It seems that people are busier now than they ever were before. We try to cram as much as we can into a 24-hour day, sometimes at the expense of our own well-being and sanity – this can be unhealthy or counterproductive. We will eat lunch at our desk, skip exercising to work more, and stay at work much longer than planned. As a result, we aren’t spending as much time with our friends and with our families as we would like to. This new, Millennial lifestyle might accomplish a lot in the short run, but isn’t good for our levels of stress.
It has been proven that when we are under time constraints and worried about completing tasks, gaining approval, or doubtful about something we need to finish, we get stressed out. Our levels of cortisol increase and our heart rate increases. In fact, if you pay close attention to your body, you can sometimes sense where the stress is entering; you might feel your shoulders tense up, or feel your eyes become dry, or your back ache. There are several methods we can practice to lower our stress, but sometimes it’s not enough. While we can’t all take an impromptu trip to a tropical island to unwind, here are 13 surprising ways to de-stress after a long day.
Give Yourself an Earlobe Massage
The good thing about stress is that it is usually treatable by employing the proper strategies. Not all of these strategies are intuitive, however. If you spend just a few minutes rubbing your ear lobes using your fingers, you will feel a relaxed sensation throughout your body. Your ears, believe it or not, are a very sensual part of your body and stimulation to them can help you relax.
Drink Orange Juice
Data has proven that vitamin C helps to relieve stress while also increasing your immune system. Other good sources include mangos and red peppers.
Do Some Laughter Yoga
Believe it or not, laughter helps you de-stress even if you don’t have a reason to laugh. Just make yourself start laughing and you will feel better instantly. You might look weird if you do it in front of people, but wherever you laugh you will feel relaxed right away
Indulge in Retail Therapy
Buying clothing is an effective way to help you unwind, and will allow you to think about something other than what is stressing you out.
Take a Cleaning Break
Clutter and messiness can make us feel stressed out. Set aside a time to clean your surrounding area. In addition to the added cleanliness, your sense of accomplishment will help you de-stress. If your area is clear, your mind will be, too.
Take an Adventure
If you feel stressed out in a certain place you go to every day, then being in that same area reinforces the same thought patterns. You can break up your thought pattern by walking around and getting some fresh air. Seeing new and exciting things is a good way to replace the negative stimuli with refreshing thoughts.
Change Your State of Mind from “I Have To” to “I Get To”
If you believe that your work is work, then it will be. If you believe your work is fun, it will be more fun. Reframe your thinking to be optimistic. Embrace a “glass is half full” mentality rather than its pessimistic counterpart.
Eat Very Slowly
This is a surprising one. Believe it or not, slowing down when you have a lot going on will make you more calm. If your mind is speeding up, try to get it to slow down
Deep Breathing
Inhale while you count to 5, hold the breath while you count to 5, and then exhale while you count to 5. Do this three times and you will instantly feel less stressed.
Use a Stress Stone
It has been shown that rubbing a rock with a smooth surface can help you feel better when you’re stressed. Find a rock that has a smooth side and can fit into your hand. When you feel stressed, rub the rock with your fingers and imagine transferring the stress into the stone.
Listen to Classical Music
Classical music is soothing for the brain and can help you unwind
Listen to White Noise
external and random noises can be very stressful. Put on some white noise to mute all the background commotion. This will block out stressful stimuli and help you calm down.
Have Toys at Your Desk
Taking a break to play with a toy and have fun is a great way to desress. Playing a game will help you unwind and feel better.