5 Ways To Relax When You Are Feeling Too Stressed

 

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Life can get stressful. That is not new news, of course, but it is worth reiterating. Relationships, jobs and everything in between contributes to one's anxiety level. A level that can feel like you are carrying a boulder on your back: a boulder that has become commonplace amongst Americans.

According to the American Psychological Association, stress levels in the United States have continued to rise. Right now, U.S. adults have a higher level of stress than they did at the onset of the pandemic.

Now, coronavirus and the country’s lack of unity ranks high on the list of why stress has piled up for many. But at the same time, those same people have to go and live their everyday lives. That could add stress to the anxiety someone is already experiencing. And in a world where mental health is on the backburner, not many people know how to handle their newfound stress.

There are many ways for you to calm yourself down. By using various coping skills, a person can ground themselves. That does not mean that someone will be able to bring their anxiety down from a 10 to a one, but bringing it down at all is positive. It can truly be so beneficial if you ever get the feeling of being on edge. So without further ado, here are some ways to knock that stress level down a peg:

Work Out

Working out is always a great way to get things off of your mind. Instead of focusing on what was going on at work, you need to focus on not falling off the treadmill, curling dumbbells, or getting in that one last rep.

Still, this does not mean you have to be “working out” at the gym. Engaging in physical activity of any kind can be super helpful. You could play basketball, do some yoga, or play catch outside amongst other things. What it is is the least important aspect of it all. The main hope is that it can get your mind off the stressors of your life.

And in addition to distracting you, physical activity can also boost one's endorphins. Those are the neurotransmitters in your brain that make you feel good. Scientifically, it is a fact that exercise can help your stress. Plus, it never hurts to get up and do some cardio for your heart health.

Meditate

Mediating can be a handy way to manage your stress. Now, meditation is not for everyone. But for some, sitting down in a relaxed state with your thoughts can help you get some real clarity on any situation that may be stressing you out. All in all, the goal of meditation is to create a sense of mindfulness for oneself. Being mindfully aware of things can give you a better sense of peace.

Although meditation can be a spiritual or religious practice, that does not always have to be the case. You are the boss of your meditation. You can sit there silently with yourself or listen to a guided meditation online. Still, the only thing that matters is getting your stress down from where it is.

Journal

Journaling can be an essential tool in trying to rid yourself of any anxiety. It is an opportunity for you to get all your thoughts, feelings and emotions down on paper. It is not very often that someone can get that type of release. The only other place you may be able to share as much as you can in a journal is in a therapist’s office. Still, not everyone has access to a therapist. And even if you have a therapist, most of them are not on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In all honesty, everyone should consider getting a journal. Even if you do not consider yourself a writer, you could jot your thoughts down in bullet points or lists. Your journal is what you want it to be, and having it as an outlet is more of a plus than a minus; even if you do not use it all that much.

Use CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) has become somewhat of a revelation. It can get somewhat of a bad reputation for being so closely related to marijuana and THC, but that relationship is entirely overblown. Besides, some people believe marijuana can be used in a medicinal capacity.

But without straying from the topic of CBD, it is worthy of noting that CBD does not involve any of the psychoactive effects of marijuana. CBD is just another part of the plant. The plant’s psychoactive component is called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is broken down into categories like delta 8 THC and delta 9 THC.

Even though CBD cannot to create those psychoactive effects for you, CBD can still do a whole lot. CBD can reduce pain, help with substance abuse, and -you guessed it- help with anxiety and depression.

You may be sceptical about using a product like this, but if it helps with your anxiety, what is the harm in it? As people like to say, don’t knock it until you try it.

Distract Yourself

All of the items listed above could be considered distractions, like working out, for example. Just going for a run down the street can be of great importance to your stress level by distracting you from all the other nonsense going on in your life. Still, that does not mean a jog is the only thing you can do.

For some, physical exercise is not their cup of tea. Instead of trying to reduce the stress that way, you could watch television or a movie, read a book, draw, or listen to music. Whatever works for is okay. At the end of the day, the goal is to help get your anxiety and stress down. Whatever the method you use to do that is your decision, but it is important to just go with what works.

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