9 Simple Ways To Reduce Stress

Here’s how you can getmore out of each day.Have a laughWhile all of us have workand family responsibilities,stressing out too much aboutthem will simply cause you moregrief — both mentally as wellas physically. There are severalways you can unwind — watchyour favourite comedy, catch upwith close friends and talk aboutfunny memories. Research saysthat every time you laugh outloud, increased oxygen flowsto your organs, blood flow increases,and stress automaticallyreduces.Spend time with your petPets are known not onlyto give you unconditional love,but spending time with them isactually good for your health.Studies say that when you petyour dog/ cat even for just afew minutes, your body releasesfeel-good hormones like serotonin,prolactin, and oxytocin, andalso decreases the amount of thedamaging stress hormones. Thisresults in lower blood pressure,less anxiety and even better immunity.Get rid of the clutterAre you surrounded by toomany things in a not-so-verybig space? Having too muchstuff can leave you feeling overwhelmedand bog you down,eventually leading to stress.Living in constantly messy surroundingsbrings on unwantedanxiety. Therefore, experts sayyou need to de-clutter to destress.Don’t start by wanting toclear up everything at once. Thatwill only stress you out further.Begin with a small space andgradually move to bigger things.A space that is uncluttered canfeel satisfying and soothing.Do the houseworkWhile this might seem likea mundane, everyday chore, tryto do things a bit differently. Puton your favourite music or TVshow in the background, make alist of all that needs to be done,and get down working. Not onlywill you burn calories and getyour work down, you won’t betired and stressed out at the endof it.Drink juicesResearchers say that the vitaminC present in orange juicecan actually help you managestress better because it lowerslevels of stress hormones likecortisol. Remember that vitaminC-rich foods such as orangejuice, grapefruit juice, strawberries,or sweet red peppers boostyour immune system.Sing out loudWhen was the last time yousang loudly to your heart’s content?Turn up the radio and startsinging. No matter how badyou think you are, studies showthat singing can actually makeyou feel happier and feel lessstressed. Singing also benefitsyour breathing, heart and immunesystem.Go for a walkOne of the best ways to beatstress is to exercise. It helps yourbody produce endorphins thatmake you feel good. Exercisingin warm weather can boost yourmood while a daily brisk walk ofabout 30 minutes can greatly reducestress levels.Have some sexIf you’re using stress as anexcuse to abstain from sex, thinkagain. Having sex is actually agreat way to ease stress becauseit lowers blood pressure, boostsself-esteem as well as increasesfeelings of intimacy with yourpartner. It also helps you sleepbetter.Breathe deeplyInvest in some lavender orrosemary scents and take a deepwhiff — it will instantly put youin a more relaxed state and lowerlevels of the stress hormonecortisol. If you prefer not to usescents, practice the act of deepbreathing regularly. This sendsoxygen surging through yourbloodstream, helping to calmdown and beat stress.