Top 10 Ways to De-stress and Keep Calm

3 November | Hannah Rubery

There’s no surprise that the pandemic has impacted everyone worldwide; impacting lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined, and of course our mental health. It comes as no surprise that since the start of 2020 in the UK there was a significant increase in psychology distress before it fell back again towards the latter part of the year. Once again from October 2020 until February 2021 there was another rise in distress before another period of recovery, suggesting that the stresses of the pandemic returned once more.

As its National Stress Awareness Day, it’s even more important off the back of the pandemic, for us to understand ways to help keep our stress down.

1. Regular exercise

It might be some people’s least favourite thing to hear but exercise is an important way to combat stress. By exercising regularly, a process that stimulates a variety of hormones in your body that can diminish stress, it also helps improve sleep quality and confidence. Both of which can help decrease stress and anxiety from reoccurring.

2. Supplements can help

A variety of supplements have been found to help you feel calm and relaxed including things such as Green Tea, Lemon Balm and Valerian root. Many people who have used CBD also claim to enjoy a more balanced lifestyle and a feeling of wellness.

3. Light a candle

Aromatherapy is another alternative to try. Burning scented candles, incense or using essential oils may help you de-stress, with some scents that are seen as especially soothing. Some of these include lavender (a popular sleep spray scent), rose, bergamot, frankincense, sandalwood, orange or orange blossom and Geranium.

4. Reduce caffeine intake

This popular stimulant can be found in everyday drinks that we consume often throughout the day. From coffee, tea, energy drinks and even chocolate, high doses of caffeine can increase anxiety. Although it can be noted that people’s tolerance for caffeine can differ, if you notice that after a cup of coffee you feel more jittery and anxious, it’s time to consider cutting back.

5. Write it down

Keeping a journal and writing down what you’re stressed about is a great approach, especially for keeping track on your stresses and even helping to work them out. By focusing on your thoughts and effectively getting your stress out of your head and onto paper, can be a cathartic method for some.

6. Spend time with friends and family

Social support from loved ones can be enough to help you through stressful times. By talking to friends and family it can help promote a sense of belonging and self-worth. Spending time with friends alone creates a natural stress reliever hormone, the next time you spend a day with a friend, notice how you feel afterwards.

7. Laugh

Have you ever noticed that after laughing, you feel better? The act of laughing has been shown to help relieve the stress response and relieve tension by relaxing your muscles. Even better, laughter really is infectious and by laughing with those you care about can often intensify the positive feelings.

8. Learn to avoid procrastination

Staying on top of your stress means also staying on top of your priorities. We’ve all procrastinated sometimes, but it can lead you to stress because you feel the need to catch up afterwards. Work on things that need doing at the moment or give yourself uninterrupted time alone to be able to work on what you need to.

9. Take a yoga class

Yoga has become a popular method of stress relief, especially with the need to stay indoors. By joining mind and body in these carefully done movements and exercises, it can help you become more aware of your own body and mind where stress often dwells. This lends itself to also practising mindfulness.

10. Cuddle

Physical contact with your loved ones can also release the love hormone oxytocin which can help lower stress. It’s interesting to note that we aren’t the only animals who cuddle for stress relief! Chimpanzees also cuddle friends who are stressed.

It’s important to remember that stress is a normal thing and that we are all affected by it, but constant stress or consistently reoccurring stress may require more help. You can contact your GP or speak to a therapist for professional help when things get too much.

Samaritans are here to help any time of day or night.
Shout offer crisis text support for times when you need immediate assistance.
Calm are there for those in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason.