# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
No matter how easygoing you are, life can get stressful. And when stress takes over, even for those who appear to have the calmest center, it can be a chore to find your Zen again.

The emotional demand of stress can build up over time, but if you learn to silence the outside world, if you find an unshakable peace, you'll find a way to return to your happy place, no matter what.

Related: Stop Stressing About Stress

To help you get there faster, here are 19 calming quotes for peaceful vibes.

1. "There are times when we stop, we sit still. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper." -James Carroll

2. "Breath is the power behind all things.... I breathe in and know that good things will happen." -Tao Porchon-Lynch

3. "Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself." -Hermann Hesse

4. "Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor." -Thích Nhất Hạnh

6. "Simply let experience take place very freely, so that your open heart is suffused with the tenderness of true compassion." -Tsoknyi Rinpoche

7. "Don't try to force anything. Let life be a deep let-go. God opens millions of flowers every day without forcing their buds." -Osho

8. "Understand this and be free: we are not in our bodies; our bodies are inside us." -Sean A. Mulvihill

10. "Many a calm river begins as a turbulent waterfall, yet none hurtles and foams all the way to the sea." -Mikhail Lermontov

11. "Doing something that is productive is a great way to alleviate emotional stress. Get your mind doing something that is productive." -Ziggy Marley

12. "Rule number one is, don't sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it's all small stuff." -Robert Eliot

13. "Give your stress wings and let it fly away." -Terri Guillemets

14. "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." -William James.

15. "The day she let go of the things that were weighing her down, was the day she began to shine the brightest." -Katrina Mayer

16. "In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life-no disgrace, no calamity (leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

17. "Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." -Oprah Winfrey

18. "The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom." -James Allen

19. "When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky." -Buddha
Related: 10 Ways Successful People Stay Calm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
19 Calming Quotes to Help You Stress Less

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
No matter how easygoing you are, life can get stressful. And when stress takes over, even for those who appear to have the calmest center, it can be a chore to find your Zen again.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Playing games - whether with a group of adults you enjoy, or with children - can be a great form of stress relief. Games have a way of keeping us in the present moment, with a light-hearted focus, and laughter that comes easily. I recommend creating a game night with friends you enjoy and letting your inner child come out to play on a regular basis. If you are a parent, really enjoy your time with your children. Whatever you do throughout the day, it can become more fun with a playful attitude, and this can melt away stress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Playing games - whether with a group of adults you enjoy, or with children - can be a great form of stress relief. Games have a way of keeping us in the present moment, with a light-hearted focus, and laughter that comes easily.

# data[].attributes.body
If you feel yourself getting anxious about your work take a deep breathe and step away. At a later time come back and finish working on it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These days it's hard not to get overwhelmed once in a while. Between juggling work, family, and other commitments, you can become too stressed out and busy. But you need to set time aside to unwind or your mental and physical health can suffer.

Learning how to manage your stress takes practice, but you can -- and need to -- do it. Here are 10 ways to make it easier.

Modern life is so busy, and sometimes we just need to slow down and chill out. Look at your life and find small ways you can do that. For example:

Set your watch 5 to 10 minutes ahead. That way you'll get places a little early and avoid the stress of being late.

When you're driving on the highway, switch to the slow lane so you can avoid road rage.

Break down big jobs into smaller ones. For example, don't try to answer all 100 emails if you don't have to -- just answer a few of them.

Accept that you can't do things perfectly no matter how hard you try. You also can't control everything in your life. So do yourself a favor and stop thinking you can do so much. And don't forget to keep up your sense of humor. Laughter goes a long way towards making you feel relaxed.

Figure out what are the biggest causes of stress in your life. Is it your job, your commute, your schoolwork? If you're able to identify what they are, see if you're able to eliminate them from your life, or at least reduce them.

If you can't identify the main causes of your stress, try keeping a stress journal. Make note of when you become most anxious and see if you can determine a pattern, then find ways to remove or lessen those triggers.

You need to plan on some real downtime to give your mind time off from stress. If you're a person who likes to set goals, this may be hard for you at first. But stick with it and you'll look forward to these moments. Restful things you can do include:

You need to set aside time for things you enjoy. Try to do something every day that makes you feel good, and it will help relieve your stress. It doesn't have to be a ton of time -- even 15 to 20 minutes will do. Relaxing hobbies include things like:

Reading

Knitting

Doing an art project

Playing golf

Watching a movie

Doing puzzles

Playing cards and board games

If things are bothering you, talking about them can help lower your stress. You can talk to family members, friends, a trusted clergyman, your doctor, or a therapist.

And you can also talk to yourself. It's called self-talk and we all do it. But in order for self-talk to help reduce stress you need to make sure it's positive and not negative.

So listen closely to what you're thinking or saying when you're stressed out. If you're giving yourself a negative message, change it to a positive one. For example, don't tell yourself "I can't do this." Tell yourself instead: "I can do this," or "I'm doing the best I can."

Working out regularly is one of the best ways to relax your body and mind. Plus, exercise will improve your mood. But you have to do it often for it to pay off.

So how much should you exercise every week?

Work up to 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise like brisk walks or 75 minutes of a more vigorous exercise like swimming laps, jogging or other sports.

Focus on setting fitness goals you can meet so you don't give up. Most of all remember that doing any exercise is better than none at all.

When you're stressed, your muscles get tense. You can help loosen them up on your own and refresh your body by:

Stopping and taking a few deep breaths can take the pressure off you right away. You'll be surprised how much better you feel once you get good at it. Just follow these 5 steps:

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your hands in your lap and your feet on the floor. Or you can lie down.

2. Close your eyes.

3. Imagine yourself in a relaxing place. It can be on the beach, in a beautiful field of grass, or anywhere that gives you a peaceful feeling.

4. Slowly take deep breaths in and out.

5. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes at a time.

Eating a regular, well- balanced diet will help you feel better in general. It may also help control your moods. Your meals should be full of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein for energy. And don't skip any. It's not good for you and can put you in a bad mood, which can actually increase your stress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Stress can be bad for your mental and physical health. Learn ways to manage and reduce stress in your everyday life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Life is stressful and sometimes the stress can overwhelm you, but there are steps you can take to learn how to relax.

Normal everyday activities like grocery shopping or traffic jams can make you tense. You might find it hard to unplug from digital devices and streaming services in a 24/7 world. Work deadlines, handling the kids or dealing with a difficult relationship can get you down.

The coronavirus pandemic, a chronic illness, or caring for an elderly relative might be a strain.

"Stress is really how your body and brain respond to challenges, such as pressure at work, [handling] the pandemic, increasing family responsibility, other negative experiences that may impact and create stress," says David Shurtleff, PhD, deputy director of the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the concerns around stress.

"We're seeing a lot more anxiety and depression over the last year given the COVID situation," Shurtleff says.

When you feel overwhelmed or can't handle a situation, your body might respond in a bad way. The so-called "fight or flight" response kicks in to get you ready to run, and that creates stress.

"Experiencing short periods of stress is just fine, in fact, it's even healthy," says Jonathan C. Smith, PhD, a professor of psychology at Roosevelt University, founding director of the university's Mindful Initiative, and a prolific author of books on relaxation practices.

"Living a stress-free life is unhealthy and dangerous. We need a little bit of challenge to keep us alive," Smith says.

But too much stress isn't good for you. Some situations, like the isolation you may have faced during the pandemic, for example, can cause ongoing stress, which, in turn, can bring on health problems.

It's normal to feel overwhelmed by something like a global pandemic, but it's also important to find ways to relax, Shurtleff says. He practices yoga about three times a week and uses a treadmill daily to help keep worries under control.

"Stress over time can really impact our bodies and our brains and lead to really devastating chronic conditions such as anxiety and depression," he says

However, a whole range of relaxation practices can help you power down and de-stress.

"There's no one shoe that fits all," Smith says. He points to "five or six" approaches based on scientific observation and experience that really do work for stress reduction. There are other therapies, too, that you might find helpful. You can do one at a time or you can practice some together.

This is one of the easiest stress reduction practices because you simply focus on your breathing.

Sit or lie down in a quiet place, take a deep breath through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth, or your nose if it feels better.

Texas psychiatrist Gregory Scott Brown, MD, suggests the 4-7-8 approach. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, then exhale for 8 seconds.

Deep breathing can help you calm down and relax, he says.

"When I'm talking to patients, I typically start with breath work because, again, we all breathe every single day, but many of us don't realize that breath work, you know, done in a specific way, is medicine," says Brown, who's founder and director of the Center for Green Psychiatry in Austin, TX.

Mindfulness is an ancient form of meditation that promotes awareness of what's happening in the moment.

It encourages you to focus on your body, your thoughts, and what's going on around you.

Mantra meditation, on the other hand, is the opposite of mindfulness. In this practice, you place all your attention on a single target, like a mantra, a candle flame, or a phrase.

In both types of meditations, whenever your mind wanders -- and it will Smith says -- you simply re-focus.

It's a brain skill, he says. In that in the first 2 weeks you won't be able to do it very well. Your mind will constantly chatter and distract, and that's normal, that happens.

But as you practice, you'll get better at it.

In this technique, you focus on slowly tightening and relaxing muscle groups. You can practice it along with breathing exercises and guided imagery.

Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Expand your stomach as you breathe in and contract it as you exhale.

You can either start with your head and face muscles and work your way down your body or you can start with your toes and work your way up. While you focus on each muscle group, tense and hold for about 5 seconds and relax for 30 seconds, then repeat.

"Tensing certain muscle groups while you're combining breath work with that can, again, instill a sense of calm and relaxation," Brown says.

If you have heart disease, talk to your doctor before you start progressive muscle relaxation therapy.

Imagine yourself lying on a sandy beach with a soft breeze gently stirring the warm air. Use your senses to smell the saltwater and feel the sun as you transport yourself there. That's guided imagery or visualization.

It uses the power of your mind to change your focus to a peaceful time or event.

"If we're in a stressful situation, you know, just shifting our mind and focusing on a time when we were really, really relaxed" is an effective way to calm down, Brown says.

In this practice you focus on feeling warmth and heaviness in different parts of your body. Then silently repeat pleasant words or statements for each body part, like my arms feel heavy and warm. This technique can create feelings of emotional and physical calmness.

Autogenic therapy also combines guided imagery and breathing exercises to reduce stress and your heart rate.

These low-intensity exercises are similar and have been around for thousands of years. Both include physical and so-called "meditative" movements to ease stress and lower blood pressure.

In yoga, you perform different stretching and strengthening postures. You remain still and focus on your breathing as you do each posture.

Tai chi involves slow, graceful movements, like a dance. You'll breathe deeply and concentrate on your body as you move your weight from one pose to the next.

Depending on your physical abilities, you can perform both exercises while sitting in a chair, although you usually do tai chi while standing.

Before you start yoga, it's a good idea to find a licensed professional who can help you learn the basic postures and which form of yoga might work best for you.

Many people swear by exercise to help reduce stress in their daily lives.

Whether it's walking, running, biking, hiking, or tennis, movement of any kind can boost your endorphins, the chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. When your body creates more endorphins, you may find it easier to forget your worries and find a lasting sense of well-being.

Atlanta-based life coach Trisha Harp says she often recommends exercise to people she counsels.

Harp and her husband work next to each other all day, she says. Several times a week they get up in the middle of the day when they're feeling in a slump and do a walk and talk.

Exercising with someone else can get you out of your physical space and gives you another person to chat with, which is also a stress reducer, she says.

Many de-stressing therapies have common goals. They aim to help you pay attention to your body and focus on aspects of your breathing or other exercises that will lower your blood pressure and increase feelings of well-being. You can try:

Biofeedback, which measures body functions and helps you learn to control them.

Self-hypnosis, in which a practitioner teaches you to relax when you hear a phrase or get a nonspoken cue.

Massage therapy, which can include Swedish, sports, Shiatsu, or other types of massage.

Music therapy, when a therapist uses music to accomplish health goals.

Art therapy, which uses art to enhance your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

Aromatherapy, or using essential oils as a type of treatment.

Hydrotherapy, which can include soaking, compresses, or even steam baths.

While relaxation practices are mostly safe for heathy people, there have been reports of negative impacts, such as increased stress, bad thoughts, or a fear of losing control. Talk to your doctor about what practice might be best for you, depending on the relaxation technique you want to try and your health.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Feeling Stressed Out? Learn How to Relax.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Life is stressful and sometimes the stress can overwhelm you, but there are steps you can take to learn how to relax. Normal everyday activities like grocery shopping or traffic jams can make you tense. You might find it hard to unplug from digital devices and streaming services in a 24/7 world.