A certain amount of stress is normal but too much can be harmful to your health. Due to this, it’s important to find healthy ways to manage your stress and stop it overwhelming you. Fortunately, there are plenty of stress reliever tools you can incorporate into your day-to-day life.
What’s more – these top stress reducers can all be done at home, so you won’t need to go anywhere until your feeling calm, confident, and in control:
Increase natural lighting
Natural light is associated with a surprising number of health benefits, including stress reduction. If you experience winter blues or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it’s likely due to the decreased amount of natural light you’re exposed to during the winter months. With the potential to boost your mood, increase your vitamin D intake, and improve your sleep, natural light can help you to cope with stress better.
To incorporate more natural light at home, opt for blinds, curtains, and window dressings that allow some sunlight to stream through. Translucent or opaque fabrics are ideal as they allow you to retain your privacy but still allow the light to reach your room.
If you’re undertaking renovations, now is the perfect time to add more light to your home. Replacing glass or doors isn’t a major job but it can have a dramatic impact on how much light each room gets. Similarly, skylights are a subtle but effective way to boost the amount of sunlight in any room.
Don’t forget – mirrors are a fast and cost-effective way to increase natural sunlight too. Simply place them in strategic locations, across from windows, and watch as the light reflects into other parts of the room.
Get a pet
Owning a pet is a lot of responsibility but animals are fantastic as a stress reliever! Studies have shown that levels of cortisol – the stress hormone – actually drop when we’re interacting with animals, so there’s evidence to show just how beneficial pets can be for stress reduction.
If you’re not in a position to rehome a pet that requires a lot of attention, this doesn’t mean you can’t opt for something that’s more low maintenance. Spending time watching tropical fish float around their tank is supremely relaxing, for example. With the addition of gravel, Texas Holey Rock, and lighting, you can create a stunning centerpiece for any room and your own personal stress relief sanctuary too. As fish don’t require as much attention as many other animals, they can be the perfect pets for people with busy lifestyles too.
Declutter your home
No matter what size your home is, it’s easy for clutter to build up. Whether you’re living in a studio apartment or a six-bed mansion, it’s important to incorporate decluttering into your lifestyle if you want to enjoy a stress-free environment.
When things get messy, it can be tricky to get started when it comes to sorting it out. However, even the process of decluttering can be cathartic and stress relieving, so tidying your home will have you feeling calmer and more peaceful.
By donating or putting items you no longer need in the trash, you can minimize the objects in your home and maximize the space you have available. Once you’ve done this, you’ll have the opportunity to find a home for everything you want to keep or create more storage space so that everything is neat and tidy.
However, decluttering isn’t a one-off activity. Keeping on top of your environment is the best way to promote a tranquil and relaxing space, so make decluttering a natural part of your routine if you really want to see results.
Start meditating
Meditation is a fabulous way to relieve stress and it’s something you can do anywhere, at any time. Used for centuries, meditation allows you to observe your thoughts and feelings without reacting to them. In doing so, you can acknowledge them and function alongside them, without allowing them to have a negative impact on your mood or activity level.
Anyone can meditate but it’s a skill that requires practice. If you find your mind begins to wonder when you first start meditating, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t for you. It simply takes a while for you to hone the skill of meditating.
Starting off with small sessions of just one or two minutes or using a meditation training app is a great way to learn more about meditation and the benefits it offers.
Use aromatherapy
We don’t tend to focus much on how our homes smell but you’d be surprised at the impact aromas can have on your stress levels. Our sense of smell is most closely linked with our memories, which is why just a slight aroma can transport you to another place or time. In addition to this, certain scents are closely linked to emotions, so you can choose an aroma that helps to promote serenity if you want to turn your home into a stress-free environment.
Rosemary, lemon, ylang ylang, and lavender are all known for their ability to relieve stress, while the scents of nature can highly effective too. The aroma of the sea or freshly mown grass can instantly bring a smile to your face, for example, and help to release any tension you’ve been holding on to.
Remember – you don’t have to rely on artificial scents around your home. A bowl of freshly cut lemons or even the warming aroma of freshly baked bread can have a dramatic impact on your stress levels without introducing any chemicals or allergens into your home.
The Importance of having Stress Reliever Tools
An excess amount of stress can have an impact on your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, so it’s essential to find ways to manage your stress effectively.
Although it isn’t always possible to reduce stress entirely, you can certainly find and create stress reliever tools to minimize the impact it has on you. When you have these stress-relieving techniques at you’re disposal, you’ll have renewed confidence that you can cope with anything life throws at you.
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