Discover how to soothe your stress away with these stress busting things to try. Find what works best for you to find calm, relaxation, and peace of mind in what sometimes feels like a really crazy full-on world.

By incorporating mindfulness and implementing anti-stress techniques, you really can learn to better manage stress and create a sense of balance. So if you are feeling a little strung out, have a go at these tips. You absolutely have the power to create a sanctuary of tranquility within yourself to cope with even the most super stressful of situations.

Breathe!

First things first, when you are in mega stressed mode - breathe out for longer than you breathe in. I know, the whole 'take deep breaths thing' sounds so obvious but it's the best first step and the simplest thing to try. Deep, intentional breathing helps activate your body's relaxation response. Simply slowing your breaths can reduce tension and lead you towards finding calm and focus. Particularly if your life is pretty stressful right now, take a few minutes each day to breathe deeply and centre yourself. Make it part of your routine and give it time to work, don't force it.

Find the calm

Find yourself a calming activity to keep your mind and hands busy. If stress tends to go hand in hand with anxiety for you, try an activity you can do almost anywhere. Some ideas that work really well for this are colouring books, puzzles, sewing, a rubik's cube or you could even try learning some tricks with a yo yo!

A slightly off the wall thing that absolutely worked for me was learning to read Tarot cards. There are a lot of cards and different readings to memorise so it helps keep my mind and hands busy but there's also no pressure or expectations. Plus I can carry my cards around with me to practice memorising or doing a reading for myself anywhere so that I have something to focus on if i'm overthinking.

Get Moving!

Of course we all know that exercise can help boost your mood and reduce levels of stress hormones in your system. But finding the right type of exercise is key for reducing stress. So if you can, try to have a couple of options at the ready depending on your mood. If you're stressed and tired, a walk in the fresh air may be just the thing. But if you're so wound up you don't know what to do with yourself, how about a game of squash or taking up boxing? If your body feels stressed as well as your mind, a yoga session or a swim could be just the thing you need. Identify the type of stress you feel and find a form of movement that speaks to that.

Take Care of you

Prioritise self-care by carving out time for activities that nourish your mind, body, and soul. Whether it's reading a book, taking a relaxing bath, or spending time in nature. Ironically this is often harder to do if time pressures or commitments are causing the stress. So if you need to fit in some self care on a super tight schedule, how about these ideas? 

• Wash your hair the best you have ever washed it. Scrub your scalp deep and then rinse your hair in cold water. The shine will be incredible and give you a great lift in your day that took you just a couple minutes during your shower.

  
  

• Pop in somewhere on your way to/from work/appointments. Like a coffee shop you like for 20 minutes peace and a nice latte.

  
  

• Wear one of your absolute most favourite outfits today.

  
  

• Stretch while you are at your desk/in traffic/in a queue.

  
  

• Three things - As you are falling asleep try to think of three things you achieved today, three things you like about yourself and three things you are grateful for.

  
  

• If the weather is nice enough, eat your breakfast outside

  
  

• Say 'no' to something today. You know you don't have time? You could really do without that on your list? You just don't want to? Then say No! It's scary the first time but trust me, it gets easier!

Taking care of yourself is essential for managing stress so remember it's completely ok to put yourself first sometimes.

Embrace Mindfulness

Try a mindfulness technique like meditation, deep breathing, and body scans. If you find these difficult try these tips on meditation. Mindfulness activities can help you stay grounded, manage stress, and cultivate a sense of inner peace. If you don't feel you have time in a day to practice mindfulness (or the patience!) then try a Mind project instead and connect with your inner calm. A mind project is a super easy way to get into the practice of mindfulness and you can do it practically anywhere, like while driving, sitting on the train or walking your dog.

Balance it Out

Maintain a healthy work-life balance by setting boundaries and creating space for relaxation and recovery. Overcommitting yourself or working long hours can lead to burnout and increased stress levels. Prioritise your well-being by balancing work responsibilities with activities that bring you joy and fulfilment. If work itself is leaving you to feel your life is unbalanced, you can check out well-being plans for working from home, travelling or being based in an office here or even discover a new career for greater balance from this list of ideas.

Connect

Connect with loved ones and build a strong support network to lean on during times of stress. Sharing your feelings, seeking advice, and receiving emotional support from friends and family members can help you navigate challenging situations. Cultivating meaningful relationships isn't always easy but being present can help you achieve this and give you a welcome distraction from your stressors. Learn how and why to be present in this blog post.

Let yourself wind down

Lack of sleep is only going to exacerbate stress and put you in a bad mood, but I know all too well what it's like to try and get some good shut eye when you're stressed out and your mind is racing. So instead of focusing on getting sleep, try shifting your focus to a 'wind down' routine instead. A good wind down routine should include spending your last hour before bed in a calming environment with few distractions and lots of comfort.

However this looks to you is very individual but I personally go with a warm bath, comfy pj's, fluffy slippers, a cup of tea and something easy to watch on TV. You can also turn off your notifications if they trigger stress for you and continue the wind down routine when you go to bed with focused breathing, relaxing your muscles and practising gratitude as your last thoughts for the day.

Practice Gratitude

On the subject of gratitude, this can bring about positivity by helping you to focus on the things in your life that are good and not just thinking about the stressors. A few easy ways to create a daily gratitude practice are by writing in a journal, expressing your thanks to other people, or reflecting on your achievements and the people and moments in your life you feel grateful for.

Prioritise

If the stress you feel is being caused by feeling overloaded, let's look at the tasks you have to manage. Firstly are they all as important as you think they are? Chances are some can probably wait, be picked up by someone else or maybe written off altogether. So as hard as it feels to do when you feel stressed out and short of time, try and prioritise and keep your expectations of what can be achieved realistic. Break down larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks, and prioritise tasks based on urgency first and then importance. By organising your responsibilities, you can regain your focus to alleviate the stress and increase your productivity.

Take Breaks

Take breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge your mind and body. Stepping away from work or stressful situations can help you gain perspective, reduce tension, and rejuvenate your energy. Whether it's a short walk, deep breathing exercise, or quick meditation session, allow yourself those moments of relaxation and renewal throughout your day. Ironically, the more you try to power through, the more you will lose speed and motivation. So give yourself a break, let your mind recharge and come back to the situation refreshed.

Eat well

Stress is absolutely made worse when we don't take care of ourselves but it's also the last thing on our minds when we are stressed out. So absolutely do try and stay hydrated and eat well but don't put so much pressure on yourself to do this that it just adds more stress. Even if you just manage to add in a couple of healthy snacks to your day, it all helps. If you can, have some healthy options and a bottle of water with you/in your bag/on your desk as much as possible. Make it easy for your stressed out mind to pick the healthier choice. Find some ideas for incorporating uplifting foods in to your diet here.

Reach Out

I can't stress this one enough (excuse the pun) - Seek professional help or support if you're feeling overwhelmed or unable to manage your stress on your own. I promise you there is no shame in asking for help when it all gets too much. Try to think of it this way, if you broke your ankle, you would seek help from a doctor right? And no one would judge you! So if you need support with managing stress, talk to a therapist, counsellor, or mental health professional. They can provide some great insight, guidance, and coping strategies for managing that stress. And if there is anyone in your life that would judge you for this, then trust me, you don't need them in your life anymore.

Find the fun

Engage in activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and fulfilment. You don't need an excuse to have some fun or even a big budget. There are tons of hobbies, activities and even projects you could work on or things you could learn just for fun. Fun is one of the best stress relievers and easy to find when you look for it. Need some ideas for things to do just for fun? What about these 25 fun activities, or anxiety reducing hobbies? Or if taking up a new hobby all feels a bit much right now, use these online resources for getting back the giggles and good feels!

Practice Mindfulness

Practice mindfulness in your daily activities by staying present and focused on the task at hand. Mindful eating, walking, and communication can help you cultivate a sense of calm, clarity, and intention in your daily life. By staying mindful and attentive to the present moment, you can reduce stress and increase your sense of well-being.

Embrace a positive mindset and practice self-compassion in the face of stress and challenges. Be kind and gentle with yourself, acknowledging that it's okay to feel stressed and overwhelmed at times. Treat yourself with kindness, patience, and understanding, and nurture a mindset of resilience, courage, and hope in the face of adversity.

Try the weird and the wonderful

Our minds tend to be the biggest culprit in the stress we feel so how about we see if we can turn it the other way and give our minds a helping hand in reducing the stress? There's no harm in trying some thinking techniques, even if they are a little weird, they are also pretty wonderful. Here's a few to try out -

The stress bunny - Imagine your stress as a bunny. Talk to it to it to calm it down when it's hopping all over. Tell your stress bunny to hop off to a nice field somewhere and watch it hop away.

Agitated? Chew gum. Slowly. When we are stressed we often feel it most in our jaws. Concentrating on chewing gum slowly gives your jaw something to do but also relaxes it a little by having to chew slowly.

Have a glass of orange juice to increase the vitamin C in your diet. According to WebMD, food and drink high in Vitamin C, such as orange juice, reduces stress by lowering levels of stress hormones in your body. I mean why not give it a try?

Sing along to a great song. Because it's quite difficult to feel stress when you are singing to that tune you love!

Use the power of colours. Colours like turquoise, gold and green are known to be calming so try imagining everything around you in one of these colours. If stress is making you feel hot and flustered, imagine you are stood under a shower with a stream of cold, refreshing water running over your body.

Give yourself a foot massage or at least take your shoes off and concentrate on wiggling your toes, rotating your ankles and feeling the ground beneath your feet.

Try saying the alphabet backwards to give your mind something to concentrate on enough that it's busy but not enough to stress it out further.

Have an 'outer body experience'. Imagine you are someone else watching you in the stressful situation. How bad actually is the situation you are seeing play out? Do you look like someone who can cope with it? What's the worst outcome that's likely to happen? What would you advise the 'stressed you' to do?

My personal 'go to' of the weird and the wonderful is the 'outer body experience'. It helps so much to reframe your mind when you remove yourself from the situation and look in on it from an outsider's perspective. Don't let yourself get consumed by the stress and lost in the middle of it. Your mind has the power to let you mentally step away at any moment, so don't forget you always have this ability.

By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, I truly believe you can soothe your stress away, or at the very least reduce it to a manageable amount! Give them all a go and empower yourself to navigate the stress of life with the capability you absolutely possess. By prioritising self-care and using these coping strategies, you can approach stressful times with greater clarity and calmness. Take back control and find serenity in the storm of stress. I know you can do it.