16 WAYS HOW TO STAY CALM AND STRESS FREE AT WORK AND AT HOME

With our busy lives of today, we are under more stress than ever before. Finding a moment of calm and peace is finding the fountain of youth, quite literally.

Relaxing has a number of physiological and psychological benefits, such as slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, reducing muscle strain, reducing exhaustion, improving mood, memory and concentration and helps boost self-esteem.

A number of stressful situations in your daily life can cause stress. However, research also has found a number of solutions to curtail that stress and relax.

We just often don’t know the tools that can allow us to restore the sense of calm and peace in our minds.

Here are some of the most common stressful situations you can encounter daily and some ways by which you can deal with them.

How to Stay Calm and Stress Free on the Road, at Work and at Home

1. How to stay calm in the car

While when you are driving, you can’t really afford to relax. It is very important to ensure that your body stays alert and your brain stays focused on the vehicles around you as well as the fact that you are maintaining appropriate distance.

Moreover, traffic jams, deadlines and stress can make car rides extremely frustrating and stressful. These are some techniques you can use in a car to calm down and keep your cool.

1) Remember to breathe

Breathing is one of the best exercises that you can do for relaxation. Taking some slow and deep breaths can help in lowering the heart rate and blood pressures.

If you are stuck at a stoplight, you can try pranayama, a yoga technique that involves taking a breath through one nostril and releasing through the other and can help in relieving anxiety. This technique can help balance the body and mind and relieve anxiety.

2) Progressive Relaxation

One of the best ways to relax your mind at the time is progressive relaxation. This can help with anxiety and involves the repeated tensing of a particular muscle group in the body at a time and relaxing it periodically to help reach a calm state.

You can try clutching the wheel tightly and then relaxing your hold in order to do this in the car.

3) Count Backwards

If you are too worried, one of the best ways to relax is through an IQ test. When you are worried, one of the best ways to relax is to count slowly till 10 and then counting backwards in order to calm your mind. This can help you relax when you are in a car and calm your mind.

4) Aromatherapy

One of the best ways to relax in your car is by picking a fragrance that is known to help you relax and calm down.

Some of the best smells you can pick for a car include mint, which helps reduce stress while maintaining focus and alertness, lemon or coffee which can allow lucid thinking and improve concentration.

5) Sing along to your favorite song

Turn up the volume and sing along to your favorite song while you are on your way to work and you will find that the ride is not nearly as stressful as it once seemed. Try to pick something upbeat and happy, that helps to relax you.

2. How to stay calm at work

Work can present with some really stressful situations coupled with a heavy workload that can cause you to become completely stressed out and unable to function. Here are some techniques that you can try while you are at work to relieve stress.

1) Stretch

If you are sitting at your chair for a long period of time, get up and go for a quick stretch. Standing up to stretch out your muscles can help to relieve some of the tension built up and it will do you and your back a world of wonder.

Try a shoulder roll or a back extending stretch from your desk chair itself to combat the stress.

2) Change out the computer background

If you are on a computer, try changing the computer backgrounds periodically. Try changing your screen to pictures of nature. Getting a few minutes to look at nature for even a few minutes, even if through a screen can help you calm your mind and concentrate.

You can choose any natural scenery that you have always dreamt of visiting and this can help relieve anxiety.

3) Multitasking is a big no-no

We are more stressed out than our ancestors ever were. We multitask so much on a daily basis, creating spreadsheets, talking to clients and doing a million things in a moment.

Multitasking is pretty inefficient and can increase the production of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that can make your brain stressed out. Do one thing at a time. Not only will this reduce errors, but help you keep your cool.

4) Lay off the coffee and go green

And by green, I mean decaf green tea. Green tea contains catechins and antioxidants that can help fight stress and the lack of caffeine will actually help calm your nerves.

5) Chew a piece of gum

Chewing gum can help relieve stress. The mint in gums offers a refreshing taste that can stimulate the brain and help you zone out of your stress levels.

The act of chewing can also help with reducing the stress and anxiety levels as well as energize you according to a 2011 study.

6) Hand cream or a roll-on perfume

This may seem like a random thing to do but trust me. Using a hand cream that smells good can help your hands smell amazing and help relax your brain.

You can also try applying a roll-on deo on your wrists, rub them together and take a whiff. Again, using the ideas from aromatherapy, pick the smells that can help rejuvenate and relax you.

3. How to stay calm at home

The general idea is to make your home the ideal haven of calm, tranquility and peace; however, this isn’t always the case.

When you are at home, you will still have to worry about things and find yourself with leftover stress from the day.

Here are some tips that can help you deal with the stress to relax your mind completely.

1) Guided meditation

If you aren’t confident with how to meditate, a good idea is to go for 5-10 minutes of guided meditation. Guided meditation can help you gain a better awareness of your surroundings, relax your body and mind and help you feel refreshed.

2) Maintain a journal

Maintaining a journal can really help ensure that you get your thoughts and feelings out, express your anxiety and insecurities and this can help them not seem as scary anymore.

3) Creating a Zen space

Create a corner in your room that is your corner where you can just go and relax. Set up a cozy chair and light some scented candles and just zone out till all the tension goes away.

4) Turn off those gadgets

Turn off all your gadgets like your phones and TV at least half an hour before bed time to disconnect, sit back and simply relax.

5) Yoga

Not only does yoga help you stay fit, it can help relax your mind and body with the help of stretches.

Conclusion

These are some of the most effective techniques that you can use for staying calm. While your life is likely to bring a number of stressful situations every day, the key to a happy and healthy life is not only reducing the levels of stress but also learning to live with the stress.

With these methods, you will be able to tackle most stressful situations and live a more balanced life. Good day.

© cover image: freepik.com