One of my most favorite things about sharing stress relief techniques with people is that it doesn’t cost anything to relieve stress. It’s not an expensive therapy, or something that you have to be in a specific place to do. Here are three exciting ways to conquer stress, and you probably don’t have to take more than ten steps in any direction to do it.
1. Show Gratitude
Gratitude comes from our heart, and recognizing it is so fulfilling. Close your eyes and look into the thoughts you have of wonderful things that have happened to you, either recently or in the past. Draw from how wonderful they felt and use that positive energy to channel harmony into your heart, mind, and soul at this moment. Some ideas to draw from are:
- Seeing your newborn baby’s face for the first time
- Getting that first job that you “really” wanted
- Knowing that you do not go without
- Recognizing that risk you took that paid off
- Celebrating that ten pounds you worked so hard to shed
- That special handmade card from someone you love
2. Breathe
Breathing in deeply helps give us a burst of oxygen that will rejuvenate us. Our muscles calm down and we slow our body’s rhythm down, making us more relaxed. Take a moment right now to breathe in deeply through your nose and feel that air in your lungs. Think of smiling and slowly exhale. It feels great, doesn’t it?
3. Stretch
Standing up and stretching is a great way to get our blood flowing and remove any negativity that may be clogging our bodies. Be aware of what your body is telling you because it is impacted by the stress you carry.
- Is there a knot between your shoulder blades? Breathe slowly, pull your shoulders up straight, and roll them backwards and then forwards, to help those knots dissipate.
- Is your back stiff? Breathe slowly, stand up, and stretch it out, slowly swiveling your hips to release the tension.
- Is so much going on that you feel like your eyes are burning? Again, breathe in, close your eyes, and slowly move your neck in a circular motion, going both ways.
Congratulations on giving yourself instant stress management and relieving techniques.