Stress happens. How you handle it is what matters. Decreasing your body’s response to stress will improve your success on the scale and keep your immune function high. Check out our list of 50 ways to decompress that will lower your stress hormones and leave you feeling refreshed!
- Record your worries and anxieties in a journal
- Pick up a book and read for a few minutes
- Take a walk in nature
- Focus on your breathing for five minutes
- Take a (short) nap
- Schedule time to see a friend
- Listen to classical music (bonus if you do it while focusing on your breath)
- Watch a funny video clip and laugh
- Get a massage
- Sing in the car
- Sing in the shower!
- Download and use a meditation app (we like Calm)
- Call your mom (or dad or sister or brother or grandma)
- Think about (maybe even write down) what you’re thankful for
- Take a break from your smartphone
- Go for a bike ride
- Smile! Even faking a smile can improve your mood and stress level
- Listen to nature sounds
- Dance to your favorite music
- Have a warm bath (bonus if you light a candle too)
- Brew a cup of coffee or tea and take time to feel the warm mug, smell the aroma, and enjoy the taste
- Declutter a desk or a drawer (outer order, inner calm!)
- Let out a swear or two (no, not kidding)
- Just do nothing for a few minutes
- Color a picture
- Pet your dog or cat
- Spend time with someone you’re in love with
- Look out a window at something interesting or beautiful
- Count to 10 and then back down again
- Get out into the sunshine
- Eat lunch away from your desk
- Ask for help if you need it
- Stretch your body
- Do some yoga poses
- Write down negative or stressful thoughts and they physically throw them away
- Go for a run
- Make your bed
- Look at the clouds or the stars
- Play your favorite songs
- Eat a protein snack
- Do a crossword or sudoku
- Look of photos of a fond memory
- Give someone a hug
- Go to bed early
- Light a candle
- Open a window to feel the breeze
- Take a long shower
- Drink a glass of cold water and notice how it makes you feel
- Put a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillowcase
- Write a to-do list to organize your thoughts
What works best for you? Do you take time to unwind or do you need to start a routine now?
