Stress is a terrible affliction in this modern age. The phones keep beeping and ringing, the work pressure keeps mounting, and there are too many things to juggle on a daily basis, which doesn’t help in reducing stress in any way. Naturally, stress is all but common. But you don’t have to do anything significant to relieve your stress. All it takes is a couple of minutes of doing the right thing and you’re set. Curious to know what these quick and easy stress busters are? Let’s take a look.
1. Eat chocolate.
Eating 40 grams of dark chocolate every day for two weeks has been found to reduce the levels of stress hormone cortisol in people who said they were “highly stressed.” So that’s a good solution, but you’ve got to stick to the 40-gram limit.
2. Chew gum.
Chewing gum not only reduces stress, but also makes you more alert and helps you multi-task, as revealed by many studies on this subject. So keep a gum handy with you for when stress strikes.
3. Spend time with your pet.
Sitting down or playing with your pet dog or cat can reduce your stress levels significantly. But don’t worry if you don’t have a pet. Watching “cute” cat or dog videos can help too.
Image Source: Bonkers
4. Hum a tune.
Humming a tune can relax your tense muscles, stem the crazy flow of thoughts in the mind, and make the breathing calmer and deeper, as confirmed by Don Campbell, creator of The Mozart Effect, a company that uses music to improve health.
5. Write a journal.
Pouring out all your thoughts on paper can release the stress build-up in your body. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, suggests writing every morning. It’s a therapeutic process and can help you de-clutter your mind.
6. Strike a simple yoga pose.
The muscles tense up in the body after you feel stressed. Doing yoga can help release the tension in your body, relax your muscles, help you breathe deeper, and feel better instantly.
7. Watch a stand-up comedy video.
It’s no secret that laughing out loud can quickly release stress by boosting stress-busting hormones. Watching a stand-up act can help you get a laugh, but feel free to try out anything else, like reading funny comic books or watching a comedy TV show.
8. Take a walk in the sunshine.
When you feel a stress buildup in your body, just drop whatever you’re doing and head out for a nice, slow walk around the neighborhood in bright sunshine. It’ll help you feel better in no time.
Image Source: Fast Company
9. Unplug from technology.
The last thing you want when you’re stressed out is the phone beeping and ringing and vibrating in your hands every other minute. Switch off the phone and just be by yourself; it’ll help you recover more easily.
10. Rub your ears.
India’s 5000-year-old science of life, Ayurveda suggests that there are points in the ear that reach out to different parts in the body. Simply rubbing the ears triggers the release of endorphins in the brain and makes you feel happy.