How I Stopped Feeling Stressed: A Personal Journey to Inner Peace

1. Practicing Deep Breathing and Relaxation Techniques

Engaging in deep breathing and relaxation techniques can help to calm your nervous system and decrease stress. Deep breathing techniques like diaphragmatic breathing: you inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a count of a few seconds, and then exhale through your mouth which encourages relaxation. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is also a valuable deep breathing practice. With this technique, you inhale for a count of four seconds, hold your breath for a count of seven seconds, and then exhale for a count of eight seconds. This method helps regulate your breathing and alleviate anxiety.

Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and then releasing different muscle groups to assist the body in reducing physical tension and to allow the body to relax.  Uses guided imagery as a way to visualize a peaceful place or location which assists with mental relaxation and helps to distract and separate oneself from stressful situations.  Implementing these practices in daily life can help to enhance your mental well-being and stress management more effectively. 

2. Engaging in Regular Physical Activity

Physical activity is an important part of reducing stress through endorphin release, a natural mood booster that serves to influence relaxation and well-being. Walking, jogging, strength training, resistance (weight) training, yoga, Pilates, swimming, cycling, or dancing exercises (such as aerobics) are all excellent ways to lower stress levels. Regular physical activity improves mental health, and is a building block of physical well-being, as it generally improves energy levels and sleep. Incorporating exercise into your daily life will help you reduce stress, giving you short- and long-term, potential benefits to promote a healthier and more balanced life.

3. Practicing Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation help relieve stress by encouraging relaxation and clarity of thought. Mindfulness keeps the attention on the present moment, which helps with overthinking and anxiety. When you meditate, the mind calms down, and then you breathe into an emotional resilience. Mindfulness techniques, including deep breathing, body scan meditation, and gratitude journaling, can help you feel peace, manage stress, and promote well-being and healthy living.

4. Prioritizing Sleep and Rest

Getting enough quality sleep is imperative for recovering from stress. Poor sleeping patterns can lead to irritability, fatigue, and impaired cognitive function. Keeping a regular sleep pattern can help set the body’s internal clock and improve sleep quality. Creating a relaxing bedtime routine through activities like reading, using soft lights, or applying aromatherapy also helps to signal the body to relax. Refraining from caffeine and electronic screens in the hour before sleep will help to keep stimulation to a minimum and allow higher sleep quality. Relaxation techniques, such as meditation, in the half hour before sleep will help calm the mind and prepare the body for rest. Proper sleep shocks the cognitive system awake and allows the body to recover. Proper sleep is important in performing the body’s ability to manage stress effectively, and it afterwards supports the quality of life.

5. Maintaining a Balanced Diet

Nutrition is an essential part of managing stress because it helps to create stable energy levels and stable moods. Eating a well-balanced diet that includes whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants will set the stage for mental clarity. Additionally, hydration, and reducing caffeine and sugar and processed foods, will further improve emotional stability and thus ameliorate stress.

6. Engaging in Hobbies and Creative Activities

Doing something you enjoy provides a mental break from stress and a chance to relax and express yourself. Hobbies that create new things, such as painting, drawing, playing a musical instrument, gardening, cooking, reading, writing, or crafting, can detract from whatever is stressing you and create a sense of well-being. Creative projects allow for you to express emotions, enhance mindfulness, and help contribute to your overall well-being.

7. Practicing Gratitude and Positive Thinking

Having an optimistic mindset is an effective way to mitigate stress since directing attention toward the positives in life naturally refocuses attention and energy away from the negatives. Keeping a gratitude journal specifically to document daily gratitudes also can help with appreciation, reducing negativity, and fostering equilibrium. Repeating positive self-talk, such as, “I can manage this situation in a calm way,” boosts your confidence and resilience. Thinking of every challenge as a learning opportunity encourages personal growth. Focusing on just what can be controlled supports decreased anxiety related to the unknown. An optimistic attitude can lead to increased emotional resilience, making it easier to cope with stressors and challenges in life.