surefire ways to rapidly reduce stress
Ever wish a stress superhero could save you from traffic jams, chaotic meetings, or a toddler’s tantrums?
Guess what? You can be your own stress-busting superhero. Everybody has the power to reduce the impact of stress as it’s happening. With practice, you can learn to spot stressors and stay in control when the pressure builds.
Learning quick stress relief won't happen overnight. Like any skill, it takes time, self-exploration and above all, practice. But think of it as an education with a huge payoff.
The origins of stress
Are you friends with stress, or do you fear stress and wish you could make it go away? Believe it or not, stress is necessary for life. Without it, you would be dead—you need stress for creativity, learning, and facing life’s challenges. Stress is only harmful when it becomes overwhelming. Bottom line? Those who are aware of their stress and know how to manage it are less likely to get overwhelmed.
Stress and our environment
Stress comes from our internal and external environments. Internal stress refers to emotions that are threatening, frightening, or uncomfortable. External stress, on the other hand, comes from worldly experiences.
Not all stress is created equal. Let’s take a closer look at the two main ways stress can cause our nerves to shout SOS!
Everyday stress may be more harmful than you think
You may think that the worst kind of stress comes from traumatic situations like a car accident or a mugging. But what you may not know is that chronic, everyday stress can be just as damaging. Relentless small-scale challenges can wear you down, whether or not you even realize it’s a problem.
Stress doesn’t always look stressful
Internally, we all respond to stress the same: our blood pressure rises, our heart pumps faster, and our muscles constrict. When stressed, our bodies work hard and drain our immune system. Externally, however, people tend to respond to stress in three different ways: some become angry and agitated, others space out or withdraw, and still others freeze up.
The best way to quickly relieve stress may relate to your specific stress response. Read on to find out where you fit in.
How do you act when stressed?
Psychologist Connie Lillas uses a driving analogy to describe the three most common ways people respond when they’re overwhelmed by stress:
- Foot on the gas. An angry or agitated stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional, and unable to sit still.
- Foot on the brake. A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out, and show very little energy or emotion.
- Foot on both gas and brake. A tense and frozen stress response. You “freeze” under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated.
Are you overexcited, underexcited or both?
When it comes to managing and reducing stress quickly in the middle of a heated situation, it’s important to know whether you tend to become overexcited or underexcited.
- Overexcited – If you tend to become angry, agitated, or keyed up under stress, you will respond best to stress relief activities that quiet you down.
- Underexcited – If you tend to become depressed, withdrawn, or spaced out under stress, you will respond best to stress relief activities that are stimulating and that energize your nervous system.
- Both overexcited and underexcited – If you tend to freeze: speeding up in some ways while slowing down in others, your challenge is to identify resources that provide both safety and stimulation to help you “reboot” your system.
Quick stress relief basics
There are countless techniques for preventing stress. Yoga and meditation work wonders for improving our coping skills. But who can take a moment to chant or meditate during a job interview or a disagreement with your spouse? For these situations, you need something more immediate and accessible. That’s when quick stress relief comes to the rescue.
The speediest way to stamp out stress is by engaging one or more of your senses. Sensory input draws on your senses—including your sense of sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, and movement—to rapidly calm and energize yourself.
The key to practicing quick stress relief is learning what kind of sensory input helps your particular nervous system find calm and focus quickly. Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so an awareness of your preferences is essential for reducing stress.
Recognize stress
Many people may simply not recognize how stressed they are. Acknowledging stress is the first step in lessening its impact. Note your response. Are you losing it? Withdrawing? Freezing? How does your body feel? Do you always feel a little anxious, tense, or depressed?
Identify your body’s response
Hush the voice that’s telling you, ‘Oh, I’m fine.” Notice how you’re breathing has changed. Are your muscles tense? Awareness of your physical response to stress will help regulate the tension when it occurs.
When you're tired, your eyes feel heavy and you might rest your head on your hand. When you're happy, you laugh easily. And when you are stressed, your body lets you know that too. Try to get in the habit of paying attention to your body's clues.
Here are some tips for recognizing when you're stressed:
- Observe your muscles and insides. Are your muscles tight/sore? Is your stomach tight or sore? Are your hands clenched?
- Observe your breath. Is your breath shallow? Place one hand on your belly, the other on your chest. Watch your hands rise and fall with each breath. Notice when you breathe fully or when you "forget" to breathe.
Talking to someone who listens: a rapid stress reducer
Want to know a quick social stress reliever? Talking to someone! It’s true, talking about your stress with a calm and balanced listener will make you feel better instantly. Although it’s not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on, building and maintaining a friendship network is ultimately good for your mental health. Between quick stress relief techniques and good listeners, you’ll have all your bases covered.
Quick stress relief: Bring your senses to the rescue
Remember exploring your senses in elementary school? Grownups can take a tip from grade school lessons by revisiting the senses and learning how they can help us prevent system overload.
Start by slowing down. When you slow down, you learn better and feel better.
Sights. Surround yourself with visual stimulation such as comforting mementos and uplifting photos. Wear accessories and jewelry that make you feel powerful when you catch sight of them. Hang a prism in the window for a rainbow display. Keep a fresh bouquet of flowers at a table or workstation.
Sound. Experiment with music and other sounds that calm and soothe you. Keep birdfeeders outside and tune into bird chatter. Hang wind chimes near an open window. Place a small fountain in your home or office so you can enjoy the soothing sound of running water. Listen to different interpretations of your favorite music.
Scent. If you tend to zone out or freeze when stressed, keep energizing scents nearby. If you tend to become overly agitated under stress, look for scents that are comforting and calming. Inhale the smell of freshly brewed coffee or tea if you start to feel yourself zoning out. Keep a bowl of fragrant fruit nearby.
Touch. Experiment with textures and with warm and cool temperatures to relax and renew. Play with your dog, feel his warm, soft head against your face. Give yourself a hand or neck massage—lightly tap your head and neck for a few seconds. Press a warm (or icy) beverage mug into your skin.
Taste. Mindless eating will only add to your stress—and your waistline. The key is to indulge your sense of taste mindfully and in moderation. Eat slowly, focusing on the feel of the food in your mouth and the taste on your tongue. Slowly drink a refreshing cold beverage. Chew a piece of sugarless gum.
Movement. Movement has a sensory effect on stress and acts like one of our senses. If you tend to shut down when stress strikes, try pacing while you talk on the phone. Stand up—instead of sitting down—at a desk to write and work. Keep a rubbery stress ball at your desk and squeeze it to relax. Use a rocking chair to focus and relax. Got more energy to burn? Try pushups!
The power of memories
Sensory rich memories can also quickly reduce stress. After drawing upon your sensory toolbox becomes habit, another approach is to learn to simply imagine vivid sensations when stress strikes. Believe it or not, the sheer memory of your baby’s face will have the same calming or energizing effects on your brain as seeing her photo. So if you can recall a strong sensation, you’ll never be without access to your quick stress relief toolbox.
Make quick stress relief a habit
Let’s get real. It’s not easy to remember to use our senses in the middle of a mini—or not so mini—crisis. At first, it will feel easier to just give into pressure and tense up. The truth is, quick stress relief takes practice, practice, and more practice. But with time, calling upon your senses will become second nature. Here’s how to make it habit.
- Start small. Instead of testing your quick stress relief tools on a source of major stress, start with a predictable low-level source of stress, like cooking dinner at the end of the day or sitting down to balance your checkbook.
- Identify and target. Think of just one low-level stressor that you know will occur several times a week, such as commuting. Vow to target that particular stressor with quick stress relief every time. After a few weeks, target a second stressor. After a few weeks more, target a third stressor and so on.
- Test-drive sensory input. When targeting predictable stress, experiment with as much sensory input as possible. If you are practicing on your commute to work, bring a scented handkerchief with you one day, try music another day and try a movement the next day.
- Make “have fun” your motto. If something doesn’t work, don’t force it. Move on until you find your best fit.
- Talk about it. Verbalizing your quick stress relief work will help integrate it into your life. It’s bound to start a fascinating conversation—everyone relates to the topic of stress.
If you are having trouble finding sensory tools that work
Here comes the fun part. Now that you know that your senses are your tools to help lessen stress, you need to find out what sensory input works best for you. Inspiration is everywhere from sights you see on your way to work to smells and objects around your home. Explore a variety of sensations so that no matter where you are you’ll have something you can always do to relax yourself.
Tips for finding sensory inspiration
Sensory input inspiration often comes from unexpected places.
- Memories. Think back to what you did as a child to calm down. If you had a blanket or stuffed toy, you might benefit from tactile stimulation. Try tying a textured scarf around your neck before an appointment or keeping a piece of soft suede in your pocket.
- Watch others. Observing how others deal with stress can give you valuable insight. Baseball players often pop gum in their mouth before going up to bat. Singers often chat up the crowd before performing. Ask around about what people you know do to stay focused under pressure—it could work for you too.
- Parents. Think back to your parents. Did your mother feel more herself after a long walk? Did your father do yard work after a hard day? Try some of the things they did—they might work for you too.
Take a break from technology
Taking a short hiatus from the television, computer, cell phone, and headphones will give you insight on what your senses respond to best. Here are some “unplugging” tips:
- Try tuning into music instead of talk radio during your commute. Or try riding in silence for 10 minutes.
- Stuck in a long line at the grocery store? Instead of talking on your cell phone, take a moment to people watch. Pay attention to what you hear. Notice your posture.
- Instead of checking e-mail while waiting for a meeting to begin, take a few deep breaths, look out the window, and sip some aromatic tea.
- While waiting at the doctor’s office, resist the urge to text and give yourself a hand massage with a favorite scented lotion instead.
Quick acting stress-busting tips
The best part of quick stress relief is the awareness that you have control over your surroundings. Even if you share a work area, you can personalize your space to serve as a “stress prevention zone” or to put quick stress relief within arm's reach. We all have our stress hotspots. Where are yours?
At home
- Entertaining. Prevent pre-party jitters by playing lively music. Light candles. The flicker and scent will stimulate your senses. Wear clothes that make you feel relaxed and confident instead of stiff and uncomfortable.
- Kitchen. Cool the kitchen commotion by breathing in the scent of every ingredient you use—even if you’re just opening cans. Delight in the delicate texture of an eggshell. Appreciate the weight of an onion.
- Children and relationships. Prevent losing your cool during a spousal spat by breathing and squeezing the tips of your thumb and forefinger together. When your toddler tantrums, rub lotion into your hands then breathe in the scent.
- Sleep. Too stressed to snooze? Try using a white noise machine for background sound or a humidifier with a diffuser for a light scent in the air.
- Creating a sanctuary. If clutter is upsetting, spend 10 minutes each day to tidy and organize. Paint the walls with a fresh coat of your favorite calming color. Display photos and images that make you feel happy. Throw open the curtains and let in natural light whenever possible.
At work
- Meetings. During stressful sessions, stay connected to your breath. Massage the tips of your fingers. Wiggle your toes. Sip coffee.
- On the phone. Inhale something energizing, like lemon, ginger, peppermint or coffee beans. While talking, stand up or pace back and forth to burn off excess energy. Conduct phone business outside when possible.
- On the computer. Work standing up. Do knee-bends in 10-minute intervals. Wrap a soft scarf around your neck. Suck on a peppermint.
- Lunch breaks. Take a walk around the block or in the parking lot. Listen to soothing music while eating. Have a quick chat with someone you love.
- Your workspace. Place family photos on your desk and display images and mementos that remind you of your life outside the office.
Related articles
Stress at Work
How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress
Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief
Relaxation Exercises and Tips
More Helpguide Articles:
- Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress
- Job Loss and Unemployment Stress: Tips for Staying Positive During Your Job Search
- Understanding Stress: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And Effects
- Emotional Health: Strategies and Tips for Good Mental Health
Related links for quick stress relief
Understanding and Dealing with Stress – This course, prepared by a West Virginia-based organization that works with disabled people, presents a wealth of information on managing stress. (Mountain State Centers for Independent Living)
Managing Stress: A Guide for College Students – Offers a total wellness lifestyle plan for managing, reducing, and coping with stress. (University Health Center, University of Georgia)
Stress Management: How Do You React During Stressful Situations? – Evaluate the way you react to stress and learn how to transform your negative responses. (Mayo Clinic)
Strategies for Coping with Stress (PDF) – Offers twenty-four tips for reducing and coping with stress. (Texas Woman’s University)
Relaxation Techniques – Simple guided exercises that integrate breathing and movement to promote stress relief. (University of Illinois McKinley Health Center)