire is designed to assess perceived positive outcomes of a stressful or traumatic event.

Other free resources include:

'STOP' - Distress Tolerance
Theacronym 'STOP' can help you develop the skills to handle strong emotions, tolerate painful events, and manage difficult situations.

Reactions to Stress
This table can be used as homework to capture stressful events, our reactions, and recognize repeating patterns of behavior.

Stress as a Stimulus for Change
Stress is often a good indication that something in our lives needs to change. We can usethis worksheet to begin the transformation process.

More extensive versions of the following tools are available with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit©, but they are described briefly below:

The 5-4-3-2-1 Stress Reduction Technique
The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise is a simple yet powerful sensory awareness exercise. This method engages the five senses to help calm the person and orient their attention to the present space.

The premise of this method is simple. In stressful situations, look for five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you smell, and one thing you can taste.

Valued Living During Challenging Times
Living in line with one's values-also known as valued living-has been proposed by theorists in the positive psychology movement as the key to sustainable happiness.

This tool helps people learn to live in alignment with personal values during stressful life events.

Step one - describe the challenging life event

Step two - identify values with which you've lost touch

Step three - consider what actions you could take to reconnect with your lost values

Step four - take actions to reconnect

If you're looking for more science-based ways to help others manage stress without spending hours on research and session prep, this collection contains 17 validated stress management tools for practitioners. Use them to help others identify signs of burnout and create more balance in their lives.

A Take-Home Message

It's perhaps no surprise when we experience stress. It's a natural physical, cognitive, and emotional response to feeling threatened or under pressure and affects how we think, feel, and behave.

Stress can take many forms and occur in various situations. However, most of us have experienced it, or even burnout, in our professional lives (HBR guide to beating burnout, 2021).

And yet, while we may react by trying to ignore stress, distance ourselves from it, or even fight it, our best approach may be one of acceptance. In doing so, we remove the contributory stress related to unwanted feelings, freeing us to move forward toward our goals and meaningful living.

Changing how we relate to our feelings of stress can also save us from becoming trapped in unhealthy coping behaviors, such as an overreliance on alcohol or avoiding situations that temporarily worsen how we feel. In time, stress can help us build resilience and motivate and energize us to make decisions and stop repeating the same mistakes.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Stress & Burnout Prevention Exercises (PDF) for free.

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10 Techniques to Manage Stress & 13 Quick Tips

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What is stress management? This article features top stress management techniques, tips to avoid burn out, and stress relief activities.

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Wellcast - Stress Management Strategies: Ways to Unwind

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From minor challenges to major crises, stress is part of life. And while you can't always control your circumstances, you can control how you respond to them. When stress becomes overwhelming or chronic, it can affect your well-being. That's why it's essential to have effective stress relievers that can calm your mind and body.

Some effective stress management techniques include:

Guided imagery

Meditation

Progressive muscle relaxation

Deep breathing

Going for a walk

Hugs

Aromatherapy

Creativity

Healthy diet

Stress relief supplements

Leisure activities

Positive self-talk

Yoga

Gratitude

Exercise

Evaluating priorities

Social support

Eliminating stressors

And what works for you at home might not be an option when you're at work or in the community (dancing around your living room might be helpful but dancing in the grocery store might not be).

So it's important to have a variety of stress relief tools at your disposal. Then, you'll be able to pick a strategy that works best for your current circumstances.

Fast-Acting Stress Relief Strategies

What strategies can relieve stress fast? A number of helpful techniques, such as deep breathing and meditation, are fast-acting tools that you can do anywhere, anytime.

Whether you're about to be interviewed for a job or you're feeling overwhelmed by your child's behavior at the playground, it's important to have some stress reduction tools that can lower your stress right now.

The best short-term strategies:

Try Guided Imagery

Guided imagery is like taking a short vacation in your mind. It can involve imagining yourself being in your "happy place"-maybe picturing yourself sitting on a beach, listening to the waves, smelling the ocean, and feeling the warm sand underneath you.

Guided imagery can be done with a recording where you listen to someone walk you through a peaceful scene. Or, once you know how to do it yourself, you can practice guided imagery on your own.

Simply close your eyes for a minute and walk yourself through a peaceful scene. Think about all the sensory experiences you engage in and allow yourself to feel like you're really there. After a few minutes, open your eyes and return to the present moment.

Meditation brings short-term stress relief as well as lasting stress management benefits. There are many different forms of meditation to try-each one is unique and brings its own appeal.

You might develop a mantra that you repeat in your mind as you take slow deep breaths. Or, you might take a few minutes to practice mindfulness, which involves being in the moment. Simply pay attention to what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.

Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation involves relaxing all the muscles in your body, group by group. To practice, you can start with a few deep breaths.

Then, practice tightening and relaxing each muscle group, starting with your forehead and moving down to your toes.

With practice, you'll learn to recognize tension and tightness in your muscles and you'll be able to relax more easily. Each time you practice, however, you should experience a feeling of relaxation sweeping through your body.

Focus on Breathing

Just focusing on your breath or changing the way you breathe can make a big difference to your overall stress level. Breathing techniques can calm your body and your brain in just a few minutes.

The best news is that no one around you will know you're doing them. So whether you're in a stressful meeting or you're sitting in a crowded theater, breathing exercises could be key to reducing your stress.

While there are many different breathing exercises, like karate breathing, a few simple ones include:

1. Breathe in through your nose and watch your belly fill with air. Count slowly to three as you inhale. Hold for one second, and then slowly breathe out through your nose as you count to three again.

2. Breathe in through your nose and imagine that you're inhaling peaceful, calm air. Imagine that air spreading throughout your body. As you exhale, imagine that you're breathing out stress and tension.

Exercise is a fantastic stress reliever that can work in minutes. Taking a walk allows you to enjoy a change of scenery, which can get you into a different frame of mind, and brings the benefits of exercise as well.

So whether you just need to take a stroll around the office to get a break from a frustrating task or you decide to go for a long walk in the park after work, walking is a simple but effective way to rejuvenate your mind and body.

Get a Hug From a Loved One

Physical touch can do a lot to relieve your stress. Hugging a loved one can be especially beneficial.

Oxytocin also causes a reduction in blood pressure. It reduces the stress hormone norepinephrine and can produce a sense of relaxation.

So don't be afraid to ask a loved one for a hug if you need it. It's good for both of you and it can be one of the simplest forms of stress relief available.

Enjoy Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has real benefits for stress relief-it can help you to feel energized, more relaxed, or more present in the moment.

Emerging research suggests certain scents can alter brain wave activity and decrease stress hormones in the body.

So whether you enjoy candles, diffusers, or body products, consider incorporating some aromatherapy into your day.

Create Artwork

Getting in touch with your creative side may have been easy for you during childhood, but it's not too late to pick it up again if you've lost touch with your penchant for artwork.

If you aren't into drawing or painting, consider coloring in a coloring book. Adult coloring books have risen in popularity, and for good reason-coloring can be a great stress reliever.

Long-Term Stress Relief Strategies

What can you do to calm mental stress over the long term? Certain habits can promote resilience to stress and increase overall wellness. For example, those who exercise or meditate regularly tend to become less stressed in the face of a difficult challenge.

So it's important to create a lifestyle that will help you ward off stress and deal with challenges in a healthy way.

Eat a Balanced Diet

A poor diet can bring greater reactivity toward stress. Emotional eating and reaching for high-fat, high-sugar foods can provide a temporary sense of relief that adds to your long-term stress.

Refined carbs, like cookies and potato chips, can cause a spike in blood sugar. When your blood sugar crashes, you might experience more stress and anxiety.

Consuming a healthy diet can help you combat stress over the long haul. Foods like eggs, avocado, and walnuts support mood regulation and energy balance.

Try Stress Relief Supplements

Some vitamins and supplements may have benefits for stress relief. What vitamins help with stress? A daily multivitamin may help address nutritional deficits and ensure you get the necessary vitamins and minerals to feel your best. Other supplements that may help relieve stress include:

Melatonin: This natural hormone can help regulate your body's circadian rhythm. Improving sleep can help you feel less stressed.

Ashwagandha: This adaptogenic herb is thought to help improve the body's resilience to mental and physical stress.

L-theanine: This amino acid has been shown to help reduce stress, promote relaxation, and improve sleep quality.

B vitamins: Some research indicates that B vitamins may help lower homocysteine levels, reduce stress, and improve mood.

Make Time for Leisure Activities

Leisure activities can be a wonderful way to relieve stress. Yet, many people feel as though their lives are too busy for hobbies, games, or extra fun.

But building time for leisure into your schedule could be key to helping you feel your best. And when you feel better, you'll perform better, which means leisure time may make your work time more efficient.

Whether you find joy in caring for a garden or you like making quilts, hobbies and leisure are key to living your best life.

Develop a Positive Self-Talk Habit

The way you talk to yourself matters. Harsh self-criticism, self-doubt, and catastrophic predictions aren't helpful. If you're constantly thinking things like, "I don't have time for this," and "I can't stand this," you'll stress yourself out.

Positive self-talk can help you develop a healthier outlook. And an optimistic and compassionate conversation can help you manage your emotions and take positive action.

Practice Yoga

Yoga combines physical movement, meditation, light exercise, and controlled breathing-all of which provide excellent stress relief.

And while you're likely to reap immediate benefits from a single yoga session, you're likely to receive long-term benefits if you incorporate it into your life in a consistent way.

Yoga offers a variety of physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits. To get started, you might take a class, enroll in an online program, or use an app to help you begin practicing.

Express Gratitude

Gratitude helps you recognize all the things you have to be thankful for. Whether you're grateful for a sunny day or thankful you arrived at work safely, think about all the good things you have in life.

Gratitude also reminds you of all of the resources you have to cope with stress, which can be quite empowering.

So whether you decide to make it a habit to identify what you're grateful for as you sit around the dinner table or you decide to write down three things you're grateful for in a gratitude journal every day, make gratitude a regular habit.

Prioritize Exercise

Physical activity is key to managing stress and improving mental health. And the best news is, there are many different kinds of activities that can reduce your stress.

Join a gym, take a class, or exercise outside. Keep in mind that there are many different ways to get more physical activity in your day too.

Walking, strength training, kayaking, hiking, and spin class are just a few different examples of ways you can get stress relief.

Problem-Focused Coping Stress Relief.

Most stress relievers focus on changing your emotions. But sometimes, you won't necessarily get relief until you change the environment.

This is referred to as problem-focused coping (as opposed to emotion-focused coping). Problem-focused coping involves taking steps to remove the stressor from your life (as opposed to changing how you feel about the stressor).

Reassess Your To-Do Lists

If you're trying to squeeze 20 hours worth of work into 16 hours, you're going to feel stressed. Reducing your workload could be key to helping you get through the day feeling better.

Whether that means stepping away from a committee you joined or it involves hiring someone to complete some of your household chores for you,

Honing your time management skills can allow you to minimize the stressors that you experience, and better manage the ones you can't avoid.

Obtain Social Support

Having supportive people in your life is the key to stress management. If you lack emotional support and friendship, it's important to get it.

That may mean reaching out to your existing network. Perhaps confiding in a family member or distant friend can help you become closer and it may give you the social support you need.

You may also need to expand your network. Join an organization, attend a support group, or get professional help if you lack supportive people in your life.

Cut out Things That Add to Your Stress

Sometimes, the best way to reduce your stress is to cut something out of your life. Get rid of the things that are adding to your stress so you can experience more peace.

Watching the news, being constantly connected to your digital devices, drinking alcohol, and consuming too much caffeine are just a few of the things that may add more stress to your life. Making some changes to your daily habits could be instrumental in helping you feel better.

A Word From Verywell

Finding the best stress relief strategies may take some experimenting. Some strategies may take practice too.

But it's important to keep looking for the tools that will help you manage life's inevitable ups and downs in a healthy way. Keeping stress at a manageable level is important for your overall well-being.

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Learning effective stress relief strategies can help you get a handle on your stress. Discover how to incorporate these stress relief habits into your daily life.