Using Exercise as a Stress Management Technique During the COVID Pandemic: The Differences Between Men and Women in College.

Int J Exerc Sci. Published Oct 1. By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance.

Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Stress Management. Management Techniques. By Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Elizabeth Scott, PhD. Learn about our editorial process. Learn more. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.

Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD. Learn about our Medical Review Board.

Hatha yoga, especially, is a good stress reliever because of its slower pace and easier movements. Stress can cause you to have trouble falling asleep. When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep can suffer.

But sleep is the time when your brain and body recharge. Most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. And how well and how long you sleep can affect your mood, energy level, focus and overall functioning. If you have sleep troubles, make sure that you have a quiet, relaxing bedtime routine.

For example, listen to soothing music, make sure the area you sleep in is cool, dark and quiet, put phones and tablets away, and stick to a regular schedule.

Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a good release for otherwise pent-up feelings. Don't think about what to write — let it happen. Write anything that comes to mind. No one else needs to read it. So don't aim for perfect grammar or spelling.

Let your thoughts flow on paper, or on the computer screen. Once you're done, you can toss out what you wrote or save it to think about later. Listening to or playing music is a good stress reliever. It can provide a mental distraction, lessen muscle tension and lower stress hormones. Turn up the volume and let your mind be absorbed by the music.

If music isn't one of your interests, turn your attention to another hobby you enjoy. For example, try gardening, sewing, reading or sketching. Or try anything that makes you focus on what you're doing rather than what you think you should be doing. If new stressors are making it hard for you to cope or if self-care measures aren't relieving your stress, you may want to think about therapy or counseling.

Therapy also may be a good idea if you feel overwhelmed or trapped. You also may think about therapy if you worry a great deal, or if you have trouble carrying out daily routines or meeting duties at work, home or school.

Professional counselors or therapists can help you find the sources of your stress and learn new coping tools. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview. Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you.

If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices.

You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Appointments at Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations.

Request Appointment. Healthy Lifestyle Stress management. Sections Basics Stress basics Stress relief Relaxation techniques In-Depth Expert Answers Multimedia Resources News From Mayo Clinic What's New.

Products and services. Stress relievers: Tips to tame stress Stress getting to you? Try some of these tips for stress relief.

By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for subscribing! If caffeine makes you jittery or anxious, consider cutting back by replacing coffee or energy drinks with decaffeinated coffee, herbal tea, or water.

Social support from friends and family may help you get through stressful times and cope with stress. Having a social support system is important for your overall mental health. Not all stressors are within your control, but some are.

Putting too much on your plate may increase your stress load and limit the amount of time you can spend on self-care. This is especially true if you take on more than you can handle because juggling many responsibilities may leave you feeling overwhelmed.

Creating boundaries — especially with people who add to your stress levels — is a healthy way to protect your well-being. This can be as simple as asking a friend or family member not to stop by unannounced or canceling standing plans with a friend if you need more space.

Procrastination may harm your productivity and leave you scrambling to catch up. This can cause stress, which negatively affects your health and sleep quality. A study in medical students in China linked procrastination to increased stress levels. The study also associated procrastination and delayed stress reactions with more negative parenting styles, including punishment and rejection.

If you find yourself procrastinating regularly, it may be helpful to make a to-do list organized by priority. Give yourself realistic deadlines and work your way down the list.

Work on the things that need to get done today, and give yourself chunks of uninterrupted time. Switching between tasks or multitasking can be stressful in itself. Yoga has become a popular method of stress relief and exercise among all age groups.

While yoga styles differ, most share a common goal — to join your body and mind by increasing body and breath awareness. Research shows that yoga helps reduce stress and anxiety. Plus, it can promote psychological well-being. Stress reduction techniques that utilize mindfulness include meditation and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy MBCT , a type of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Meditating consistently, even for short periods, may help boost your mood and decrease symptoms of stress and anxiety. Countless books, apps, and websites can teach you the basics if you want to try meditation. There may also be therapists in your area who specialize in MBCT.

Human touch may have a calming effect and help you better cope with stress. For example, studies show positive physical contact may help relieve stress and loneliness. These types of contact may help release oxytocin and lower cortisol.

In turn, these effects help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Both high blood pressure and increased heart rate are physical symptoms of stress.

Spending more time outside may help reduce stress. Studies show that spending time in green spaces such as parks and forests and being immersed in nature are healthy ways to manage stress. A review of 14 studies found that spending as little as 10 minutes in a natural setting may help improve psychological and physiological markers of mental well-being, including perceived stress and happiness, in college-aged people.

Even in an urban area, you can seek out green spaces such as local parks, arboretums, and botanical gardens. Mental stress activates your sympathetic nervous system, sending your body into fight-or-flight mode.

During this reaction, stress hormones trigger physical symptoms such as a faster heartbeat, quicker breathing, and constricted blood vessels. Deep breathing exercises may help activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the relaxation response.

Deep breathing exercises include:. Deep breathing aims to focus your awareness on your breath, making it slower and deeper. When you breathe in deeply through your nose, your lungs fully expand, and your belly rises.

This helps slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel at peace. Having a pet may help reduce stress and improve your mood. When you cuddle or touch your pet, your body releases oxytocin — a hormone linked to a positive mood.

Plus, research shows that pet owners — especially those with dogs — tend to have greater life satisfaction, better self-esteem, reduced levels of loneliness and anxiety, and more positive moods. Having a pet may also help relieve stress by giving you purpose, keeping you active, and providing companionship.

As such, a deficiency in one or more nutrients may affect your mental health and ability to cope with stress. Supplementing with magnesium has been shown to improve stress in chronically stressed people. Other supplements, including Rhodiola, ashwagandha, B vitamins, and L-theanine, may also help reduce stress, though more research is needed to understand their potential benefits better.

However, dietary supplements may not be appropriate or safe for everyone. Although stress is unavoidable, being chronically stressed takes a toll on your physical and mental health. Fortunately, several evidence-based strategies can help you reduce stress and improve your overall psychological well-being.

As Nair writes in his book, Evidence Based Macro Practice in Social Work , this stress can stem from a number of factors, such as role ambiguity, overload or underload of work, contradictory expectations, poor preparation or an overly laid-back atmosphere. In small doses, stress is not necessarily detrimental to our physical and mental wellbeing.

If not properly managed, stress can take a serious toll on our physical health. Longitudinal studies have shown that sleeplessness, migraine headaches, weight gain, irritation and lack of concentration are just a few of the potential side effects of long-term stress.

There is also a connection between stress and potentially life-threatening health issues like diabetes and heart disease. According to Goodman, social workers and nurses often see caregiving as a central part of their identity. However, in the midst of caring for clients, patients, friends, family, parents or children, they often forget to care for themselves.

Many social workers and nurses do not invest properly in self-care due to the perceived time commitment and monetary demands of activities traditionally associated with self-care, such as getting a massage or taking a vacation.

While both Nair and Goodman agree that self-care has, in many ways, become a multi-billion dollar industry, they affirm that there are plenty of powerful self-care techniques that are not time-consuming or expensive.

Nair favors breathing and stretching exercises, in addition to simply laughing—he teaches weekly laughter workshops on the USC campus for students, faculty and staff in which participants practice evidence-based laughing techniques as a way to relieve stress and boost their moods.

Other stress reduction techniques he recommends include spending time with those that matter to you, practicing mindfulness, developing more realistic expectations for yourself and finding a hobby or recreational pursuit that you enjoy.

Stress reduction techniques that utilize mindfulness include meditation and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy MBCT , a type of cognitive behavioral therapy. Meditating consistently, even for short periods, may help boost your mood and decrease symptoms of stress and anxiety.

Countless books, apps, and websites can teach you the basics if you want to try meditation. There may also be therapists in your area who specialize in MBCT.

Human touch may have a calming effect and help you better cope with stress. For example, studies show positive physical contact may help relieve stress and loneliness. These types of contact may help release oxytocin and lower cortisol.

In turn, these effects help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Both high blood pressure and increased heart rate are physical symptoms of stress. Spending more time outside may help reduce stress. Studies show that spending time in green spaces such as parks and forests and being immersed in nature are healthy ways to manage stress.

A review of 14 studies found that spending as little as 10 minutes in a natural setting may help improve psychological and physiological markers of mental well-being, including perceived stress and happiness, in college-aged people. Even in an urban area, you can seek out green spaces such as local parks, arboretums, and botanical gardens.

Mental stress activates your sympathetic nervous system, sending your body into fight-or-flight mode. During this reaction, stress hormones trigger physical symptoms such as a faster heartbeat, quicker breathing, and constricted blood vessels.

Deep breathing exercises may help activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the relaxation response. Deep breathing exercises include:.

Deep breathing aims to focus your awareness on your breath, making it slower and deeper. When you breathe in deeply through your nose, your lungs fully expand, and your belly rises.

This helps slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel at peace. Having a pet may help reduce stress and improve your mood. When you cuddle or touch your pet, your body releases oxytocin — a hormone linked to a positive mood.

Plus, research shows that pet owners — especially those with dogs — tend to have greater life satisfaction, better self-esteem, reduced levels of loneliness and anxiety, and more positive moods.

Having a pet may also help relieve stress by giving you purpose, keeping you active, and providing companionship. As such, a deficiency in one or more nutrients may affect your mental health and ability to cope with stress.

Supplementing with magnesium has been shown to improve stress in chronically stressed people. Other supplements, including Rhodiola, ashwagandha, B vitamins, and L-theanine, may also help reduce stress, though more research is needed to understand their potential benefits better.

However, dietary supplements may not be appropriate or safe for everyone. Although stress is unavoidable, being chronically stressed takes a toll on your physical and mental health.

Fortunately, several evidence-based strategies can help you reduce stress and improve your overall psychological well-being. Exercise , mindfulness, spending time with a pet, minimizing screen time, and getting outside more often are all effective methods.

Read this article in Spanish. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

VIEW ALL HISTORY. Stress is a natural and normal part of life, but sometimes you just need to relax. We've compiled a list of the top 10 ways to relieve stress. People seek help from professional psychologists for many different challenges.

Find out more about these issues, from death to stress to family and…. Social anxiety can creep up at work, on dates, at parties, and more.

Here are just a few ways to get it under control in your daily life. Meditation is the process of redirecting your thoughts to calm your mind. It may also improve your overall quality of life. This is what the research….

Yoga combines breathing exercises, meditation, and poses that are proven to benefit mental and physical health. This article lists 16 evidence-based…. Research is limited, but there may be a connection between stress and a positive ANA result.

Diurnal cortisol tests measure your cortisol levels at various points from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. Many things in life can cause you to have an acute stress reaction, but sometimes these stressors become chronic and can cause serious side effects.

A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based 16 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress.

Medically reviewed by Francis Kuehnle, MSN, RN-BC — By Jillian Kubala, MS, RD and Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD — Updated on July 12, Was this helpful? Share on Pinterest. Get more physical activity. Eat a balanced diet. Minimize phone use and screen time. Practice self-care. Try journaling. Reduce your caffeine intake.

Spend time with friends and family. Create boundaries and learn to say no. Avoid procrastination. Take a yoga class. Mindful moves: minute yoga flow for anxiety.

Practice mindfulness. Spend time in nature. Practice deep breathing. Spend time with a pet. Consider supplements. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references.

If not properly managed, stress can take a serious toll on our physical health. Longitudinal studies have shown that sleeplessness, migraine headaches, weight gain, irritation and lack of concentration are just a few of the potential side effects of long-term stress.

There is also a connection between stress and potentially life-threatening health issues like diabetes and heart disease. According to Goodman, social workers and nurses often see caregiving as a central part of their identity.

However, in the midst of caring for clients, patients, friends, family, parents or children, they often forget to care for themselves. Many social workers and nurses do not invest properly in self-care due to the perceived time commitment and monetary demands of activities traditionally associated with self-care, such as getting a massage or taking a vacation.

While both Nair and Goodman agree that self-care has, in many ways, become a multi-billion dollar industry, they affirm that there are plenty of powerful self-care techniques that are not time-consuming or expensive.

It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others. Self-care can play a role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness.

Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. When it comes to your mental health, self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy.

Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact. Self-care looks different for everyone, and it is important to find what you need and enjoy. It may take trial and error to discover what works best for you. In addition, although self-care is not a cure for mental illnesses, understanding what causes or triggers your mild symptoms and what coping techniques work for you can help manage your mental health.

For other ideas for healthy practices for your mind, body, surroundings, and relationships, see the National Institutes of Health NIH Wellness Toolkits. Seek professional help if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted 2 weeks or more, such as:.

Talk about your concerns with your primary care provider, who can refer you to a mental health professional if needed. This service is confidential, free, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In life-threatening situations, call GREAT: Helpful Practices to Manage Stress and Anxiety: Learn about helpful practices to manage stress and anxiety. GREAT was developed by Dr. Krystal Lewis, a licensed clinical psychologist at NIMH.

Getting to Know Your Brain: Dealing with Stress: Test your knowledge about stress and the brain. Guided Visualization: Dealing with Stress: Learn how the brain handles stress and practice a guided visualization activity.

Mental Health Minute: Stress and Anxiety in Adolescents: Got 60 seconds? Self-care should not be something you force yourself to do. Self-care practices will refuel you, helping you to take care of yourself and support those around you. And that includes being there for the people who need you. For more tips on how you can support yourself and those around you with self-care practices, check out these resources:.

American Psychological Association. Working out boosts brain health. Clay, R. Self-care has never been more important. Monitor on Psychology 51 5. Davis, T. Self-care: 12 ways to take better care of yourself. Psychology Today. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

Glowiak, M. What is self-care and why is it important for you? Southern New Hampshire University. Lawler, M. What is self-care and why is it so important for your health? Medalie, L. UChicago Medicine.