What Are the Top 10 Stress Relievers?

The top 10 ways to relieve stress include exercise, taking control of the situation, connecting with others, taking time for yourself, setting goals and challenging yourself, falling into unhealthy habits, helping others, prioritizing your workload, staying positive, and accepting what you cannot change.

Stress is the body’s reaction to mental, emotional, or physical pressures. Stress can affect everyone differently, and some people can experience physical and emotional symptoms as reactions to stress.

In the short-term, stress can be beneficial and can help people cope with potentially serious situations. But chronic stress can cause changes in emotions and behavior as well as physical symptoms that can impact health and well-being. 

For those experiencing stress that affects their everyday life, 10 stress relievers include:

1. Exercise
   • Can help reduce some of the emotional intensity of the stress and help you deal with problems
2. Take control of the situation
   • Believe there is a solution that satisfies you and take action
3. Connect with others
   • Family, friends, and co-workers can offer support
   • Activities and laughter with a support network help you relax
4. Take time for yourself
   • Set aside time for yourself away from work
5. Set goals and challenge yourself
   • Continue to learn, whether it’s a new language or new sport
6. Don’t fall into unhealthy habits
   • Avoid alcohol, smoking, and caffeine as ways of coping
7. Help others
   • Volunteer or do community service to help put your problems into perspective
   • If you can’t volunteer, do a favor for someone else
8. Prioritize your workload
   • Concentrate on the tasks that make the most difference and know that it’s ok to still have less important tasks left at the end of the day
9.  Stay positive
   • Find things for which you are grateful and appreciate what you have
   • Write down what you’re grateful for or what made you happy each day
10. Accept what you cannot change
    • Focus on what you can control 

Other ways to relieve stress include: 

• Relax in nature
• Learn positive self-talk
  • For example, instead of saying “Everything always goes wrong,” say, “I can handle this one step at a time.”
• If you feel stressed, try something that makes you feel happy for 10-15 minutes
  • Read a book
  • See a friend
  • Play with your kids or pets
  • Take a walk outside
  • Work in the garden
  • Take a relaxing bath
• Practice stress reduction techniques
  • Deep breathing
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
• Talk therapy
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
• Medication
  • Sleeping pills or minor tranquilizers for problems sleeping
  • Antidepressants for depression 
  • Anti-anxiety medications for anxiety
  • Medications to treat physical symptoms of stress, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or high blood pressure
• Ecotherapy
  • This involves spending time in nature, such as taking walks outside, hiking, gardening, having a picnic, camping
• Complementary and alternative therapies
  • Yoga and meditation
  • Acupuncture
  • Aromatherapy
  • Massage