Did you know I start out every morning with some form of meditation? Whether it’s reading my scriptures and praying, deep breathing, or practicing non sleep deep rest (we’ll get in to that more below), it makes a difference every time in how my day goes. I use these and other techniques to reduce stress that I’ll share below.
That doesn’t mean awful things don’t happen when I do. It means mentally, I can handle more and view my life in a better light than without it.
What Causes Chronic Stress?
Chronic stress can arise from a variety of factors. The most common causes include financial issues, job pressure, relationship problems, and health concerns. Unlike acute stress, which is short-term and sometimes, even motivating, chronic stress persists and wears on the body and mind over time. Left unchecked, chronic stress can lead to physical and mental health problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and even heart disease.
Understanding the sources of your stress and that it is present is crucial in effectively managing it. Whether it stems from work, social situations, or your personal life, pinpointing the root of stress allows you to address it head-on.
Stress and Its Impact on Health
Stress is more than just a mental burden. When your body perceives stress, it triggers a “fight or flight” response, flooding your system with hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. I’m sure you’ve heard of the fight or flight, but did you know short bursts of it can be good for you? Keep that in mind for later discussions 🙂
However, chronic exposure to these stress hormones can lead to serious health problems, including weakened immunity, digestive issues, and even mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Learning how to manage stress isn’t just about feeling better mentally—it’s about protecting your long-term health. One way to manage stress is to have these techniques well-understood enough to use them to reduce stress.
Technique 1: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Stress is a part of life, but how we manage it can make a world of difference. From work issues to family responsibilities, stress can quickly pile up, leaving you feeling overwhelmed. But managing stress doesn’t have to be complicated. In this article, we’ll discuss five effective techniques – some of which you might not have heard of – to help reduce stress, explore the causes of chronic stress, and provide practical tips to handle it—whether you’re in the workplace, at college, or navigating daily life.
What It Is:
PMR involves tensing and then slowly relaxing different muscle groups in your body. This technique is particularly helpful if you’re someone who holds tension in your shoulders, neck, or back—common areas where stress likes to settle.
Why It Works:
PMR reduces physical tension and helps your body enter a state of relaxation. It can also help build awareness of how stress physically manifests in your body. This technique to reduce stress is great at
How to Do It:
- Start with your feet. Squeeze your feet muscles for 5-10 seconds, then release.
- Work your way up your body: calves, thighs, abdomen, chest, hands, and arms—until you’ve tensed and relaxed every major muscle group.
- Once you’ve worked through you’re whole body, lay still and feel the relaxation you’ve created.
This not only eases physical discomfort but also calms your mind. It gives you something to focus on that isn’t overly exciting and thus, helps you falls asleep.
Technique 2: Box Breathing (Tactical Breathing)
What It Is:
Box breathing is a simple, structured breathing exercise. You inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold for another four counts. This technique is often used by Navy SEALs and athletes to remain calm under pressure.
Why It Works:
It helps regulate your body’s stress response by lowering your heart rate and calming your nervous system with the rhythmic breathing.
How to Do It:
- Inhale through your nose for four counts
- Hold for four
- Exhale for four through pursed lips
- Hold for four, and repeat.
When to Use It:
This is perfect for high-stress moments like a looming stressor, family conflict, or even during a commute. I suggest it to a particular 11 year old girl who struggles with anxiety at bedtime.
Technique 3: Visualization and Guided Imagery
What It Is:
Visualization involves creating mental images of peaceful, calming places or situations. Guided imagery can also be done through apps or audio recordings that walk you through a calming scenario. Click here for one I recommend to my clients.
Why It Works:
Imagining yourself in a calm, serene environment can help reduce stress and shift focus away from anxiety-inducing thoughts.
How to Do It:
- Close your eyes and imagine a place that makes you feel calm—perhaps a beach, forest, or quiet room: Your happy place.
- Focus on sensory details like the sound of waves, the smell of trees, or the warmth of the sun.
- Allow yourself to mentally “step” into this space.
A college student I worked with used visualization during exam week, imagining themselves succeeding and calmly walking through their testing experience. This technique helped reduce their test anxiety and improve their focus.
Technique 4: Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique – EFT)
What It Is:
EFT involves tapping on specific pressure points on your body while focusing on stress or negative emotions. It combines acupressure with affirmations.
Why It Works:
Tapping helps release energy blockages in the body and rewires negative thought patterns.
How to Use It:
- Pick a simple place to tap:
- the side of your hand, under the eyes, and on the collarbone
- Pick an affirmation to repeat while tapping
- “Even though I feel stressed, I am capable.”
- “I have worth.”
- “People like me.”
- While tapping a part of your body like above, repeat one of those affirmations. Continue doing this until you feel a sense of calm or less stress.
Technique 5: Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)
What It Is:
NSDR is a state of restfulness that calms the mind without requiring actual sleep. NSDR can be achieved through techniques like guided meditation. It’s a growing trend in mental health, known for providing quick recovery during periods of stress.
It obviously isn’t the same as getting deep sleep but it brings the restorative benefits with it. It improves cognition, memory, and neuroplasticity (your brain’s ability to heal)
Check out this video on it if you are interested in learning more.
Why It Works:
By placing your body and mind in a state of deep relaxation, NSDR helps reduce the stress response, lowers cortisol levels, and enhances mental clarity. Unlike napping, NSDR focuses on restful awareness, which can be particularly effective when you feel drained but can’t afford to sleep.
How to Use It:
- Find a quiet, comfortable place to lie down. Even in your front driver seat works!
- Listen to a guided NSDR session (you can easily find these online), which will lead you through a meditation to relax each part of your body.
- Remain conscious but deeply relaxed.
I use this and other techniques to reduce stress between sessions when I’ve not had enough sleep the night before. It helps me to rejuvenate and stay focused on the needs of my clients.
Workplace Stress and Productivity
Workplace stress is a major contributor to chronic stress. It can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and even serious health problems if ignored. To combat this, try scheduling short breaks throughout the day to practice one of the stress management techniques above, like box breathing or a brief NSDR session. These mini-breaks can refresh your mind and help you tackle your tasks more efficiently.
Managing Stress in School
For students, balancing academics, social life, and extracurricular activities or even a first job can create enormous pressure. Incorporating stress management techniques, such as visualization or NSDR, into your routine can make a significant difference in maintaining mental well-being. All ages are capable of learning these techniques, it just takes a little adjustment to make it age appropriate. Taking time to manage stress effectively can improve focus and reduce the feelings of social anxiety for all school-age kids.
Stress vs. Anxiety: What’s the Difference?
It’s important to distinguish between stress and anxiety. Stress is typically a response to an external cause—such as work pressure or deadlines and can sometimes be helpful in spurring us to complete things—while anxiety is more of a lingering, internal feeling of fear or worry. While stress may go away once the situation resolves, anxiety often persists and may require professional attention. Understanding this distinction is key to knowing when you may need to seek additional help.
Conclusion
Stress is inevitable, but how you handle it can drastically change its impact on your life. By incorporating techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, box breathing, visualization, tapping, and non-sleep deep rest into your daily routine, you can take control of your stress and improve both your mental and physical well-being. Try out a few of these techniques to reduce stress, see what works best for you, and remember that managing stress is a lifelong practice.
Let us know below if you use one of these already or if one of them works for you!