Smart Tips for Successfully Managing Stress
No matter who we are, we can all benefit from knowing how to better manage stress. There are many of us who may feel like we don’t “have” stress or we’re doing just fine, when the truth is all of us deal with stress, whether we realize it or not. One of the best things for our minds and bodies is having a strong connection between the two. We’ve gathered the most successful methods to ensure you live a happier, healthier life.
1. Group Exercise
Group Exercise like group Pilates reformer class, Barre Classes, Strength training has been shown to lower stress significantly. Researchers found working out in a group lowers stress by 26 percent and significantly improves the quality of life, while those who exercise individually put in more effort but experienced no significant changes in their stress level and a limited improvement to the quality of life, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
2. Yoga Swings
Yoga on its own, as many are already aware, can greatly lower stress levels. It’s a low-impact practice that helps stretch and strengthen the muscles while also giving you a sense of mental strength. Yoga poses can be famously difficult to achieve, and some take weeks or even months to properly pull off!
However, if you really want to maximize your stress-relieving benefits, we highly suggest looking into getting/using a yoga swing. These pieces of equipment are made to help with yoga, can help achieve deeper poses and hold them for longer. This can help improve your flexibility and strength, while also lowering back and joint pain. Use them for inversion therapy to really start seeing quick results.
3. Chi Swing Therapy Machines
These little devices may not look like much at first glance, but chi swing therapy machines will work wonders in getting your mind back to a healthy, happy state. They offer a huge array of benefits, from relieving muscle pain, to boosting blood flow and energy.
They work by stimulating the nervous system, spinal column, vertebrae, etc. to help relax the back, neck, and shoulders – all places the body is known to carry stress. Many of the best use a kind of wave-like motion which starts at the legs, moving up the back and into the neck and shoulders. This improved circulation in the lower body is also wonderful if you live a sedentary lifestyle, such as working at a desk all day. They’re so effective, in fact, that various chiropractors and massage therapists all over the globe use them on their patients.
As they often weigh less than 10 pounds and are nice and compact, stowing them away when you’re done is simple and quick.
4. Meditation
Meditation has been revered for centuries as a way to relieve stress and strengthen the connection between our body and mind or even our body and the universe! Living in a world where we’re constantly surrounded by smart devices and screens, it can be hard to truly relax and let our minds calm down. Meditation helps with that, although it can be hard to get started for some people.
Apps like Calm and Headspace have helped change that, making it a bit more user-friendly for those of us who already feel comfortable always on our phones. However, guided meditation can also be found on YouTube videos and other websites out there. Giving ourselves time to really not think about paying bills or accomplishing tasks can make a huge dent in our stress levels. Another great thing about meditation is, that the more you do it, the easier it gets.
5. Foot Massager
Just about everyone in the world enjoys a good foot massage, and for good reason, too! No matter if you’re working on your feet all day or are active at the gym or other ways, your feet tend to take the brunt of the impact and strain. Many people simply don’t have the time or money to get regular foot massages, though luckily there are many excellent home foot massage machines you can take advantage of.
These will help relieve stress in your feet and lower legs. However, as this is the part of our body that keeps us grounded, it can notably aid in your overall body and mind feeling more refreshed and energized. There are various types and models to choose from, with some just addressing the soles of the feet, while others have sleeves for you to place your entire feet and calves in.
6. Walking/Running
Did you know that even with just 15 minutes of walking or running, you’ll receive mental health benefits? It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not! The great thing about walking and running is that most of us have access to a little path or gym that we can do it in. It doesn’t require any special gear or workout clothing, so you probably won’t need to purchase anything to get started, either.
Walking and running can be done entirely at your own pace, and you get to choose how long you do it for. Half an hour is ideal for many, as you can burn quite a few calories while also getting to soak in the sunshine and breathe the fresh air many of us take for granted. Being out in nature can also afford us a kind of serene experience which allows our minds to wind down.
Summary
Now that you’ve had the chance to read through some of our smart tips for reducing stress, which will you be incorporating in your life? You aren’t limited to just one, though. You can take up any of the aforementioned activities and be sure that you’ll start to feel more relaxed and energized in now time. Thanks for tuning in and we are sure we’ll see you again soon!