Helpful Stress Management Activities

Life is hectic: responsibilities, bills, debts, family, work. Most people do their best but find little time to let go. Their minds are constantly spinning with problems and worries. When this happens, we must take control by engaging in stress management activities.

The Trouble with Chronic Stress

Chronic stress can lead to many problems, such as inflammation, high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, higher levels of cortisol, insomnia, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. Stress affects you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

When the body stays in a constant state of distress, it can weaken the heart and blood vessels, leading to heart attack or stroke. As your eating patterns change, you are at risk for eating disorders, diabetes, and obesity. You may notice joint pain, body aches, and headaches.

Your mental health also takes a hit with chronic stress. You can develop a mental health condition such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Panic disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Binge-eating, anorexia, or bulimia
• Poor body image
• Social anxiety
• Night terrors
• Trouble with concentration
• Dementia or Alzheimer’s
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

This is why practicing stress management activities is crucial to your health. Do not think of these activities as selfish or things you do when you want to feel luxurious. These are not luxury tasks, but necessities. You need to stay healthy. God took a day off to rest and commanded us to rest at least once a week.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. – Genesis 2:2, NIV

Stress Management Activities You Can Do Now

It does not take a great deal of time or money to destress. You can incorporate little stress management activities into your day and week. Most activities can be done in less than fifteen minutes, but feel free to take longer when you have more time.

Speaking of time, your health is just as, if not more, important than your responsibilities. Without your health, nothing will get done. Take the time to nurture your spiritual, mental, and physical health.

Exercise

Moderate to high-intensity exercise performed a few days a week not only improves your cardiorespiratory system but also releases endorphins, those feel-good chemicals. Endorphins leave you feeling happy and help to release tension in the body. Exercise also promotes self-confidence and a positive body image.

Get clearance from your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen, and then start slowly. Choose a program or workout video incorporating cardio and resistance training, either bodyweight or with dumbbells or bands.

Take a Walk

Taking a brisk walk can also deliver many of the same benefits as exercise. Walking helps to lubricate the joints making your mobility better. Walking outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight can help boost your respiratory and immunity systems.

The more you walk and build endurance, the less likely you will have shortness of breath. You can stave off panic attacks by breathing deeply, and walking helps fill your lungs with oxygen and release tension.

Practice Yoga or Stretching

A few minutes of stretching at the end of the day can release tension. The more flexible and limber you are, the less likely you will harm yourself during a fall. Practice either yoga poses or simple stretches. You can find short stretching videos online for free.

Practicing the art of deep breathing in beginner’s yoga can further lower your stress level. When life gets crazy, we tend to engage in shallow breathing. Not getting enough oxygen into our lungs can cause panic attacks or hyperventilation. Your body will force you to take a time out so it can reset your breathing pattern. Try doing a yoga flow in the morning and finishing your day with a five-minute stretching session.

Do Something Creative

Sometimes our stress is due to working within someone else’s schedule and caring for others. We should take care of our loved ones and provide for them, but we must also remember to fill our well with things that bring us joy.

Creativity permits us to have fun. It takes our interests and talents and focuses them, often into a tangible product or experience. Do you like writing stories, creating music, making art, or dancing? Do you enjoy working with your hands like a carpenter or welder? Give yourself permission to let loose and do something creative.

Ground Yourself

When your stress level is high, does it feel like everything gets louder? Does it feel as if too much is happening at once? It may be time to ground yourself using all your senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

Take a moment to pause and look around the room while breathing deeply. What are five things you see around you? Name them. What are four things you can touch? Reach out and handle each one. What are three things you hear? Concentrate on those sounds, bringing each one into focus. What are two things you can smell? Pay close attention to those. What is one thing you can taste? Practice these grounding techniques the next time you feel panicked.

Take a Bath

A bath is a great way to soothe and comfort yourself, especially after a long day. A good soak releases tension. The steam clears your sinuses, making it easier to breathe. You can add your favorite bubble bath or bath oil for an added sensory experience. If you prefer sound in the background, consider streaming a relaxing playlist or listening to an audiobook.

Washing away the day’s problems is an easy stress management activity. Although the issues may still exist after your bath, your brain has a moment to reset. By the time you finish your bath, you may have a solution to a problem or at least feel better about how to manage it.

Color Like a Kid Again

Do you remember visiting restaurants as a child and spending the time waiting for your food by coloring the pages with crayons? How about the feeling of receiving a new coloring book and a new box of crayons? Any time we engage in stress management activities that remind us of good times, it comforts and soothes us.

Try doodling in a new notebook or pick up an adult coloring book. You can use crayons, colored pencils, or thin markers to color and express your creativity. Take a few minutes throughout your day to work on a picture, or make it part of your evening routine after dinner.

Spend Time Alone with God

It is easy to leave God out of the equation when we are busy. We do not have time for a morning devotional or evening prayer time and life just goes on. But the truth is that though life may continue to carry us along without a conscious relationship with God, we will lose out spiritually. We may even end up endangering our souls if we try to live life apart from Him.

Try getting up a few minutes earlier to pray and read a devotional. Or, use your time during your commute to thank God for everything He is doing in your life and bring your requests to Him. Better yet, you can speak silently to God throughout your day. It may seem awkward initially if you have never spoken to God this way, but remember that He is closer to you than any brother. He knows you inside and out. You can talk with him like you would your best friend.

Pray for God to empower you to handle the responsibilities you have right now and to grant you the wisdom to discern a better way to accomplish them.

When You Need Help with Stress

Contact our office today if you suspect that chronic stress is at the root of your anxiety and depression or if you want to keep it from spiraling in that direction. We would love to connect you with a Christian counselor who can recommend more stress management activities, psychology-based methods, and spiritually strengthening tasks.