Learn 3 science backed ways to relieve stress naturally in this article. All of these tips can be implemented today to start feeling less stressed by this evening.
Relieve Stress Naturally Tip #1: Hydrate
When you’re stressed, you may find that you forget to drink enough water. After all, with so much going on, staying hydrated can be de-prioritized. Yet while understandable, this becomes a vicious cycle.
You don’t get enough water because you’re stressed. And then you literally feel worse because you’re dehydrated.
Interrupt the Stress Dehydration Cycle
Even if it feels like it adds stress in the short-term to focus on getting enough water, it’s one of the best ways to relieve stress naturally. It’s an important aspect of self-care which is necessary for effective stress management.
Hydration Tips:
- Carry a bottle of water of with you on errands,
- Keep water at your desk,
- Drink a full glass of water when you wake up (before coffee),
- Track how many glasses of water you drink a day (try to get at least half your body weight in ounces of water i.e., if you’re 180 pounds you will aim for 90 ounces or just over 11 cups)
Relieve Stress Naturally Tip #2: Breathe Through Your Nose
One of the best, easiest ways to relieve stress naturally you can do right now – breathe through your nose.
Breathing is something we take for granted (you’re doing it right now unless you’re holding your breath in fight-flight). But, there’s actually a method to breathing in a way that reduces stress. To help relieve stress naturally, it’s important to breathe through your nose.
Humans are designed to breathe nasally and use the mouth for talking and eating. Yet over time, due to a diet with softer, more processed foods, our jaws have changed. This makes it literally harder to breathe effectively. This leaves an estimated 30-50% of modern adults primarily breathe through our mouths which leads to a range of concerns. Mouth breathing concerns include sleep apnea, gum disease and fatigue. And of course, when we feel tired we are more likely to feel stressed!
Working Towards Consistent Nasal Breathing
Take a moment to notice your breathing habits.
If you breathe through your mouth, you’re not alone. Create a simple routine of checking in with your breath a few times a day. During these moments, ensure you are inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
This may feel awkward at first and that’s ok. Just practice being mindful of your breath throughout your day and eventually it will become more automatic. And just this practice of paying attention to your breath is a great natural stress reliever! Mindfulness is shown time and again to be effective at combatting stress naturally.
Relieve Stress Naturally Tip #3: Be Nicer to Yourself
In stressful situations, many of us automatically add to our stress by criticizing ourselves. For instance, you may call yourself names or a “failure” if you make a mistake. While this is a common human reaction, it of course just makes you feel worse.
How to Be More Self-Compassionate
Instead you want to work on being nicer to yourself to relieve stress naturally. You can do this by talking to yourself like you’d talk to any loved one. Instead of calling yourself a failure, you’d probably say, “Oh no, that’s really disappointing you made a mistake! But it happens to all of us. Why don’t you take the night off and regroup in the morning?”
Literally practice saying something like this to yourself when stress arises and you’ll find it helps relieve your tension. It really is that simple of a practice that is proven to reduce stress!
There are many articles here to support you in being kinder to yourself and relieving stress naturally. These include:
- 3 Self Talk Techniques to Reduce Stress and Shame,
- How Do You Learn to Love Yourself: 4 Simple Strategies,
- Simple Journaling Prompts for Self-Love, and
- Self-Worth Journal – Free Daily Journaling Worksheet
You Can Reduce Stress Simply
When you feel stressed out even small, free, natural changes can feel overwhelming.
That’s ok and understandable. To feel better and be kinder to yourself, pick one small strategy from this article to start practicing daily. Set an alarm as a reminder for this practice to be extra kind to yourself as you develop a new habit.
In time, you can add in other stress reducing strategies that are natural such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga or tending to your sleep habits to try to interrupt the vicious impact stress has on sleep.
