6 Research-Proven Stress Relief Activities

Last week, you got your gratitude journal started with a month’s worth of gratitude journal prompts. You’ve also been working on your night-time self-care routine. Now, it’s time for even more stress relief activities. In this week’s article, discover the two-part formula for relieving stress and 6 research-proven strategies for stress relief.

How to Relieve Stress

Stress relief involves two components.

1. Removing as much stress as possible from your life. Delegate tasks that don’t require your immediate attention, prioritize your to-do list, or set up systems that make your life easier. Use your problem-solving skills to eliminate any stress you can.
2. Cope with the stress that’s left over. Stress is inevitable. Even good things cause stress — like moving to a new city, getting married, or having a baby. So, you’re destined to have stress. The strategies in this article are for this part.

Stress Relief = Removing Stress + Coping with Stress

6 Stress Relief Activities

This article is about how to cope with the stress that remains after you try to streamline your life and eliminate all the extraneous stress you can.

1. Exercise

This is no surprise to you. Exercise is research-proven to reduce stress, at both a biological and psychological level. I hate exercising just as much as you do, so I wish it weren’t true, but it is. But exercise doesn’t have to look like going to the gym, joining an exercise class, or signing up for BeachBody. It can be skiing, swimming, hiking, kayaking — you know, the actually fun forms of physical activity that are obviously exercise but don’t really seem like it. Find the most enjoyable form of moving your body you can.

2. Soothe Yourself

Part of what makes you feel stressed is your body’s nervous system being activated. It’s the same part of the nervous system that makes you feel scared. The only way to turn this off (and relieve your stress) is to soothe the nervous system and make sure it knows you’re safe.

Try petting your dog or cat, watching the stars, taking a bath, breathing slowly and deeply for 60 seconds, or imagining a relaxing scene (like the beach or a meadow or a stream in the woods). Even more effective is to meditate or practice mindfulness. Check out these mindfulness exercises for anxiety to dive in. Maybe the most enjoyable way to soothe your nervous system is to hug someone (for at least 12 seconds) or find a way to laugh out loud. Immediate relief.

3. Journal

Processing our stress helps relieve it. We’re thinking about our stress all the time, but that doesn’t relieve it. Writing it down or talking about it can, though. Start a journal (grab some prompts here so you don’t have to stare at a blank page) or a gratitude journal (grab a month’s worth of gratitude journal prompts here). Or make a list of your stressors and how you can address them or cope with them. Or spend some time thinking about your spiritual values.

4. Do a Hobby

If you get your brain and body immersed in an enjoyable, low-stress activity, it’ll calm your nervous system and relieve your stress. Pick up gardening or cooking, call a friend, watch your favorite movie or TV show, listen to your favorite music (really listen, not just in the background), read your favorite book, read a magazine, play a (low-stress) game, or do a (low-stress) puzzle. Do something fun.

5. Contribute

One of the best ways to relieve stress is to refocus from yourself to someone else. By default, we’re stuck in our own heads, which just makes us obsess more about how stressed we are. Instead, refocus on someone else. Give someone a gift, do a random act of kindness, or volunteer for an organization you care about.

6. Do a Social Media Detox

Social media creates a lot of stress, between (1) sending us implicit messages of what we should look like or should be doing with our time and (2) taking time away from more active ways of relieving stress and (3) encountering endless negativity. Detox from it. Next week, I’ll give you some strategies for taking a break from social media and spend time doing things you love instead. Don’t miss it.

Talk to you soon,

Dr. Finch

P.S.    Remember, this is education, not treatment.  Always consult with a psychologist or therapist about your mental health to determine what information and interventions are best for you.  See the disclaimer for more details.