There is hardly anyone who does not experience stress in their lives. Willingly or unwillingly, stress had become an integral part of our lives. While we can still control some stressful situations, some can’t be. Now, not everybody’s reaction to stress is the same. Some react in a hyper manner, while some can still control their reactions to a certain level.
We all have distinct triggers for stress and different responses to stress; we all have a unique stress management strategy. Everyone has anxiety from time to time. Some of us become hypervigilant, while others withdraw. This is simply a smattering of the myriad reactions that people can experience. It’s not uncommon for people to become physically sick due to an overreaction to stressful situations or sentiments.
Hence, in this article, we will talk about 10 effective and straightforward ways to help you become stress-free in just 5 minutes!
10 Ways To Get Rid Of Stress In 5 Minutes
Smile
Well, a smile is the only thing that makes you happy and gives a positive and happy feeling to the ones around you. It is also free of cost! The best make-up you can put on your face is a smile. Whenever you’re in a stressful situation, like probably being stuck in traffic or standing in a never-ending queue at a grocery store, just close your eyes and smile. There’s hardly anything you can do in such situations, so you might as well bear it with a smile. Once you smile, you will notice the stress slowly fading away, and you and your health will benefit from something as simple as a smile!
Take a moment to savor something
Mindfully participating in thoughts or activities that enhance the impact of pleasant experiences or feelings is what it means to savor. A savoring process can be divided into three distinct categories: anticipatory savoring (expecting something good to happen), relishing the present (enhancing your current experience), and remembering the past (reviewing a past event to rekindle positive feelings). It sounds like you had a good day at the office. That’s something to ponder and share! This evening’s date night sounds like a good idea to you. Relax for a few moments and savor the aromas and flavors of the restaurant.
Hug a loved one
The 21st of January was designated as “Give Someone a Hug Day” to recognize the significance of this simple act of kindness. Stress can be relieved by hugs. When you hug someone, you release the hormone oxytocin, which encourages cooperative behaviors such as trust, compassion, and relaxation. To avoid awkward situations, only give hugs to close personal friends and family members.
Pet an animalhave
Increasing numbers of businesses and institutions are realizing that petting animals have a tremendous effect on lowering stress. This is because animals are the only creatures in this world who give you double the love you give them. Therefore, whenever something stresses you out, play with your pet or just pet it for a couple of minutes, and you’ll see the kind of joy these creatures can bring to your life.
Also, when you pet an animal, your body’s serotonin and dopamine levels increase. These are neurotransmitters that can calm you down!
Start counting numbers
When you start counting numbers, you’re providing your mind with a distraction from the things that make you anxious. Counting backward is the most effective method for some. Alternatively, imagine an old-fashioned blackboard and, in your mind, observe the numbers slowly being painted in white on the blackboard in your imagination. For example, there are 100, 99, 98, and so on.
Do a mental dumping of all your thoughts
During the day, negative thoughts and feelings pile up. When you’re upset with a buddy or are probably fretting over missing a deadline at work, it’s crucial to deal with these feelings. You can’t improve your worst-case scenario thinking unless you get it out of your head. You will be surprised to see what exactly a problem can look like when it’s written on paper.
Practice 4-7-8 breathing
There are a lot of busy professionals who tell me that they don’t have the time or energy to devote to full-blown meditation. This is the closest I’ve been able to get to meditation, and it’s helped me calm down in a variety of circumstances. Try this strategy if you’ve been having trouble concentrating, feeling disorganized, or reacting in a knee-jerk manner to stressful situations: Your back should be straight when you sit down. Count to four, hold your breath for seven seconds, then exhale for eight. For the next five minutes, do this. Now that I’ve practiced it a few times, I’ve gotten the hang of it.
Stretch or meditate
When it comes to coping with stress, the best-proven methods are stretching and meditation. Regardless of where you are in the world, both are relatively simple to perform. The only thing you need to do is shut your eyes, pay full attention to your breathing, and focus on your current state. Then, stretch your limbs out for a few seconds. This tip falls into the “exercise” category. Thus it’s often overlooked like exercise is overlooked. However, doing a quick stretch in the restroom stall at work is more convenient than going to the gym.
Call your mom or a friend
Moms are always available for you, no matter what you want to talk about. And so are your best friends. If you are stressed and don’t know whom to talk to, pick up your phone and dial one of these people. Vent all about your situation and hang up! There goes the stress in the drain! When children were able to talk to their moms, they could lower their levels of a crucial stress hormone and release oxytocin.
Change your passwords
There are many ways to use the clues in your environment to influence your actions, and this is one of them. Just change all your password to the one that best describes a solution to your problem. For example, if you are upset that you do not have a good boss at work, change your password to ilovemyboss@99. Or if you do not really like your mother-in-law, your password could be ilovemymotherinlaw@11!
Conclusion
There is no doubt about the fact that we do not really have much control over stress-causing situations. However, what we can do is manage our reactions in stressful situations. By following the above steps, we can ensure that the stress doesn’t stay with us for too long because, after all, don’t we have better things to do in life?
