An occasional stressful week at work or a bad argument are normal parts of life. But when stress is chronic, recurring, and negatively impacting your life—and potentially harming your mental and physical health—it’s important to find the right coping strategies to de-stress quickly. If you find that you’re having trouble sleeping, functioning day to day, or maintaining healthy relationships due to stress, learning in-the-moment stress management techniques can help you get your brain and body back on track. Here’s how to relieve stress quickly, according to science and experts. “Often, we take shallow breaths when we’re stressed, and this may cause our bodies to feel even more tense,” says Ernesto Lira de la Rosa, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist in New York City. To alleviate shallow breathing associated with high stress levels, experts often recommend practicing the 4-7-8 breathing strategy, which is one of the fastest and easiest ways to stop stress in its tracks. “First exhale all of your breath through your mouth. Then inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold the breath for seven seconds and exhale the breath through your mouth for eight seconds,” Lira de la Rosa says. “Repeat this cycle at least four times. This technique helps your body activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the stress brake pedal), so that your body can begin to slow down.” (Bonus: This breathing exercise is incredibly helpful for falling asleep.) “Tense one body part at a time for five seconds, then release the tension, repeating this one more time. You can start with your toes, feet, calves, hamstrings, buttocks, stomach, chest, fingers, arms, shoulders, neck, face and then end with your forehead.” The way mindfulness works is simple: It slows your mind down and gives you more control over your thoughts, feelings, and reactions. “You may take a moment to observe your thoughts without judgment,” Lira de la Rosa suggests. “Some people find it helpful to imagine the thoughts going on a leaf that is flowing down a stream. Every time a thought comes up, you can visualize this thought just gently flowing down the stream. This exercise can provide you with a quick check-in with your thoughts and can help you practice letting go of stressful thoughts.” David Seitz, MD, a board-certified physician and acting medical director of Ascendant NY, says exercise doesn’t have to be complicated or even drawn-out to provide benefits. It also doesn’t need to be formal or serious. Make it fun by dancing or turning on an ’80s jazzercise video. “Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects,” he says. “Exercise also helps to clear your mind and improve your sleep, both of which can help reduce stress levels. If you don’t have time for a full workout, even a short walk or run can help reduce stress.” “When we feel stressed, our mind can ruminate and start weaving stories that are not necessarily supportive,” Bernstein explains. “I recommend getting a pen and paper and writing out the situation and your thoughts about it. Most importantly, include your feelings in your writing.” Writing by hand is most effective, she adds, because it can help you name and tame your emotions. Steven M. Sultanoff, PhD, a clinical psychologist and professor, says humor “shifts distressing emotions” and your perspective into a more positive direction, while deep, “heartfelt” laughter provides physical stress relief in the form of muscle relaxation: “[It]instantly reduces physical stress and tension.” “The difficulty with stress is that over time, our bodies begin to adapt to our stress levels. That’s why stress relief can feel temporary if we do not take active measures to manage it on a regular basis,” Lira de la Rosa says. “It’s possible to experience long-lasting effects of stress relief, but this comes with continued self-care and practicing stress-relieving exercises.” You don’t need to wait until you’re at your breaking point to do some gentle breathing exercises or start journaling. Reflect and identify what tends to trigger stress for you, as well as what stress feels like when it hits you. That way you can reach for the right tools at the first signs of stress and prevent more serious, prolonged stress.
