Quick Ways to De-Stress!

10 Minute Walk: A nice walk will help to clear your head and boost endorphins which will then reduce stress hormones. When taking your walk you should keep in mind that by walking in a park or green space can put your body into a state of meditation. You can thank the phenomenon known as “involuntary attention”. This occurs during which something holds our attention, but simultaneously allows for reflection.
Buy Yourself a Plant: Plants can help you calm down. Researchers have found that simply being around plants can induce your relaxation response. One Washington State University study found that a group of stressed-out people who entered a room full of plants had a four-point drop in their blood pressure, while a comparison group who didn’t see plants dropped only two points. When it comes to finding those perfect plants to help calm you down, aloe plants, english ivys, and rubber trees are the way to go.
Get a Piece of Candy!: Eating or drinking something sweet is soothing because it stems the production of the stress hormone, glucocorticoid. In healthy portions a Hershey’s Kiss, peppermint candy or other reasonably-sized treat, can help.
Chew a Piece of Gum: Chewing gum can relieve anxiety, improve alertness and reduce stress during episodes of multitasking, according to a 2008 study.
Craft: Repetitive motions — like the fine motor skills used to knit, make jewelry or cross-stitch — can soothe anxiety, according to avid knitter and pediatrician, Perri Klass, M.D. Mindfulness expert Dr. Herbert Benson agrees: Knitting fulfills the two criteria of mindfulness practice, as he sees it: “the repetition of a sound, word, phrase prayer, or movement, and the passive setting aside of intruding thoughts and returning to the repetition.
Eat Some Potassium: Potassium helps to regulate blood pressure, which rises during times of stress. Research shows that it can protect your body from the negative effects of stress, like increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The American Psychological Association recommends it to stave off the physical detriments of stress as well.
Bring the Beat In!: Any music that you love will flood your brain with feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine. If you don't have any headphones or devices to listen to music on try humming, nurses have found that recreational music making relieved stress and prevented burn outs.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Start with your toes and work your way up: tighten your foot muscles as much as you can, then relax them. Make your way up, tightening and relaxing each muscle until you’ve finished with your face. This practice can help reduce anxiety and stress and is often recommended to patients who suffer from depression and anxiety disorders.
Viral Video: A good laugh is a fine relaxation technique. “Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain,” explains the Mayo Clinic.
Just Breathe: Breathing exercises — or even just taking a few deep breaths — can help reduce tension and relieve stress, thanks to an extra boost of oxygen. While shallow breathing — a marker of stress — stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, reported NPR, deep breathing does the opposite: It stimulates the parasympathetic reaction, which helps us to calm down