We all experience stress. Stress can suddenly overwhelm us at times. It depends on the situation, and if we’re in a good place, we can handle it right away and avoid long-term consequences. Chronic stress is the kind of stress that has the biggest impact on our long-term health.

It’s a type of stress that we often find difficult to overcome. This type of stress has a negative impact on our immune system and raises the risk of conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease in addition to common illnesses like the common cold and the flu. Additionally, we frequently miss the subtle signs of stress and don’t realize we’re under it.

We frequently miss the subtle signs of stress and are unaware that we are experiencing it until it has reached a point where it has a negative impact on our mood, attention, and even behavior.

Health is more complicated than just diet and exercise, as we at the Whole Life Challenge are aware. Our mental state—our capacity for composure, interpersonal connection, and self-awareness—determines a great deal of our physical health and well-being. Although we also handle food and exercise, you should prioritize your sense of well-being over all other factors in your pursuit of health.

No matter what kind of stress we are experiencing, there are easy ways to temporarily relieve it, regain our composure, and deal with the situation at hand. These quick fixes are the kind of things that prevent stress from building up and result in longer-term reductions in chronic stress.

Any of these can take you out of the stressful circumstance, give you time to gain perspective and refresh your body and mind in a way that enables you to see the situation in a new light. They can last for as little as 5 minutes or as long as 20 minutes.

Breathe

We breathe quickly, shallowly, and in our chests as opposed to our bellies. Our nervous system and breathing are closely related, and just as stress or calm can change our breathing, stress can also change our breathing back to calm.

Switch off

Sometimes it’s best to simply ignore what’s going on. Finding a quiet area where you can close your eyes for a short period of time, listen to music, practice guided meditation, and generally unwind will allow you to relax and return your mind to a more tranquil, productive state.

Reframe

It’s possible that the frame we’re looking at a situation through—our thoughts, feelings, or the actions we’re taking—is what’s actually causing the issue when we’re adversely affected by it.

You can gain insight into how you might be able to experience something differently by merely imagining what it would be like to think differently about the situation, feel differently in the situation, or take a different action in the situation.

Step outdoors

Including some nature in your life, whether you’re going for a walk or just going outside to sit on the curb, feel the sun and breeze, and listen to birds chirping, is a great way to re-establish a connection with something profound and stress-free within yourself.

Laugh

Whatever it takes to make you laugh, whether it’s watching a funny video, taunting your toddler until they do something ridiculous, or simply dancing around until you start to cry, laughing can instantly relieve stress.