A Month’s Worth of Stress Relief

Here are 31 ideas for stress relief in your life. You can do these at home, on the job, or even during leisure activities

1. Take a walk.

Alone, with a friend, or with the dog(s).  Breathe the fresh air.

2. Take a few deep breaths.

Pair this with Brueggers stretch for a 1-2 stress relief combo!

3. Listen to some music that relaxes you.

I love relaxing to Explosions in the Sky – Your Hand In Mine

4. Get up and dance.

5. Read a good book, magazine, or newspaper.

6. Meditate.

Close your eyes and focus on your breath.  Follow the breath as it goes in or out.  Visualize a peaceful and meaningful scene as you breath.  This is best if done for 10-20 minutes.

7. Become a conductor.

Find some good music in your collection or on the radio and fake it till you make it.  Waving your arms to the beat can be both physically and emotionally relaxing.

8. Laugh out loud.

Check out a comedy club, watch a funny movie or TV show, call a friend who can make you laugh.  Laughing has been proven to lower blood pressure and reduce stress.

9. Get a massage.

Massage is great for stress relief.  Cascade Chiropractic & Wellness has fantastic massage therapists that can help with your stress and tense muscles.

10. Exercise.

Almost any workout will help release stress.  Don’t forget about all the wonderful side effects of exercise too!

11. Sing a song.

Don’t worry about how you sound.  The process of singing can relieve tension.  Belt it out!

12. Practice self-positive talk.

Cassandra Rae at Petals of Change is a pro at this.  Check out her blog and some of the tips she has for helping your soul blossom.

13. Do something you like.

Alex loves cooking.  Here is one of her famous creations.

14. Yoga.

You can take a class, use a DVD, or even just find some stretches online.  Yoga is fantastic for stress relief.

15. Draw or paint a picture.

How bad could it be?

16. Talk with someone.

A friend, a therapist, a doctor, a relative, a co-worker, a clergy-man.  It’s helps to “get it out”.

17. Acupuncture

If you have never had a visit to “acu-land”, I would suggest giving it a try.  Cita at Open Gate Acupuncture in Portland can help!

18. Take care of business.

Sometimes that duty that you’ve been procrastinating will continue to add stress till you bite the bullet and just finish it.  If the project is daunting, breaking it into small chunks makes it more manageable.

19. Sit up straight.

Slumping can cause tension in your neck and back muscles.  A slumped posture can also signal a message of discouragement to your brain.  If you need help with posture, make an appointment with Dr. Cooper.  Chiropractic care can have drastic improvements to posture.

20. Actively Relax.

While sitting or lying in a relaxed position, tense the muscles of your feet and then relax.  Repeat this tensing and relaxing with the other parts of your body.  Start with feet and work your way up the legs finally to the face.

21. Take a nap.

‘Nuff said.

22. Let your mind wander.

Stop concentrating on anything.  If you wear glasses take them off for a moment.  Move away from whatever is taking your attention and give your mind a short break.

23. Take a drive in the country.

24. Have a cup of tea.

Some chamomile tea is very relaxing and doesn’t contain any caffeine.

25. Warm up or cool down.

Avoid temperature extremes.  If you are too hot, find a way to cool off.  If you are too cold, find a way to warm up.

26. Read out loud.

27. Sit.

Sit in a garden or park and listen to all the sounds.  Hear the birds, traffic, dogs barking, others talking.  Focus on one sound for a few seconds, then focus on another, and so on.

28. Ride a bike.

29. Visit the zoo or aquarium.

Dr. Cooper and Alex visited the Seaside Aquarium and fed the seals.  Very fun!

30. Volunteer.

Serving others is a great way to feel good yourself.