What if you could finally say “STOP” and avoid drowning in work? What if you could finally ask your boss for that long-awaited raise without your voice failing due to nervousness?
Unfortunately, stress appears repeatedly in our lives. Our bodies go into alarm mode, releasing increased levels of stress hormones like adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. These hormones can be helpful in the short term. However, if we remain in stressful situations over time, it can lead to serious health issues. Stress is considered a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, severe exhaustion, and even burnout.
To prevent this from happening, we’ve gathered five effective methods and practical tips that can help you reduce stress.
What to do against stress? Here’s how you can reduce stress.
When we feel stressed, it is often very difficult to keep a clear mind. Our first tips focus on reducing acute stress. These immediate measures are designed to help you keep your composure.
Tip 1: Cold water in stressful situations
Our first, simple, and immediately applicable tip is: Activate your circulation with cold water!
Run cold water over your wrists or splash your face with it when you find yourself in a stressful situation and feel like you’re losing control. The temperature shock causes your blood vessels to constrict, stimulating your circulation and helping you regain focus.
Tip 2: Breathing to combat stress
Take a deep breath is our second tip.
Our breath is our life force. It allows us to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. When we’re stressed, we tend to forget how to breathe properly. By consciously focusing on your breath during a stressful situation, you can work wonders. Deep, steady breathing sends signals to your nervous system that everything is okay, helping to calm your body and move it out of the alarm state.
Combine these breathing exercises with a walk in the fresh air to clear your mind! Movement stimulates circulation and supplies the brain with fresh oxygen, which helps clarify your thoughts. A walk of just 20 to 30 minutes can be enough to release your tension.
Tips to reduce stress: How can you avoid stress?
These immediate measures can be very helpful in an emergency, but in the long run, they will not protect you from stress.
A much more effective approach is to try to reduce stress from the ground up. An important factor in avoiding stress long-term is restful sleep.
Tip 3: Restful sleep for overall relaxation
Our third tip is: Pay attention to good sleep! Only when you get enough sleep can your body regenerate and reduce stress hormones. On the other hand, sleep deprivation increases cortisol levels and can worsen stress symptoms.
Try to maintain a regular sleep routine and create a calming sleep environment!
Tip 4: Prevent stress with nutrition
Especially in stressful situations, it’s important to focus on a balanced and suitable diet.
Your body needs essential nutrients to stay healthy and provide the energy necessary to cope with stress. A diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and home-cooked meals is a great choice.
On the other hand, opting for junk food and heavily processed industrial foods adds extra strain on your body, which can worsen your stress levels.
Tip 5: Reduce stress through active slowing down
One of the best methods to keep your stress levels low is our fifth tip: regularly practicing mindfulness exercises and relaxation techniques.
It doesn’t matter if you choose a modern technique like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or a traditional form of meditation. The key is to practice regularly, ideally every day for at least 30 minutes.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation involves consciously tensing and relaxing individual muscle groups. This technique not only helps release physical tension but can also alleviate psychological stress.
As with mindfulness exercises, the goal is to focus intentionally on the present moment and ground yourself in the here and now.
Holistic support at the Ayurveda Resort Mandira
Sometimes, simple techniques in everyday life are not enough to manage stress in the long term. In such cases, seeking targeted support through burnout prevention programs (link) or a Holistic Ayurveda Spiritual Detox Light Cure (link) can be helpful.
Our holistic programs at the Ayurveda Resort Mandira focus on personalized approaches that restore balance to both body and mind.
The Rasayana rejuvenation program (link) emphasizes supporting the immune system, regenerating the body, and alleviating stress symptoms sustainably. Rasayana, which means “rejuvenation,” offers a comprehensive approach to stress reduction and prevention through nutrition, yoga, meditation, and detox measures.
At our resort, you have the opportunity not only to release stress but also to recharge your energy, leaving you refreshed and revitalized.