Let’s face it living in today’s hectic and fast-paced society conjures up a lot of unwanted stress. I’ve taken the time to include what I feel are the top ten ways to relieve stress. While this list is not exhaustive, feel free to leave a comment or add your opinion!

1. Exercise

One of the most natural and healthiest ways to relieve stress is to exercise. This can include yoga, hitting the gym, playing any sport, or even just taking a short walk. These physical activities allow the body to increase the blood flow, release muscle tension, and sweat which all aid the body to relieve stress.

2. Deep Breathing

One thing that we can control is our breathing. This is a simple yet effective technique to relax the body and the mind. Here is how I was taught to deep breathe:

• Inhale through the nose while slowly counting 1 .. 2 .. 3 .. 4
• Pause count 1 .. 2
• Exhale through the mouth while slowly counting 1 .. 2 .. 3 .. 4
• Pause count 1 .. 2 (Repeat)

There is a neat little illustration of this over at Deep Slow Easy

3. Massage

Relaxation is key to relieve stress, and nothing can compare to a quiet soothing massage. Because the muscles and mind are connected, if the muscles are relaxed your mind is more likely to be relaxed as well. Not only does it relieve stress, but helps to lower your blood pressure, improve circulation, and facilitates joint mobility.

4. Laugh

A hearty laugh just feels food for the body and soul. When you do this reach for those belly aching laughs that are deep. This releases endorphins which make you feel good and are great stress relievers. There was even a study done by the University of Maryland that concluded people with a well-developed sense of humor, were less likely to have heart problems.

5. Organize

Go ahead and take a look at your desk or workspace right now. Is it cluttered and messy? Believe it or not, for many individuals clutter = stress. This doesn’t just happen where you work, your room, kitchen, bedroom, etc… all add to the stress factor. The good thing about this is there is a simple solution, just organize!

6. Be Positive

Who likes to be around a negative person with a bad attitude? Well, this has more affect on you than you think. Optimists enjoy a healthier life, have more positive relationships, and yep experience less stress.

7. Take a Nap

A quick ‘power nap’ can do wonders for a crammed and stressed schedule. A short 30 minute nap, can feel like you’ve just woke up from 8 hours of sleep. I did a thorough review of napping in my post Is Napping Healthy?.

8. Listen to Music

Soft quiet music in the background has a soothing effect on the mind and body. While everyone’s tastes are different, I’ve found slow music without words or classical music can do the trick. Here’s a free online station for classical music The Classical Station

9. Aromatherapy

Get your senses involved to relieve stress. Smells are known to alter mood and promote a stress less environment. This can be done through oils, candles, or incense. Some of the more popular scents are lavender, sandalwood, and ginger.

10. Take a Vacation

Last but definitely not least is just get away! A vacation is an excellent way to remove yourself from that stressed environment and recharge your batteries. Just being outside in nature has benefits of its own and is a natural stress relief!