In this article you will find practical stress and anxiety coping skill techniques to help you find peace and regain your balance. Here is a summary of the techniques covered in this blog:
Read on for details on how these technique help and how to incorporate them into your daily life.
We live in a fast-paced world with a lot of daily stress and anxiety. But I am here to tell you that there are easy and simple strategies that can make a world of difference in managing stress. The following stress management techniques can help you regain control and find peace. Are you ready to add some valuable stress and anxiety relief coping skills? Let’s start then!
Deep Breathing
Box Breathing & 4-7-8 Breathing Techniques
Deep breathing exercises help to instantly calm the body and your nervous system. They are easy to do, help with stress and anxiety relief by sending a message to your brain to relax and calm down. In turn, the brain sends the message to the body to reduce tension. Try the box breathing technique, or the 4-7-8 breathing technique. When you are stressed, the body enters into a “fight or flight” mode, meaning your body instinctively prepares to either confront or avoid danger. Deep breathing exercises (also referred to as Mindful Breathing) also allow the body to intake more oxygen in exchange to removing carbon dioxide, helping your heartbeat to slow down and stabilize your blood pressure.
Mindfulness & Meditation
How Mindfulness Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Mindfulness and meditation help you stay in the present moment, reducing stress and overthinking. Techniques such as guided visualization - beach, forest or a favorite place, and focusing on a single sense at a time are known to bring peace and relaxation of the mind and body. Mindfulness and meditation help ease anxiety and promote mental clarity. Mindfulness switches your body to a mode of being, as opposed to the mode of doing, which is associated with action and stress. The amygdala, located in the brain, is responsible for triggering stress response in us. Mindfulness reduces the activity in the amygdala, which in turn makes us calmer.
Physical Activity
Best Activities for Stress Relief
Exercise is one of the best stress relief strategies. Walking, yoga, gardening or even stretching release the “feel good” hormones called endorphins. These are our natural mood boosters. Adding 30 minutes of physical activity per day is a key element not only to your overall health but for stress management as well. Regular exercise lowers cortisol levels, improves your sleep, and makes you mentally resilient. Put on your walking shoes and go for a brisk walk, dance to your favorite tune, do some stretching, and know that movement is life and can make a significant impact on your health and overall emotional well-being.
Grounding Techniques
5-4-3-2-1 Method for Anxiety Relief
Grounding techniques help with living in the present moment. They interrupts anxiety to reconnect you to reality by using sensory and physical sensations. The 5-4-3-2-1 method is a great tool: Name five things you see, four things you touch, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you taste. Another method is focusing on the sensations in your body, such as feeling your feet on the ground, or the temperature of the air around you.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) for Stress Relief
Step-by-Step Guide to PMR
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a great tool to add to your self-care toolkit. It involves tensing and releasing each muscle group in your body and helps relieve physical tension linked to stress and anxiety. Practicing PMR before bed can also improve sleep as it reduces body tension and promotes relaxation. At The New Better Me, we love combining visualization with PMR, an enhanced version that helps enormously with stress and anxiety coping. Our themed PMR exercises are our clients’ favorites.
Keep a Journal
Journaling is great for Mental Clarity and Stress Relief
Writing down your thoughts and feelings is a powerful tool in anxiety relief. Journaling helps you process emotions, identify stress triggers, and gain clarity on solutions. Our Anxiety & Stress Relief Coping Skill Flashcards have several highly effective practical strategies to help externalize anxiety and worries. One of them is the Brain Dump Ritual that is proven to create mental clarity and space for growth, creativity and peace. Keeping a gratitude journal can also help with stress relief, as it shifts your focus on the positive things in your life. Over time, journaling can help expose various positive and negative patterns which will help you develop stronger personal coping strategies.
Engage in Healthy Distractions
How Hobbies Can Help Reduce Stress
Healthy distractions can be a powerful tool in breaking the spiral of anxiety. Think about activities such as reading, listening to music, painting, or a hobby. They help redirect your mind, promote creativity, improve your mood and above all help you relax. Choosing activities that require concentration, think puzzles or crafting, will take your mind off from stress-provoking thoughts. It is important to find hobbies that you personally enjoy, as to allow your mind to shift your attention away from worries and anxiety.
Positive Affirmations
The Science Behind Positive Self-Talk
The power of positive thinking is undeniable in shaping a life of joy and fulfillment. The way you talk to yourself matters. Positive affirmations are important to calm the mind, to place us in control of our own emotions and life, and uplift us when we need it. “I am capable,” “I am in control,” “This moment will pass.” Affirmations like these can reshape our thoughts by pointing out our strength and resilience. Our brains often get mixed up on what is real and what is imaginary, and this can actually be really useful when it comes to affirmations. Repeatedly seeing or saying positive affirmations makes your mind perceive them as facts. And when you believe something is true, your actions start to reflect that too.
Social Connections
The Role of Social Support in Stress Management
Talking to a trusted friend, family member, or therapist can provide you with emotional support and a fresh perspective. They are a natural way to manage stress and anxiety, and to maintain your mental health. Positive social connections increase our sense of belonging and purpose. We feel that our feelings and opinions are valid and we are understood by others. They increase our feeling of happiness and make us more resilient. They are a key component of stress management. By surrounding ourselves with positive and supportive people we feel less isolated.
Spend Time in Nature
"A walk in nature walks the soul back home." - Mary Davis
When you feel stressed, fatigued, blue, anxious, uninspired, or disconnected go for a hike. Studies show that spending time in nature can significantly lower cortisone level (the stress hormone). Nature helps us reconnect with the present moment, it boosts our mood and saves us from the overstimulation in our daily life. Nature and sunlight boost dopamine and serotonin levels (the feel good hormones). Did you know that even indoor plants or nature sounds can have a soothing effect on your nervous system?
Limit Stimulants Like Caffeine and Screen Time
How Caffeine & Screen Exposure Impact Our Stress Level & Anxiety
Too much caffeine can increase anxiety and lead to poor sleep. Too much screen time, especially before bed, can overstimulate your brain. The lights and stimuli from screens affect our body by causing repeated stress on our nervous system. As a result we become angry, aggressive, isolated and less empathetic. Creating screen-free times and zones in your home helps with reducing stress and anxiety. Instead of coffee, relax with a cup of herbal tea, and instead of TV or phone screen, wind down by reading a book.
Manage Your Time Effectively to Reduce Stress & Anxiety
Simple Time Management Techniques to Reduce Stress
Time management is an important skill to develop, if we want to avoid feeling stressed and overwhelmed. When we manage our time effectively, we claim control over our life. Uncertainty is diminished and we are less stressed and anxious. Use a planner or to-do list to prioritize tasks, break big projects into smaller steps, and set realistic deadlines. Our stress and anxiety relief coping skill cards have several easy to do ideas on organizing your tasks to help you sort through your tasks establishing a clear path to which ones to tackle first.
By breaking big projects into small, achievable steps, you will set yourself for success, boost your motivation and also prevent procrastination.
Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
How Sleep Affects Stress and Anxiety
Good night sleep is very important to lower cortisol - the stress hormone and it helps the brain rest and repair, improving our overall cognitive function. If you don’t sleep well, the first thing to try to solve the issue is sleep hygiene. There are few things you can do: implement a relaxing bedtime routine, avoid blue light (screens) at least 1 hour before going to bed, and keep a consistent sleep schedule. Include essential oils into your bedtime routine. Lavender oil is known for helping you relax before sleep. Blackout curtains help with blocking light and boost our melatonin levels that in turn improves our sleep quality. White noise machines or sleep meditation can be very effective in helping you fall asleep. Reading, PMR, mindful breathing and visualization are also great techniques that help you get restful and repairing sleep. Remember, a well-rested mind is better fit to handle stress.
Prioritize Self-Care
Simple Self-Care Practices to Reduce Stress
Self-care isn’t selfish - it’s essential for our well-being. By doing activities that bring you joy, whether it’s taking a relaxing bath, reading, listening to music, favorite hobby, going for a walk and even shopping, you invest in your physical and mental balance and resilience. Make self-care a habit. Think of it as deposits into a bank account: the more you contribute, the better you will be in the future. It is an investment that will boost your self-esteem, self-worth and happiness. Regular self-care is a key to preventing stress, burnout and anxiety.
Managing stress and anxiety doesn’t have to be complicated. You are probably already doing some of the coping strategies we covered. I am hoping this blog gives you some new tools to add to your daily routine, in your quest to a more balanced and peaceful life.
Next Steps Toward Stress & Anxiety Relief
Get More Coping Strategies with our Therapists Approved Flashcards
Our Anxiety & Stress Relief Coping Skill Flashcards provide practical anxiety coping skills for daily challenges, and on-the-go techniques to calm your mind and regain control.
What’s your favorite way to relieve stress? Let us know in the comments!