How to Relieve Stress and Relax

By Sara Butler

Life is full of ups and downs. From minor challenges to huge crises, stress is simply something everyone has to deal with as a part of life. It’s not realistic to think you can control every circumstance in your life in order to effectively control stress, but what you can do is change how you respond to the stressors in your life.

It can take a big toll on your overall health and wellness when you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress. That’s why it’s vital to have effective ways to relieve it, to help calm you in both body and mind.

Here are some suggestions from the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic for you to try to help manage stress in your life.

Anti-Stress Strategies You Can Use Anywhere

If you’re in a pinch and need a quick way to de-stress, then you need a solid short-term strategy to help you get through. There are several tools you can file away in your anti-stress arsenal to help lower stress in a particularly stressful moment. A few great strategies include:

• Guided imagery - Want to take a vacation in your mind? Then this is a good tool to learn. You simply close your eyes and reach into your mind for your happy place. Picture yourself in a situation that calms you and fills you with happiness as you talk yourself through the entire sensory experience as if you’re really there.
• Meditation - This is a great practice for stress relief. There are different forms of meditation you can explore, such as mantra meditation in which you repeat a phrase over and over in your mind, or mindfulness as you practice being present in the moment. Focusing on something simple during meditation can help the stress to melt away.
• Deep breathing - Focusing on your breath or changing up the way you’re breathing can have a huge impact on your stress level to calm the mind and body. There are different ways to practice deep breathing but the simplest includes breathing in through your nose for three seconds and breathing out through your mouth for three seconds, mentally counting along the way.

Long-Term Strategies for Stress Relief

Once you tackle stress in the moment, you still need to find a way to deal with stress in the long term. To do this, it’s all about lifestyle choices that help you to keep stress at bay and deal with the inevitable challenges you’ll face in a healthy way.

A few long-term strategies for stress include:

• Eating a balanced diet - While you may feel better at the moment as you dig into that pint of ice cream, emotional eating will only provide temporary relief. Instead, focus on reducing the amount of added sugars, saturated fat, and refined carbohydrates in your diet and consume whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables in an effort to help give your body the foundation it needs to deal with stress.
• Exercise - Physical activity is a fantastic way to improve mental health and help unload stress. You can take an exercise class such as yoga, go for walks outside, or join a gym. Just make sure you get 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
• Practice positive self-talk - Your inner monologue matters. Many people struggle keeping their thoughts to themselves positive, which can compound issues with stress. Learn to talk to yourself in a more compassionate way so you can work on a more positive outlook on life.

There are so many positive ways to deal with stress. If you’re struggling, then talk to the chiropractors at The Joint today.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.