You might have noticed that you’re more anxious than usual. The American Psychological Association has reported an upward trend in stress after the pandemic attributed to various economic, socio-cultural, and political factors.

As head of the wellness coach team at FindItHealth.com, I am determined to provide you with the skills and techniques to better cope with today’s challenges. You can trust us to offer evidence-based holistic solutions to the mental health crisis.

Here, our research team at Find It Health presents some of the time proven techniques to deal with stress.

Cognitive Techniques

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1. Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring, also called cognitive reframing, is a technique routinely used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to replace negative thinking patterns with positive ones.

It is based on the premise that what we think ultimately decides how we feel about circumstances.

Cognitive restructuring involves identifying the thought processes activated during stressful situations and judging whether these processes are disturbing your peace of mind. Thus, it is easier to reduce stress when we have conscious control over our thought processes.

2. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Deep breathing using the diaphragm has been shown to reduce stress significantly. We tend to take shallow breaths when we are stressed.

Shallow breathing affects the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body and further worsens the symptoms of stress.

Breathing deeply for a few seconds helps reduce the level of the stress hormone cortisol in our blood, and also contributes to lower blood pressure levels, and heart rates. Deep breathing also improves immune system functioning and gives a feeling of relaxation and general well-being.

3. Behavioral Activation

Behavioral activation is a part of cognitive behavioral therapy where we voluntarily choose to do activities that make us happy and help us manage stress. It might be meeting with our loved ones, going on a trip, pursuing our hobbies, and taking a healthy diet.

Keeping ourselves busy in fulfilling and meaningful activities leaves us with no time for negative thoughts and stress. Furthermore, staying in a stressful environment and doing nothing about it will only increase stress levels.

Mind-Body Techniques

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1. Yoga

Yoga is one of the relaxation techniques that brings the physical and mental aspects of health together. Hatha yoga is the most commonly practiced technique for stress reduction. It emphasizes breathing and posture.

Additionally, it builds a strong connection between 3 aspects of health; body, mind, and spirit.

This physical activity reduces muscle tension, enhances physical balance, improves sleep quality, and relaxes the mind. Ultimately, we learn to control stressful situations easily.

2. Meditation

Meditation is one of the most ancient techniques for blocking the sources of stress and improving mental integrity. It means staying still and silent for a few minutes in a quiet environment. You can breathe deeply and focus on your breathing movements during the session or you can write in a meditation journal.

Meditation helps in relaxing the mind, increasing concentration, learning inner peace, and decreasing stress. Moreover, it keeps you calm even after your session is over. So, you tend to stay stress-free in your daily life. 

3. Tai chi

Tai chi, also called meditation in motion, is a Chinese technique that involves slow and continuous body movements. It was initially introduced as a martial art technique. But now it is practiced to cope with stress and lead a healthy lifestyle.

The gentle transition from one posture to another connects mind and body. Thus, it gives a sense of inner peace, serenity, and balance in life. Tai chi is also used for other health problems like heart disease, joint weakness, and hypertension.

4. Guided Imagery

We all have imagined our dream vacations, achieving our goals, and doing things we love, right? Guided imagery is similar to that. It is a stress relief technique in which we imagine peaceful scenery, the chirping of birds, the flowing of streams, the blowing of the wind, soothing temperature, and mesmerizing smells.

This helps us take our attention away from the stress in our everyday life and think more about the positive aspects of life.

Socializing Techniques

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1.   Join a club

Finding a group of individuals with the same interests and hobbies as you is an excellent way to deal with the stress that comes with loneliness and isolation.

No matter what you are, a bookworm, a sportsperson, or a musician, you can find people who are passionate about the same stuff you are. These clubs or cliques can be found over the internet, around your home or workplace or you can create one yourself.

2.   Altruism

Altruism is the moral practice of being selfless and prioritizing the needs of other individuals over your own. Altruistic acts like volunteering at the local homeless shelter, contributing to a charitable foundation, advocating for civil rights, etc. can help alleviate stress by providing a sense of purpose to your life.

You can meet other altruistic individuals this way and start lifelong friendships. You can also socialize with individuals in need of your help and make a positive impact on their lives.

3.   Invite Friends and Family Over

What could be better than time spent in the company of loved ones? You can invite your friends and family over for dinner or lunch, and plan fun activities like charades, cardboard games, movie nights, or simply a healthy conversation.

Stress affects life like a slow poison. Spending time with sincere and caring people can prove to be an antidote and help you overcome burnout.

Time Management Techniques

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1. Create a To-Do List

One of the cornerstone habits for effective time management is writing down your daily tasks and working on them one by one.

When all your commitments and tasks are arranged and prioritized based on urgency and importance, less time and energy are spent worrying and stressing over.

2. Break It Down into Smaller Steps

Often, stress takes over whenever we are assigned an important task. Here, the solution is to break down the ultimate target into small goals and work towards them without thinking about everything all together.

Going through smaller steps gives a feeling of accomplishment, boosts confidence, and strengthens us to achieve the final results easily. On the contrary, trying to achieve the main target in one go can lead to anxiety and failure.

3. Learn to Say No

Another thing we get stressed about is taking others’ burdens on ourselves. Being kind, helpful, and supportive is nice but not at the expense of your mental health. You should only say yes to the tasks when you have time and little effort is required.

Learning to say no is an essential step in the practice of self-care. It helps us prioritize ourselves, value ourselves, and take better care of our mental and physical health.

Holistic Techniques – Alternative Health

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1.   Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese practice of inserting thin needles at specific body points to relieve pain. In recent practice, it has been used for stress management with variable results. Western practitioners believe that this technique stimulates nerves, muscles, connective tissue and relieves tension in inflamed body parts.

2.   Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is inhaling aromatic essential oil extracts from plants for healing purposes and living a healthy lifestyle. Our sense of smell takes signals to the olfactory center of our brain and is directly linked to our emotional states. So, a pleasing fragrance can boost our mood and reduce stress.

Using essential oils like jasmine, lavender, orange, and lemon can help in fighting depression, relaxation, meditation, and lifting mood.

3. Hypnotherapy

If nothing seems to be working for you, hypnotherapy can be an effective option. Hypnotherapy is a clinical stress management technique that uses hypnosis to guide you in a relaxed and focused mental state. Once your mind is in a peaceful state, it generates the answers to problems that are causing you stress.

Hypnotherapy involves your conscious and subconscious in addition to using coordination between mind and body to deal with depression and prevent chronic stress.

FindItHealth.com – Frequently Asked Questions

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Our wellness coach team at Find It Health has compiled and answered a list of questions related to stress management techniques that are most frequently asked by our readers.

What are the 5 stress management techniques?

The most effective stress management techniques include

• Cognitive techniques: These involve consciously controlling your body to cope with stress.
• Body-mind techniques: These involve exercises to calm your mind and achieve a state of inner peace.
• Socializing techniques: These involve receiving help from your social group to brighten up the mood.
• Time management techniques: These techniques help in the prevention of stress-causing situations in the first place.
• Holistic Techniques: These involve health professional-guided therapies to reduce stress.

What are 3 strategies for coping with stress?

The 3 strategies for coping with stress are physical exercise, consuming a healthy diet, and reaching out for social support.

What are the 4 A’s of stress?

The 4 A’s of stress relief are

1. Avoid: You can avoid a lot of stressors simply by saying no, declining invitations to meet with people who drain your energy, and taking control of your surroundings.
2. Alter: Where possible, try to alter the situations that negatively impact your mental health. If that means cutting people off, do it.
3. Accept: Some situations are hopeless. We can accept them as they are and move on.
4. Adapt: Sometimes, you would have to adapt to chronic stress by changing your perspectives and expectations.

What are the four C’s of stress management?

The four C’s of stress management, developed by the British consultant psychiatrist Dr. Sarmila Sinha, are as follows:

1. Calm: The first step towards stress relief is by delaying response to stressful situations. Only once you are sure that you are no longer overwhelmed with emotions are you allowed to respond and act.
2. Clarity: This step involves gathering information and new perspectives toward stressful situations to make more informed decisions.
3. Choice: This step makes you realize that you always have control over your actions and you can choose to respond with anger or kindness.

Change: You will see tangible change in your life when you follow the above three steps.

Conclusion – Research by Findithealth.com

People have been experiencing stress for centuries but its incidence has increased exponentially in recent years. Thus, stress is a common modern life problem. But this common problem gives way to a substandard lifestyle.

 It is time to take the matter into your own hands and deal with your stress. Above, we explained several easy techniques that can help you get over it and get the best of your time in this life.