9 Ways to Unleash Stress in Your Life

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Stress can be very damaging to your health, especially over time. In fact, studies have shown that stress can raise your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even early death. So, what if there were a way to get rid of stress and ensure that you’re happy, healthy, and productive at the same time? In this article, we explore 10 ways to unleashing stress in your life.

1) Use your imagination

If you’re not sure how to relieve stress, your imagination is a powerful ally. Imagine yourself at a tropical beach or some other relaxing locale. If that doesn’t work, imagine taking care of a pet, exercising (or just going for a nice long walk), reading an inspirational book—anything that helps you unwind and relax. The more vivid your imagination, the easier it will be for you to relax and be stress-free! The ways to relieve stress are nearly infinite, so get creative with them; if you find one method isn’t working well for you, try another one until you find what does help. See how easy it can be? Now go take some deep breaths and notice how good it feels!

2) Organize your environment

According to Dr. Sarah E. Anderson, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, getting rid of physical clutter from your life can help reduce mental clutter and prevent procrastination from becoming a problem. Even if you can’t eliminate all of your belongings, try finding a place for what you do have and only keeping items that are really important or valuable. This will help de-clutter your mind and reduce stress! It can also help prevent distractions from material objects throughout your day—making it easier to get things done quickly so you feel less stressed out by deadlines.

3) Meditate

Meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety and lower stress levels. The very act of sitting down to meditate itself is a huge weight off your shoulders; one that gets lighter every time you take time out of your day for mindful meditation. Meditation isn’t about reaching enlightenment or blowing off steam, but it does help us deal with our current situations in life more easily. It brings us back to what really matters when we have trouble focusing on all we have going on.

4) Exercise

Exercise for at least 20 minutes a day. We don’t need to tell you why that’s good for your health—here’s what you should be thinking about while you work out: Exercising decreases anxiety by releasing endorphins and helping boost serotonin, two chemicals that keep us relaxed. In addition, research has shown that exercise can improve focus and memory as well as ability to cope with stressful situations. Plus, it helps promote better sleep patterns! Oh, and did we mention it can help shed those unwanted pounds? The more active you are, overall, the less stressed you will feel on any given day (and consequently stress is likely lower).

5) Get outside

Staring at a computer screen all day can be bad for your health—literally. Studies have found that long-term exposure to light emitted from computers, phones, and tablets can potentially harm your eyes by accelerating macular degeneration, a condition that causes vision loss. And daylight isn’t just good for your peepers; it also keeps you happy. One study from researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine showed that levels of the mood-boosting hormone serotonin were about 50% higher after 10 minutes in natural sunlight than after 10 minutes under fluorescent lights. Get out there!

6) Laughter is key

Research shows that laughter, even if forced, boosts mood and makes you feel happier. So when you feel that stress creeping up on you, don’t be afraid to indulge in a few giggles. Laughing is fun after all—who doesn’t love it? Remember not to take yourself too seriously: If there’s one thing we’ve learned about successful people throughout history, it’s that they do everything with passion—even mundane tasks like cooking dinner or walking their dog. And while passion can help drive us toward our dreams, it can also blind us to reality. We might start taking ourselves too seriously as we look at our own accomplishments through rose-colored glasses.

7) Enjoy music, movies and books

Studies have shown that people who indulge in hobbies like music, movies and books have lower levels of stress. Get some friends together for a night at home with popcorn, or go see a movie by yourself—just make sure you’re engaging your mind (and heart) on a regular basis. The more diverse sources of pleasure you allow into your life, the more balanced things will feel. Take-out food isn’t as fun as cooking fresh meals; TV doesn’t compare to live theatre. Just because something is good at easing tension and helping us unwind doesn’t mean it should become part of your everyday life; after all, we only have so much free time.

8) Start today!

There’s an old saying that goes something like, The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now. If you feel like you have too much on your plate and not enough time, it might be worth looking into how simple ways of making life easier could make all the difference. Consider starting with these small changes. Even just one or two new routines can add up over time to have a significant impact on your stress levels. You can do it! Remember, there’s no time like today.

9) Don’t be afraid to ask for help

While it’s certainly OK to tackle many of your projects on your own, there are times when you should ask for help. On particularly stressful days, make a concerted effort to share some of your responsibilities with someone else. Not only will delegating tasks free up some of your own time, but it’ll allow you to spend more time focusing on those things that bring you stress relief. Plus, if you take on some of these tasks, not only will you get them off your plate sooner rather than later—you may also gain valuable perspective along the way.