Getting out of your head and into your senses (in this case, your sense of touch) can bring you back to the here and now, says Kissen. Whether that’s popping bubble wrap, sorting your change jar to cash in at the bank, or making homemade slime with the littles, it brings you back into your body. Or you can try this quickie exercise. “Ask yourself: What’s one thing I can smell, one thing I can taste, one thing I can touch, etc.,” says Kissen. “Activating all the senses is a good grounded technique.”

Quick bursts of movement are great if your stress is making you feel jittery or like your heart is beating faster than normal. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a set of 20 jumping jacks, 10 pushups or sit-ups, or running in place for 30 seconds—a burst of activity gets your heart rate up, and even if brief, will activate several neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine that enhance your mood and help cushion some of that anxiety and stress,” says Dr. Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, an orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone Sports Health.

If there’s no one willing or able to work out the tension in your muscles, you can do it yourself. “There are sensory receptors in the skin that send messages to our brain, signaling that it’s safe to relax,” says Kiera Nagle, MA, LMT, CPMT, the Director of Massage Programs at Pacific College of Health and Science. It also makes you more aware of where in your body you’re feeling tense, so you can consciously relax those areas, she adds. Some good spots are that big ropy muscle at the front of your neck, your shoulders, the hinge of your jaw, and pressure points in the palm of your hand. Check out Nagle’s awesome videos if you can’t picture it.

If the stress is more mental than physical and you feel your mind looping around itself, give yourself a discrete task, such as organizing your shoes or doing a word puzzle. “When you’re stressed, your brain may be saying, ‘we’ve got a problem to solve’ so it keeps spinning. That’s a good time to engage your mind,” says Kissen. If you give it a task to focus on, you’ll feel calmer and be better able to deal with what’s actually stressing you out.

Putting on your favorite playlist and letting loose is, of course, good exercise, which is a long-studied stress-reliever. “It also engages the mind and brings on feelings of inspiration,” says Kissen. Dancing to music from a happy time and place in your life can trigger positive memories, as well, taking your mind off your stress. One caveat: Not everyone feels comfortable dancing, even solo, and that’s fine. “Some people get stressed out when they feel pressured to dance,” so do what feels right to you.

Run a bath and sink on in. “By changing the body temperature, it’s the full sensory slowing down—it’s kind of like rebooting a computer that has all these windows open doing too much processing,” says Kissen. “By turning it off and starting again, it’ll help to get unstuck.” If you like, add in some other calming sensory stimulators, like fragrant soap or some chill music.

Assuming you like crafting (Kissen emphasizes some people are overwhelmed by the mere thought!), there’s evidence that the repetitive action of clicking your needles can be meditative and calming. There’s also been research that looked at women with anxiety who also had eating disorders that found knitting made most of them less preoccupied and anxious. If you’re a newbie, check out these DIY tutorial videos from We Are Knitters, which also makes easy beginner kits.

Baking checks so many stress-reduction boxes: It can be a sensory experience (smushing the dough, the smell of baked yummies and of course the taste); it is a project that requires planning, concentration, and mindfulness, which activates your brain; and if you enjoy it, it’s fun. Kate Merker, Good Housekeeping’s Chief Food Director, loves this amazing blueberry sweet roll recipe, but if you’ve had enough sugar, move on to a healthy pizza recipe. “It feels comforting and you can literally put anything on top of pizza dough,” she says. “My kids help shape the dough, which is just fun, and they get a kick out of me twirling it in the air.” And if you’re stressed by the fact that no eats the same thing in your house? “Everyone can pick and choose their own topping,” Merker adds.

You don’t even need to own a yoga mat, let alone be physically flexible, to reap the benefits of this ancient practice. There’s a ton of research about yoga’s role in stress reduction, and even taking 10 minutes to breathe and stretch in any way that feels good to you can be incredibly soothing, says NYU’s Dr. Gonzalez-Loman. If you want to do some yoga without leaving the house, these apps are a great way in.

This is another well-researched stress-relieving practice that people are intimidated by but is actually super simple and really effective once you just do it, even for two minutes. Forget about clearing your mind thing and focus on breathing. Slow breathing has been shown in research to have calming effects on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, and belly breathing specifically may improve attention, mood, and levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Try one of the many excellent apps with guided meditations, or just sit and breathe deeply from your diaphragm for a minute or two.

Giving the inside of your pantry a good wipe-down or really getting into the sofa cushions with a vacuum attachment has multiple stress reducing benefits on top of fewer visits from icky vermin: it’s a project that requires a little planning, but some physical activity—both of which Kissen says can reduce stress—and is likely to result in a sense of achievement that lifts your mood. And working mindfully at it can reduce stress even more: one study found that folks who were told to stay gently focused on what they were doing while washing dishes boosted their effect (although being mindful while you do most any activity may show similar benefits.)

Years of research have found PMR helps reduce anxiety and calm breathing. Lie down and relax, and then tighten, hold and then release each muscle in your body, one at a time, starting with your toes and moving up to the crown of your head. Do this slowly and methodically, and don’t forget the muscles of your face. It may be more relaxing to listen to someone else walk you through the exercise. Visit this link to find audio, video, and scripts that you can record and then playback to yourself.

You don’t have to have any skill at art to just let your pen have its way with the page, or even easier, pick up an adult coloring book. “Anything that can get you out of your head, if you enjoy it, can be a stress reliever,” says Kissen. If you’re not focused on how good the drawing is, then the stakes are blissfully low.

It may be hard for some people to dig into a good book when they’re feeling stressed, but binging on a super-absorbing podcast or TV series that transports you out of your life is a positive distraction. “Whether it’s a podcast or a really dumb series, mindfully attending to a target is a great anchor,” says Kissen. In other words, the point isn’t simply to distract yourself, but to make an active choice to place your attention elsewhere, she says. The mind, says Kissen, thinks, “If only I keep thinking and thinking I’ll solve the problem and get out of it,” and choosing to anchor it elsewhere can stop this stress response.

Go to bed early. Some studies suggest that early to bed and early to rise is more suited for our natural rhythms.

Don’t toss and turn. If you have trouble falling asleep, don’t just lie there. Go do something relaxing until you feel sleepy.

Limit naps. Napping can be helpful to recharge your energy, but be sure to keep them brief. Nap only for less than an hour, and always before 3 p.m.

Wake up at the same time on the weekend that you do on weekdays. Though it’s tempting to sleep till noon, on your days off, it is best to keep timing consistent. This enables you to build a steady pattern around your sleep schedule.

Avoid late-day caffeine. Don’t consume caffeine in the afternoon and at night. It stays in your system for hours and can make it hard for you to fall asleep.

Adjust the lights in your bedroom. Dim the lights in the evening so your body knows it will soon be time to sleep. Let in the sunlight in the morning to boost your alertness.

Eat a little. Never eat a large meal right before bedtime. While it may cause you to feel drowsy, your body will have to work hard to process all of that food, which can actually stimulate your system. You can enjoy a healthy snack or light dessert (such as a handful of almonds or a small bowl of frozen blueberries with yogurt) so you don’t go to bed hungry.

Turn off technology. Take some time to wind down before going to bed. Get away from the computer, turn off the TV and your cell phone, and relax quietly for 15-30 minutes. Parents should keep TVs and computers out of their children’s bedrooms.

Avoid alcohol right before bed. While it seems like a drink or two may help you fall asleep, it may also keep you from getting the quality of sleep you need. The body quickly metabolizes alcohol, which has a stimulating effect on the brain. This disrupts sleep, even when you don’t wake up.

Keep a notebook handy. As the brain begins to relax, we tend to have some of our most creative ideas. The challenge is trying to retain these ah-ha moments for morning can cause stress. Jot down any new ideas, to-do list items or nagging thoughts on a piece of paper so you can let your brilliant brain get the rest it needs to put things into action in the morning.

awareness = opportunity to adjust = proactive stress management

You are making dumb mistakes.

What are you thinking? (Answer: You’re not!)
Unfortunately, without fuel your frontal lobe fails its executive leadership job. And stress compounds this by taking away its blood flow.

Misfiring brain cells are desperate for some version of energy. Get curious when you make mistakes. What do you really need?

You get stuck in the weeds.

Having trouble prioritizing or keeping the big picture in mind?
Holding priorities, keeping perspectives are frontal lobe duties. In the middle of “hangry” or emotionally or mentally spent, you really can’t effectively weigh choices or see possibilities.

Use “stuck” as a cue to do an energy check in. Take a deep breath; move; look out the window or better yet walk outside; or call a friend. What do you really need to reboot your frontal lobe?

You feel kind of “judge-y.”

Really? You want to be THAT person?
You know you are more critical, more negative when something in you is “off.” And you know judging never actually leaves you feeling better.

I recently left a social gathering thinking way-less-than-compassionate thoughts. Truth is: my introvert coping skills had maxed out that week, sending my brain into the negative zone. I needed alone time to refuel.

Your brain has a negative bias to protect you, but your frontal lobe puts the brakes on that negativity to support empathy and positivity. Wear out your brakes and judging is second nature.

Let negativity be your indicator light. Again, check in. What do you need to get back your happier outlook?

Your inner critic is very loud!

Would you talk to your best friend that way???
This is just you getting “judge-y” and negative with yourself! The brakes are off and that go-to voice that has motivated you for years takes over.

Thank that voice for alerting you that you need something, and then figure out what it is.

Your language is more colorful.

Need to pay the quarter jar?
You guessed it! This is another sign that your frontal lobe needs something. Irritability is the most common external sign of stress and in cahoots with impatience and go-to colorful or negative language.

Pay the quarter, and then get curious. What’s really draining your patience and what do you need to get it back?

Everything feels like a problem.

“The problem with that is…”
Because self-awareness is also a frontal lobe function, it can take a while to realize that you are making mountains out of molehills or feeling like every step of the day requires too much effort. This is not your energized creative problem solver mode! It is your barely hanging on zone.

Think back over your week. Where are you on the slogging through problems to “piece of cake!” spectrum? What’s your story about your circumstances? Dig under that story to find what you really need.

Some signs and symptoms of energy depletion are fairly universal, but you may also have your own special indicators. The key is to build awareness and create habits for refueling. It doesn’t have to be a major overhaul. Every tiny tweak you make in your day can add up to happier, smarter, healthier you.

– Build your own dashboard for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy.
– Create a habit of accountability to checking in with your dashboard.
– Have a strategy session with yourself to give self-care its proper place in your life…
supporting your best you!

Move those subtle signs into the spotlight and use them to end your personal energy shortages. Model self-care as leadership. Teach your children to manage their energy. Support cultures of well-being. And leverage the science and art of you to live your best life!

Plan the night before

With a little planning, you can make your mornings more productive and less chaotic.

Plan each day the night before. A peaceful morning can quickly turn chaotic if a person doesn’t have things carefully planned out. “It’s not unusual for people to be heading out the door and discover they can’t find their car keys,” Carter says.

A lot of morning stress can be relieved by planning each day the night before, he says, such as deciding what clothes to wear, making sure the phone is charged, and writing the next day’s to-do list.

Make time for self

If a person is married with kids, this can be a challenge. But Carter says everyone needs time for reflection, which is unlikely to happen unless they can make it a priority.

Set aside time to meditate, pray, do yoga or even do nothing for 10 minutes. “Spending time by yourself,” he says, “allows a person to reflect on life’s happenings and can increase productivity and focus, and make them appreciate time with others more.”

Minimize distractions

Minimize noise and distractions. Many people start the day by turning on the TV, the radio or other devices. Avoid that urge, Carter says. Instead, devote that personal energy to getting mentally focused for the day.

“Definitely avoid watching the news if at all possible,” he says, “because the often-stressful images seen aren’t conducive to a peaceful morning.”

Create exercise

Create a morning-exercise routine. Exercising gives people a sense of achievement to start the day with, provides them with more energy for the rest of the day, improves personal mood, and makes a person feel in control of their life.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and if you can top that up with even more fresh fruit and vegetables you’re really on the fast track to a healthy lifestyle. Rather than nipping to the supermarket multiple times per week to continually refresh your supplies, however, why not consider growing your own food in your garden and becoming self-sufficient? You’ll save money, get to spend time outdoors exercising, and enjoy all the benefits of healthy eating that come from a diet rich in fresh ingredients. Forget those ready meals, and turn your hand to scratch cooking instead!

If you don’t know where to start with such a project, don’t panic – there is bags of literature on the subject available online and in any good bookshop. You’ll need to careful about which pesticides you use in order to deter garden pests, and ensure that there is plenty of natural sunlight for at least six hours per day to help the edible produce grow to its full potential, but beyond this the world is your oyster. Start small and grow a handful of things that you know that you eat regularly (possibly popular side dishes such as potatoes, or fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers) and build your self-grown food empire from there!

Of course, the biggest benefit of growing your own food is that you know exactly where it came from, and can be assured that no potentially harmful additives or preservatives have been applied. Sure, you can buy organic produce from the supermarket but that is an extremely expensive lifestyle to maintain. Why pay somebody else a premium to grow your food for you, and enjoy all of the health benefits that come with spending time in the garden, when you could do it yourself?

Aromatherapy has real benefits for stress relief—it can help you to feel energized, more relaxed, or more present in the moment.

Emerging research suggests certain scents can alter brain wave activity and decrease stress hormones in the body.

So whether you enjoy candles, diffusers, or body products, consider incorporating some aromatherapy into your day. 

The way you talk to yourself matters. Harsh self-criticism, self-doubt, and catastrophic predictions aren't helpful. If you're constantly thinking things like, "I don't have time for this," and "I can't stand this," you'll stress yourself out.

It's important to learn to talk to yourself in a more realistic, compassionate manner. When you call yourself names or doubt your ability to succeed, reply with a kinder inner dialogue.

Positive self-talk can help you develop a healthier outlook. And an optimistic and compassionate conversation can help you manage your emotions and take positive action. 

Gratitude helps you recognize all the things you have to be thankful for. Whether you're grateful for a sunny day or thankful you arrived at work safely, think about all the good things you have in life.

Gratitude also reminds you of all of the resources you have to cope with stress, which can be quite empowering. 

Studies also show grateful people enjoy better mental health, lower stress, and a better quality of life.

So whether you decide to make it a habit to identify what you're grateful for as you sit around the dinner table or you decide to write down three things you're grateful for in a gratitude journal every day, make gratitude a regular habit. 

Guided imagery is like taking a short vacation in your mind.1 It can involve imagining yourself being in your "happy place"—maybe picturing yourself sitting on a beach, listening to the waves, smelling the ocean, and feeling the warm sand underneath you.

Guided imagery can be done with a recording where you listen to someone walk you through a peaceful scene. Or, once you know how to do it yourself, you can practice guided imagery on your own. 

Simply close your eyes for a minute and walk yourself through a peaceful scene. Think about all the sensory experiences you'd engage in and allow yourself to feel as though you're really there. After a few minutes, open your eyes and return to the present moment.

Just focusing on your breath or changing the way you breathe can make a big difference to your overall stress level. Breathing techniques can calm your body and your brain in just a few minutes.⁴

The best news is, no one around you will even know you're doing them. So whether you're in a stressful meeting or you're sitting in a crowded theater, breathing exercises could be key to reducing your stress.⁵ 

While there are many different breathing exercises, like karate breathing, a few simple ones include:

Breathe in through your nose and watch your belly fill with air. Count slowly to three as you inhale. Hold for one second and then slowly breathe out through your nose as you count to three again.

Breathe in through your nose and imagine that you're inhaling peaceful, calm air. Imagine that air spreading throughout your body. As you exhale, imagine that you're breathing out stress and tension. 

Make Time for Leisure Activities

Leisure activities can be a wonderful way to relieve stress.¹² Yet, many people feel as though their lives are too busy for hobbies, games, or extra fun.

But building time for leisure into your schedule could be key to helping you feel your best. And when you feel better, you'll perform better, which means leisure time may make your work time more efficient.

Whether you find joy in caring for a garden or you like making quilts, hobbies and leisure are key to living your best life.

Socialization is key to self-care. But, often, it's hard to make time for friends and it's easy to neglect your relationships when life gets busy.

Close connections are important to your well-being. The best way to cultivate and maintain close relationships is to put time and energy into building your relationships with others.3

There isn't a certain number of hours you should devote to your friends or work on your relationships. Everyone has slightly different social needs. The key is to figure out what your social needs are and to build enough time in your schedule to create an optimal social life.

To assess your social self-care, consider:

• Are you getting enough face-to-face time with your friends?
• What are you doing to nurture your relationships with friends and family?

Emotional Self-Care

It's important to have healthy coping skills to deal with uncomfortable emotions, like anger, anxiety, and sadness. Emotional self-care may include activities that help you acknowledge and express your feelings on a regular basis.

Whether you talk to a partner or close friend about how you feel, or you set aside time for leisure activities that help you process your emotions, it's important to incorporate emotional self-care into your life.⁶

When assessing your emotional self-care strategies, consider these questions:

Do you have healthy ways to process your emotions?

Do you incorporate activities into your life that help you feel recharged?

Several supplements promote stress and anxiety reduction. Here is a brief overview of some of the most common ones:

Lemon balm: Lemon balm is a member of the mint family that has been studied for its anti-anxiety effects.

Omega-3 fatty acids: One study showed that medical students who received omega-3 supplements experienced a 20% reduction in anxiety symptoms.

Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat stress and anxiety. Several studies suggest that it’s effective.

Green tea: Green tea contains many polyphenol antioxidants which provide health benefits. It may lower stress and anxiety by increasing serotonin levels.

Valerian: Valerian root is a popular sleep aid due to its tranquilizing effect. It contains valerenic acid, which alters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors to lower anxiety.

Kava kava: Kava kava is a psychoactive member of the pepper family. Long used as a sedative in the South Pacific, it is increasingly used in Europe and the US to treat mild stress and anxiety.

Some supplements can interact with medications or have side effects, so you may want to consult with a doctor if you have a medical condition.

Even if every day looks different for you, it’s important to build structure into your day so you can actively move from task to task without getting overwhelmed or overworked.

Multitasking is inevitable at times, but you want to be as proactive as possible in scheduling out blocks of time so you can prioritize important activities like exercising, spending time with your spouse, or attending group therapy.

For those who are unemployed, not working, or parenting 24/7, scheduling tasks into your day can help give you motivation and purpose, even if the task is as simple as stretching your legs, journaling, or calling a friend. According to David Rabin, MD, PhD, psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and co-founder of Apollo Neuro, burnout suppresses our nervous system, meaning our ability to be productive at work, to create, to sleep well, to reproduce, and to build meaningful relationships. 

To prevent burnout, Dr. Rabin recommends adding the following tasks to your day and explains how they can benefit you:

• Start your day with a productive task. This could include making your bed, doing a breathing exercise, or meditating. Our bodies love routine, particularly routine that enriches our lives, he explains, and the more we create structure in our lives, the more space we create to focus and recover.
• Create a designated work space. Even if you live in a small space, creating a separate work zone that you can go to and walk away from everyday helps in supporting a better life balance, Dr. Rabin says. With this space, you can train your mind to shift in and out of work mode. 
• Take lunch breaks. Working from home physically and mentally blurs the line between personal and professional lives, he explains, so setting up a time to eat lunch and step away from your desk (and your work) is important.
• Turn off your screen. At the end of the day, close your laptop, turn the phone on do-not-disturb, and formally bring the work day to a close, he says. Turning off your screen ahead of your bedtime can also help in improving your sleep and minimizing stress.

Running and goodwill are both stress reducers - combine these activities by registering for the 2021 YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Turkey Trot

Get ready to Turkey Trot LIVE this Thanksgiving day! The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Turkey Trot presented by UPMC Health Plan will be back to a live start line on Thursday, November 25!

REGISTER

One way to handle stress is to write things down.

While recording what you’re stressed about is one approach, another is jotting down what you’re grateful for.

Gratitude may help relieve stress and anxiety by focusing your thoughts on what’s positive in your life.

Shop for journals online.

Not all stressors are within your control, but some are.

Take control over the parts of your life that you can change and are causing you stress.

One way to do this may be to say “no” more often.

This is especially true if you find yourself taking on more than you can handle, as juggling many responsibilities can leave you feeling overwhelmed.

Being selective about what you take on — and saying no to things that will unnecessarily add to your load — can reduce your stress levels.