4 simple tips to reduce your stress
4 simple tips to reduce your stress Give yourself a few minutes We live in a performance and over consumption society. That can bring us to major levels of stress. [...]
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4 simple tips to reduce your stress
Give yourself a few minutes
We live in a performance and over consumption society. That can bring us to major levels of stress. Stress is normal, but when it is felt by the mind and body throughout the hole day, it is not. To counter the effects of stress, it is necessary to find ways, and a few minutes, to refocus, recover your joy of living, relax and loosen tensions. It is important to allow yourself time to relax. One of the well-known ways to reduce stress is to do exercise and I totally agree with that. Although, in this post, I offer you four other simple and accessible tips to reduce your stress.
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Tip #1 – Listening to good music
One of the great companion of our lives is undoubtedly music! I know, this is nothing new, but listening to energizing music, dancing, singing loudly is a great stress reduction activity. Inexpensive and accessible, this simple activity can bring you into a state of well-being. Try out different kinds of music and explore! Your attention will be on the music rather than your worries. I prefer songs and music that provide positive energy. Melancholic songs could change your mood and bring negative emotions, which can cause stress and anxiety. However, there are no bad or good emotions. So we have to put on the music that makes us feel good. Music has benefits on stress and on emotions. The magic is that we can listen to music everywhere. If you work or study in a stressful sound environment, you can read my article on Top 10 of relaxing music for work, study, no stress, focus, concentration.
Here is a playlist with relax, positive and chill out music. Listen to my album called Weather , available on Youtube.
Tip #2 – Listening to funny videos or funny shows
If you listen to funny and non stressful shows or videos, you will feel less stressed. Laughing is a very effective way to reduce stress. When we feel stressed we can have a tendency to be more serious and a simple thing can put us in a state of frustration and irritation. I’m not saying to listen to TV or watching social media all the time. Then it would be more of an escape. Adding a few minutes of laughter to your day, even if only with a few videos of goofing animals, acts on endorphins-series hormones that decrease stress and anxiety, also regulating mood. These few minutes bring a lighter, brighter, more relaxed state of mind. I suggest you re-listen to the classics from your youth that made you laugh so much back then. Good memories and smiles guaranteed!
Tip #3 – Making Art therapie exercises
Art therapy is an exceptional toolbox with several purposes. Either to: reduce anxiety and stress, communicate with others, express and learn about yourself, relax, create emotional, physical and psychological well-being. It can also have a healing effect. The visual arts like drawing, painting and collage are used to express yourself. You don’t need any art knowledge or experience to practice in art therapy. Rather, they are instinctive exercises where the pleasure of letting go of your inner world takes pride of place. For example, you could be drawing or coloring a mandala, or any other drawing of your choice. Let go of your mind and just put shapes and colors on a paper. There are professionals who can support you if you need it and tons of fun exercises available online. A little research on the subject will open up great horizons for you!
To color a mandala, you can download a free Mandala Emoji style by clicking on this link. It will bring you to the download page.
To make a mandala, check out this article What is a mandala, purposes and how to make a mandala.
Tip #4 – Breathe and meditate
Are you aware of your breathing? Breathing is what keeps us alive. It brings that so precious oxygen into the human body and releases carbon dioxide, for a perfect balance. Becoming aware of your breathing is a first step to reduce stress. Usually, the breathing is on the surface, in the upper body. A stressed person will have this type of breathing most of the time. Taking deep breaths with mindfulness, is a natural relaxing medication and costs absolutely nothing. It is also the prelude to meditation. All meditation begins with the breath. Meditation is also a very effective way to reduce stress. Breathing can be accompanied by movements with the hands and arms to make an active meditation. Don’t know where to start? I recommend guided meditations, which I think is the easiest way to start. Here are some of my suggestions for your meditative journey!
To learn more about some breathing techniques, read my article on Training experience from Master your mind 35 days of meditation.
If you are curious about the most popular types of meditation, check out my article on The 5 most popular types of meditation.
Getting started with simple and effective guided meditations, see all guided meditations from La Plume Rêveuse. Available also on Youtube.
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May your life be filled with colors, music, joy and loving kindness!
Chantal Rioux
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