6 Super Quick Ways to De-stress

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), nearly 2 in 3 adults (65%) say the current amount of uncertainty in our nation causes them stress. A further 3 in 5 (60%) say the number of issues America faces is currently overwhelming to them. And on top of the collective stress is people’s own personal stress, for example, family, relationships, income, stressful jobs, deadlines, etc – it all has a significant impact on stress levels.

Although we can emphasize that everyone has a different reason for experiencing stress, there are some simple ways to deal with stress that we believe to be extremely beneficial.

To hear about the detrimental effects stress has on the body, check out our blog: “Relax, Stress Could Be Causing Your Gum Disease.”

When stress strikes, here are a few ways you can bring some calm back…

Meditate or focused breathing exercises 

This can be really simple and does not mean sitting cross-legged on the floor with your back straight and incense burning. Meditation can be as simple as just focusing on your breath. Become conscious of the breath going in and out and the sensation of exhaling and inhaling.

For more breathing exercises, check out our blog: “3 Breathing Exercises For Stress, Tension and Anxiety”.

Go for a brisk walk

So simple but oh so effective. No matter how “snowed under” you’re feeling with work deadlines, house errands, or worldly events, take a quick walk around the block and take some big long breaths of the fresh outside air. We also recommend putting on your headphones and listening to your favorite songs. We promise you’ll feel a whole lot better.

Pray 

You do not have to follow a faith for this to be effective. Just the act of saying out loud what you would like to experience is powerful. You can pray to God, the Universe, your higher self, or something that has symbolic meaning for you. Saying a series of small prayers in the moment of stress can be very calming.

Journal 

Write your stress away. Get it down on paper, express it, get it out of your head and onto the page. Writing down how you’re feeling is so cathartic and more often than not, through the sheer act of writing down your feelings, you can start having new awareness around your stress and how to prevent it in the future. 

Practice a rhythmical activity 

Walking, running, playing an instrument, chanting and even drumming on the table with whatever stationery you have at hand is a great stress reliever! The repetitive activity really helps to still and focus the mind. 

Dance!

Dancing or moving your body in free-flowing movement is such a great way to relieve stress. It serves not only as an outlet for expression and releasing tension in the body, but is also a great timeout from your chaotic schedule and chaotic mind.

Dancing, along with other physical activities, also releases endorphins (also known as happy hormones), which serve to reduce stress and cause our bodies to feel calm, happy, and optimistic.

For more information on how stress affects oral health check out our article, “The Fascinating Link Between Stress And Oral Health”